Georgia vs. Mississippi State Preview - Scoring on the Dog D

While stopping Mississippi State may be tough, actually scoring on the Bulldogs may just be the biggest task. Although former DC Manny Diaz has taken off Longhorn-Land, his style of defense has been crafted even further by co-Defensive Coordinators Geoff Collins and Chris Wilson.

The Bulldogs' defense has a ton of ability and their heavy blitz scheme has had a lot of success against big time opponents. The MSU defense ranks 5th in the SEC in TFL's with 6.8 per game. They have also intercepted 5 passes and recovered 3 fumbles this season. In this game, pay close attention to the turnover margin. Since Dan Mullen has arrived in Starkville, MSU is 14-0 when winning the turnover battle and 2-13 when having a negative or neutral margin.

Defensive Line:
Mississippi State's starting front four consists of SR DE Sean Ferguson (6-3 250 lbs), JR DT Josh Boyd (6-3 295 lbs), JR DT Fletcher Cox (6-4 295 lbs), and RFr. DE Kaleb Eulls (6-4 280 lbs). Anchoring this unit are DT's Josh Boyd and Fletcher Cox - both were pre-season All-SEC in different publications. Ferguson, Boyd, and Cox all return on this unit and have a combined 57 starts for the Dog D.

What it means for Georgia:
Think Fletcher Cox has forgot about Ben Jones' incident last year? Think Ben Jones forgets getting pushed around like a China cabinet last year? This is going to be a battle for 4 quarters. I really believe that whoever wins this matchup will win the game. Georgia is going to need to create lanes for Isaiah and protection for Murray. If they can do both - they will have a huge advantage.

Linebackers:
The linebacking corp has a mixture of both experience and youth. Matthew Wells (RFr.) and Deonte Skinner (SO.) are co-starters at one linebacker spot, while SR Brandon Wilson and JR Cameron Lawrence are anchors for this blitzing unit. 

What it means for Georgia:
This group is an unheralded bunch, however, they will be blitzing like crazy. Georgia is going to have to have its head on a swivel when blocking and make sure the communication is there. If MSU gets any pressure and forces an errant throw, believe the MSU secondary will be there.

Secondary:
MSU's defensive backs combine for over 90 career starts. They are the playmakers of this defense and have a ton of talent and experience. Johnathan Banks and Corey Broomfield were preseason all-conference, and have combined for 19 career interceptions.

What it means for Georgia:
Getting open will be tough. Georgia will need to move the ball around creatively - using FB's, TE's, screens, and draws to keep the defense honest. If Georgia can get their ground game going and force some of the secondary personnel into the box, I believe Georgia can be successful through the air.

PREDICTION

UGA - 28 MSU - 24