Missouri Week 5 Opponent Preview: Georgia

Missouri’s biggest 2022 test comes from hosting Georgia.

Brian Smith | Jul 5, 2022

Missouri Week 5 Opponent Preview: Georgia /

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If the Missouri Tigers want to make a splash in 2022, knocking off the defending National Champion Georgia Bulldogs would be the way to do it.

Last season, Georgia defeated 10 of their regular season opponents by 24 or more points, including a 62-0 victory over hapless Vanderbilt on the road. When only considering SEC play, the Bulldogs were still a juggernaut.

Georgia averaged a final SEC score of 40.1 to 8.3. Yes, a margin of nearly 33 points per game.

After losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, they rebounded to play for the National Championship, with the Bulldogs knocking off the Crimson Tide 33-18 in the rematch to claim their first title since the days of Herschel Walker being a Dawg in 1980.

From the SEC East matchup with the Bulldogs hosting Missouri last season, it was a tough game for the Tigers, losing 43-6 and being outgained 505 to 273.

Will this year’s Georgia team reach last year’s level of play? Not likely, but the Bulldogs possess a roster that’s loaded with elite talent. Here’s a look at the Georgia team that Missouri will welcome to Faurot Field in 2022.

Georgia Bulldogs

2021 Record: 14-1 (8-0 SEC)

Offensive Scheme: Power; spread

Defensive Scheme: Base 3-4; multiple for passing situations

Head Coach: Kirby Smart (66-15) enters his seventh season at Georgia

Returning offensive starters: 6

Georgia’s offense may not be as tantalizing as Texas or Ole Miss, but the Bulldogs do bring back experience at each position.

Back for an encore is quarterback Stetson Bennett. The quarterback nobody thought could win a title had the game-defining drive versus Alabama by way of his right arm making accurate throws at critical moments.

The backfield has two veterans, Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton, that most schools would feel lucky to have one of on their rosters. The wide receiver corps has second- and third-year players that possess the ability to change games with one play. In particular, Ladd McConkey played very well down the stretch last season.

No Georgia offensive preview is complete without mentioning rising sophomore star Brock Bowers. He is arguably the nation’s best tight end.

Even with losing three starters along the offensive line, Georgia has behemoths coming up the ranks like Tate Rutledge at guard that possess NFL potential. The Bulldogs will be just fine.

Projected offensive starters:

QB Stetson Bennett*

RB Kenny McIntosh

WR Adonai Mitchell*

WR Ladd McCondkey*

WR Kearis Jackson

TE Brock Bowers*

LT Broderick Jones

LG Tate Rutledge

C Sedrick Van Pran*

RG Warren Ericson

RT Warren McClendon*

*denotes returning starter

Returning defensive starters: 3

Georgia lost a plethora of defensive talent to the NFL, including five of those players going in the first round. Still, there’s ample size, speed, and depth returning to Athens.

The player to watch up front is rising junior defensive tackle Jalen Carter (on article cover photo). He is one of the nation’s most versatile defensive lineman, capable of playing on the edge, as a defensive tackle or nose tackle.

At linebacker, the Bulldogs will feature underclassmen throughout the majority of the two-deep. It’s the one position where experience is lacking, although talent is not.

In the secondary, Georgia has excellent length and experience. The only question is where each of them will line up. Depending on down and distance, it’s possible that multiple defensive backs move to different positions in the secondary.

Projected defensive starters:

DE Tramel Walthour

NG Zion Logue

DE Jalen Carter

OLB Nolan Smith*

ILB Jamon Dumas-Johnson

ILB Trezmen Marshall

Star William Poole

CB Kelee Ringo*

CB Kamari Lassiter

SS Christopher Smith*

FS Tykee Smith