Georgia Bulldogs prepare for Rose Bowl clash with Oklahoma

LOS ANGELES — When No. 3 Georgia takes on No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, one of the marquee match-ups will be Heisman Trophy winning Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield against the Bulldogs’ Butkus Award winning linebacker, Roquan Smith.

Smith says he’s ready for the challenge.

“It’s always big getting the chance to play against a Heisman Trophy winner,” Smith said. “I always hear his name and Oklahoma’s name on Sundays when I get to catch up on a little college football recap and it’s amazing what they have done. I am excited to play against a guy like that.”

Bulldog fans are hoping the Montezuma native will greet Mayfield frequently in the backfield. Smith has been a stalwart on Georgia’s defense this season, racking up a team-high 113 tackles this season. Included in that total are 10.5 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks.

Smith, who got a visit before Friday’s practice from the legendary Dick Butkus whose name graces the award he won, and the Bulldogs will be up for a serious challenge from the Sooners’ offense. It leads the nation with an average of 583.3 yards per game.

Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker says his squad knows it has a big job ahead of it, particularly because of the unusual way Oklahoma employs its spread offense. The Bulldogs rank fourth nationally in scoring defense at 13.2 points per game and in total defense at 270.9 yards per contest.

“Oklahoma is a spread team committed to the run and that’s what makes them unique,” Tucker said. “Their run game sets up their play action and they are certainly going to be a challenge for us.

“Oklahoma has a multi-dimensional offense. Our goal will be to do our best to make them one-dimensional.”

A big concern for Oklahoma is the health of its start quarterback. Admid reports he was ill, Mayfield had missed non-football events leading into Saturday’s media day and was not in attendance when it started.

It was announced he would not show up because of his lingering illness, but Mayfield then appeared, ready to answer questions. He said he initially had decided not to attend because he was suffering from flu-like symptoms, but turned on the television and saw reports that he was not at the media event.

“That’s when I realized this isn’t about me,” he said. “It’s about Oklahoma. My teammates shouldn’t have to answer questions on my behalf.”

He said he expects to play in Monday’s Rose Bowl game.

“I’m not dying,” Mayfield said in a scratchy voice. “But I’m not feeling 100 percent right now. I wouldn’t say it’s the flu. It’s something bad. You don’t want it.”

Head coach Lincoln Riley said Mayfield has been limited in some areas during practice to help save some energy.

“I think he’ll be ready to play,” Riley said. “He’ll be ready to play. Will he be at 100 percent physically? We’ll see. But he’s not going to miss this one.”

Mayfield reported that he began to feel sick during the Christmas break, and he is taking an antibiotic and drinking tea with lemon. He has been able to keep food and liquid down.

Georgia have a final walk-through Sunday.

Kickoff for the Rose Bowl will be 5 p.m. Monday. It will be televised live on ESPN.

At 8 p.m. Monday, the No. Clemson Tigers and No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide will square off in the Sugar Bowl for a rematch of last year’s championship game.

The winners of the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl will play for the national championship Jan. 8 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.