Georgia vs. LSU: 5 Keys for a Bulldogs' Victory over the Tigers

Not too many people think the Bulldogs can pull off the upset on Saturday because the LSU Tigers are playing excellent football and the Bulldogs have not faced a team that is close to the same level as the Bayou Bengals.

That is true, but by the way this season has panned out, stranger things have happened and the Bulldogs will not be a pushover. However, in order for the Bulldogs to win their third conference title since 2002, they have to play their best football yet.

Here are five keys to a Bulldogs win.

Run the Football

It will not be easy because LSU only allowed 86 rushing yards per game during the regular season, but the Bulldogs have to find a way to run the ball.

Isaiah Crowell will be back in the lineup so that will be a huge boost for the Bulldogs. He needs to carry the ball 25 times in order for the Bulldogs to have a chance to win. But don't be surprised to see Branden Smith or Brandon Boykin get a few carries on reverses or misdirections.

If they can do that, it will make Aaron Murray's life a lot easier when it comes to throwing the football.

Protect Aaron Murray

Murray is probably the best quarterback the Tigers have faced this season. But if they get after Murray from the start, they won't have any problems with him towards the end of the game.

That's why the offensive line led by Ben Jones and Cordy Glenn have to make sure they keep Murray upright the entire game. Murray is good at distributing the ball to different receivers, but he needs time to find the open man, especially a team that has only given up six passing touchdowns this season.

Contain Tyrann Mathieu

This will not be easy, but the Bulldogs have to be sure they don't let Tyrann Mathieu run wild. Not only is he a great cornerback, he's a very dangerous return man.

Last week against Arkansas, he scored on a 92-yard punt return which led to the Tigers blowing out the Razorbacks.

Mathieu has recovered four fumbles and two of them have been returned for touchdowns. He also has 66 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.

So to say that the Bulldogs need to find Mathieu every time he's on the field would be an understatement.

Contain the Running Game

One of the reasons LSU is undefeated is the fact they can run the football effectively. Spencer Ware and Michael Ford have rushed for a total of over 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns. And when you add in the running ability of quarterback Jordan Jefferson, the Tigers have been running over teams all season long.

So it's important for the Bulldogs to wrap up and shed their blocks quickly. They have done a good job of that against Georgia Tech, so hopefully the Bulldogs will be able to continue that trend.

Play Great Special Teams

During the first half of the season, the Bulldogs struggled in the special teams department. In fact, they lost to South Carolina because of it and almost fell to Vanderbilt for the same reason.

But over the last few weeks, the Bulldogs have improved and the reason is they put starters on the kickoff and punt teams.

Blair Walsh has also struggled this year, making only 62 percent of his field goals.

Walsh and the kick-coverage teams will be key in this game because if Georgia can keep it close, they will have to step up and make plays in order for the Bulldogs to win.