Georgia Football: How the Bulldogs Must Handle Missouri's Pass Rush

The College Football Playoff does not start until the end of December, but the road to Dallas has begun for the Georgia Bulldogs.

They are 2-1 in the SEC and have a huge matchup against Missouri in Columbia on Saturday. The Tigers are coming off a bye week, and they are on the right path to be the favorites to win the SEC East following a big win against South Carolina.

One of the biggest things the Tigers have going for them is that they can rush the passer. Defensive linemen Shane Ray and Markus Golden are first and third in the conference in sacks, respectively, tallying 11 in five games.

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Tackles for a Loss: 1) Shane Ray - 11.5 2) Myles Garrett - 7 3) Markus Golden - 6.5 4) Jalen Reeves-Maybin - 6 5) Caleb Azubike - 5.5

— SEC Country (@SEC_Country_) October 3, 2014"

So how do the Bulldogs slow down the pass rush of the Tigers?

That’s a good question because both players are piling up sacks at an alarming rate. Golden has four sacks and is only two and a half away from matching his total last year. Ray has seven, which leads the SEC, and he has already surpassed his total of 4.5 last year.

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Both players are not big, weighing in the 260-pound or less range, but they are quick off the ball and can move from sideline-to-sideline. So asking John Theus and Kolton Houston to block them one-on-one would be a difficult task, especially with this game being played at Missouri.

This is where the running game comes in.

The Bulldogs won’t be as deep as they were at the start of the season in terms of running backs, due to injuries to Keith Marshall and Sony Michel. But Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb will be more than enough to slow the pass rush of the Tigers.

Since Mark Richt has been the head coach for Georgia, the Bulldogs have been a team that likes to throw the football, but they also would do their share of running, as well.

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This year, the Bulldogs are second in the conference in rushing offense, which has resulted in them being one of the better offensive teams in the SEC in terms of yards per game. So that's the biggest thing the Bulldogs can do to handle the pass rush.

It’s essential Gurley touches the ball at least 25 times, because Missouri’s defense is not going to completely stop him. From isolation plays to screen passes, the Bulldogs need to make sure that Gurley is getting the ball like he has the last two SEC games.

But they also need to get Chubb the ball more this week. Chubb rushed for 78 yards on nine carries and scored once in the win against Vanderbilt last week. He now has 224 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries this season.

When Indiana defeated the Tigers earlier this year, Tevin Coleman and Devine Redding totaled 246 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Gurley and Chubb have the ability to put up those numbers against a run defense that ranks ninth in the SEC.

And if the running game gets going for the Bulldogs, that will give Hutson Mason an opportunity to make plays with his arm. He can work off of play action and find his receivers downfield without the worries of a pass rush.

The offensive line for Georgia has done a great job this year keeping Mason upright and giving the running backs holes to run. But facing the Tigers defensive front will certainly be a challenge for this group.

That being said, as long as the Bulldogs continue to run the ball like they have all season long, the pass rush for Missouri will not be a factor on Saturday.

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