Georgia vs. Alabama – Five keys to Saturday’s showdown

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The rankings say Georgia is better. The computers lean toward Alabama. History strongly favors the Crimson Tide.

Now a hurricane has added another layer of uncertainty to a game already loaded with intrigue.

No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama are scheduled to meet at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama officials said this week there were no plans to alter the game, but the university was monitoring Hurricane Isaias and remaining in contact with the Southeastern Conference.

Isaias was forecast to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday before moving inland. Its precise track — and what that could mean for Tuscaloosa on Saturday evening — remained uncertain as the teams completed preparations.

What is certain is the size of the game.

Georgia and Alabama enter with identical 5-0 overall and 3-0 SEC records. They also arrive with two of the nation’s most productive offenses, two of the conference’s stingiest defenses and a history that has tilted heavily toward the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Georgia averages an NCAA-leading 51.4 points per game. Alabama averages 49.6 and has scored at least 45 in every game.

Weather permitting, here are five areas likely to decide which unbeaten team leaves Bryant-Denny Stadium still perfect:

1. GEORGIA’S RUN DEFENSE VS. KEELON RUSSELL

Georgia has built its defense from the inside out.

Quarterback Keelon Russell will challenge that defense differently.

Russell can extend plays with his legs, but Georgia coach Kirby Smart said his greatest danger comes from keeping his eyes downfield while moving outside the pocket.

“People will make him out to be a runner,” Smart said. “He doesn’t run unless he has to, and he can. He scrambles to throw, scrambles to run.”

Georgia’s linebackers must defend the run without losing track of Alabama’s receivers. One missed assignment could become the explosive play Smart wants to prevent.

“The eye control and the play variance you see nowadays have come so far that it demands leverage, striking and eye perfection,” Smart said. “You make one mistake, it’s an explosive.”

2. CAN GEORGIA REMAIN BALANCED?

Alabama’s first defensive goal will be making Georgia one-dimensional.

The Crimson Tide allows 78.6 rushing yards per game, third best in the SEC. Its front has the size and strength to create long-yardage situations, allowing an aggressive secondary to attack the football.

“When you stop the run and force people to throw the ball, sometimes it can make you one-dimensional,” Smart said.

Georgia averages 213 rushing yards and 265.8 passing yards. That balance has allowed the Bulldogs to distribute 16 touchdown catches among 13 players.

Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens have combined for 11 rushing touchdowns on only 61 attempts, while quarterback Gunner Stockton has added another dimension with his legs. However, Brown has been ruled out for Saturday’s game because of an injury.

Georgia does not need one player to dominate. It needs Alabama to defend everyone.

“To be a good offense nowadays, you’ve got to be dangerous,” Smart said. “You’ve got to have multiple weapons. You’ve got to have multiple ways to get those players the ball.”

3. STOCKTON VS. THE NOISE

Stockton has played in major games, but Saturday will be his first start at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The fifth-year quarterback has completed 75.5% of his passes for 1,049 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He is 17-3 as a starter and 6-2 against ranked opponents.

Just as important, Georgia has started the same five offensive linemen in every game. That continuity should help the Bulldogs communicate against a crowd of more than 100,000.

Stockton does not need to win the game by himself. He needs to avoid trying.

“I think game plan and what you’re asked to do — not asking the quarterback to do more than he needs to do — is important,” Smart said. “Gunner’s done a tremendous job of that.”

4. WHO PROTECTS THE FOOTBALL?

Few statistics separate these teams more clearly than turnovers — because almost nothing separates them at all.

Alabama leads the SEC with a plus-seven turnover margin. Georgia is second at plus-six.

The Bulldogs have converted 10 takeaways into 59 points. Alabama’s secondary has intercepted eight passes and has shown an ability to turn mistakes into immediate scores.

“They have ball hawks, guys that make plays on the ball,” Smart said. “They’ve been really opportunistic. Anytime you score on defense, it’s a big, huge momentum swing.”

Stockton has thrown only one interception this season. Alabama has thrown two.

With offenses this explosive, giving either side a short field — or allowing a defender to score — could decide the game before the next offensive snap.

If rain becomes a factor, protecting the football will become even more important.

5. WHO HANDLES THE MOMENT?

Georgia has not trailed this season. The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 70-7 in the opening quarter and 154-26 in the first half.

Alabama has also made fast starts, including a 21-0 first-quarter lead against Georgia in Tuscaloosa two years ago.

The Bulldogs eventually erased that deficit and went ahead late, only to surrender the lead on Alabama’s next play.

Saturday’s game may demand more patience. Momentum will shift. The crowd will become a factor. One team may have to recover from its first meaningful deficit of the season.

Smart believes Georgia’s experience can help, but only if the Bulldogs execute around Stockton rather than expecting their quarterback to solve every problem.

“He played a really, really good game the other day, and I was really happy for him because of how hard he works at it,” Smart said. “He’s got to continue to get better to give us a chance to get where we want to go.”

Where Georgia wants to go begins in a place it has not conquered since 2007.

Getting there Saturday may require defeating Alabama, surviving Bryant-Denny Stadium and handling one final opponent neither team can control.

THE WILD CARD: ISAIAS

Football coaches prepare for formations, personnel and tendencies. They cannot game-plan the path of a hurricane.

Rain alone would not necessarily favor either team. Both have productive running games, experienced quarterbacks and defenses built to stop the run. Heavy rain and gusty wind, however, could place greater emphasis on field position, special teams, ball security and third-down execution.

Lightning would create a different problem because it could delay the game. Difficult travel conditions could also affect fans headed toward Tuscaloosa from across Alabama and Georgia.

At press time Thursday, the game remained scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Alabama officials encouraged fans to follow university and SEC channels for any changes.

Until then, Georgia and Alabama will prepare for each other — and wait to see what Isaias brings with it.

GAME AT A GLANCE

No. 2 Georgia at No. 6 Alabama

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Saturday

Site: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

TV: ABC

Weather: The game remained on schedule at press time Thursday. Alabama and the SEC were monitoring Hurricane Isaias and its projected inland track.