Georgia vs. Arkansas: Complete Game Preview

A weekend of unexpected results makes this Saturday's matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Arkansas Razorbacks one of the SEC's most compelling games.  

Georgia enters the contest following a 34-0 road victory over Missouri without star running back Todd Gurley, who has been suspended amid an ongoing NCAA investigation.  The decisive victory allowed the Bulldogs to put a stranglehold on the SEC East and re-enter the national conversation.

Arkansas, meanwhile, suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Alabama but commanded attention with such a hard-fought battle with a perennial national championship contender.  

Here's what you need to know about Saturday's game:

• Date: Saturday, October 18
• Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
• Place: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas
• TV: SEC Network
• Radio: Georgia Bulldog Radio Network, Razorback Sports Network
• Spread: Georgia (-3), per Odds Shark

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference.com.

Georgia Keys to Victory

Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images

With or without Gurley, Georgia must leave emotion checked at the door.

Leave Emotion at the Door

The fate of Todd Gurley is still unknown.  While fans and teammates alike are optimistic regarding his return, no signs have yet been given as to when that return might be.  Accordingly, every ounce of emotional energy needs to be dedicated to one cause and one cause only: beating Arkansas.  

If Gurley is back, great.  But don't let this become a "statement game" for him or a way of catching up on lost time.  Stick to the game plan.  If he's not back, move on.  The Dawgs were able to do so this past Saturday against Missouri.  There's no time to panic without the star.

Defensive Discipline

Georgia smothered Missouri with an aggressive, relentless pass rush and forced five Maty Mauk turnovers in the process.  That's not going to happen against Arkansas.  The Razorbacks play a hard-nosed style of football and rely heavily on the run.  As such, this game won't be decided by forced turnovers.

Georgia's front seven will need to remain disciplined in their pursuits in order to slow down the likes of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams.  A failure to maintain gap integrity or over-pursuit will expose cut-back lanes and put the defense in poor position to make a play.

Arkansas Keys to Victory

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen.

Embrace the Moment

Arkansas has lost 15 consecutive conference games, but the improvement of this team is undeniable.  Already this year, the Razorbacks took Texas A&M (then ranked No. 6) to overtime and played Alabama (then ranked No. 7) to a 14-13 loss.

In some ways, it feels like Arkansas is due.  That being said, victory must be earned, and the Razorbacks must find a way to finish a big game in the fourth quarter.  If this team learns to win a big game against Georgia, the entire program could begin turning around.

Win First Down Defensively

Even in the rout of Missouri, Georgia struggled to convert long third downs.  Accordingly, Arkansas must place an emphasis on getting Georgia behind the chains on offense.

Limiting the productivity of first-down runs is the most obvious way to start, but the Razorbacks must also pay attention to the short passing game out of the shotgun on early downs.  

Getting this Georgia offense off the field will keep points off the scoreboard but also aid in wearing out Georgia's defense.

Georgia Players to Watch

Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason

Nick Chubb

What more can be said about Nick Chubb?  The true freshman was fantastic in Gurley's absence last weekend.  His 38 carries were eight more than Gurley's career high, and his 143 rushing yards set a career high of his own.  Chubb never broke a long touchdown run, but his ability to continually punish the opposing defense completely dominated Missouri.

If Gurley is out again, a heavy dose of Chubb will likely be prescribed.  This week, however, the yards will be even harder to come by as the Arkansas defensive front is used to hard-nosed runners.

Hutson Mason

The last time Georgia played on the road against Arkansas was in 2009.  That year, an unheralded fifth-year senior in his first full year as a starter was under center.  Sound familiar?

In 2009, that quarterback, Joe Cox, completed 18 of 26 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns in guiding Georgia to a 52-41 victory.

Hutson Mason may not pass for five touchdowns this week, but he'll prove equally valuable to Georgia—especially if Gurley is out.  Fortunately for Georgia, Mason is coming off the best game of the season.  Against Missouri, he completed more than 78 percent of his passes while throwing for 156 yards and a touchdown.  More important than the statistics, however, was the way he managed the game without his star tailback.

Contrary to popular opinion, Mason is having a good year.  He's completing more than 70 percent of his passes and has thrown nearly three times as many touchdowns as interceptions.  He'll continue to move the offense against Arkansas.

Arkansas Players to Watch

Danny Johnston/Associated Press

Arkansas running back Alex Collins

Alex Collins

Alex Collins, a sophomore running back, has torn up the league since arriving on campus last year.  As a freshman, he eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards while averaging nearly 5.5 yards per carry.  He's threatening seven yards per touch this year and has already racked up more than 630 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

With a potent combination of size and speed, Collins is patient enough to wait for a hole and explosive enough to attack for big gains.  Earlier this year, he torched Nicholls State for 131 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries.  He ran for 212 yards in the upset win over Texas Tech.

If Collins has a big day, Georgia is in trouble.

Jonathan Williams

Unfortunately for Georgia, Collins isn't the only running back to key in on.  Jonathan Williams, a junior, ran for 900 yards last year and has accounted for 569 yards so far this season.

More of a bruiser, Williams carries a load and punishes would-be tacklers consistently.  More often than not, it will take a group of Bulldog defenders to bring down this load, and the cumulative effect of his powerful running could be detrimental to the Dawgs' efforts.

Stopping the two-headed monster of a ground attack will be crucial to Georgia's chance of success.

What They're Saying

Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

Georgia cornerback Damian Swann holds up three fingers in reference to Todd Gurley's jersey number.

Dawgs Want Gurley Back

Not surprisingly, Georgia wants its Heisman candidate back on the field.  

According to Seth Emerson of The Telegraph (Macon), linebacker Jordan Jenkins said the defense played harder in honor of its teammate.  "Just taking him out the way things are going on, it inspired us to go out there and play harder," he offered.

Meanwhile, cornerback Damian Swann expressed optimism regarding Gurley's return, saying that he thinks the running back will be back "in the near future."

Arkansas Ready for SEC Win

Arkansas defensive end Tray Flowers thinks the team is close to earning an SEC win, according to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.  "We are very close. It’s closer than y’all see," he noted.  "Like I said, the fourth quarter kind of bit us again this week. We are going to keep on working and keep on doing what we are doing. We are headed in the right direction."

Prediction

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Georgia's defense has improved every week.

Arkansas does a lot of things right as a football team, and the improvement under second-year head coach Bret Bielema should not be ignored.  The Razorbacks run the football about as well as anyone in the country, and a team that can control the clock while racking up yardage and moving the chains always has a chance at winning.

That being said, this team is still one year away from being a consistent threat to the conference's elite.  Yes, the Razorbacks nearly upset Texas A&M, but the Aggies have now lost two straight games and are plummeting in the polls.  Put bluntly: This isn't the Texas A&M team folks expected after Week 1.

And sure, Arkansas took Alabama to the brink, but this Crimson Tide team has a host of skeletons in its closet as well, particularly on offense.

Georgia is the more well-rounded team in this contest even without Todd Gurley.  Though Missouri was hardly impressive, the fact remains that Georgia won on the road in the SEC against a Top 25 team without its best player.  A lot of credit for that win goes to Georgia's defense, which has improved every week, and a lot goes to offensive coordinator Mike Bobo's ability to game-plan.

Ultimately, Georgia wins this football game, but it may not be pretty.

A Bulldog victory advances Georgia to 4-1 in conference play and 6-1 overall.  Further, it gives them a win in one of their two crucial games against the SEC West.  

Arkansas, on the other hand, may be the best team in the country to open the season 0-4 in conference play.  But the momentum may soon change directions for the Razorbacks.

Final Score: Georgia 28, Arkansas 24