Inside the Numbers: Ole Miss Football vs. Georgia

What are the strengths and weaknesses of Ole Miss and Georgia ahead of Saturday's showdown?

Aug 31, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels tight end Caden Prieskorn (86) celebrates with quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) after a touchdown against the Furman Paladins during the first half at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Time continues to drift away as kickoff between the No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels and No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs draws closer.

The Rebels (7-2, 3-2 SEC) need an upset win on Saturday to remain in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth while the Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) are trying to stay in position for a first-round bye in the CFP. Both of these teams are talented, despite some slip ups earlier in the season, but what do the numbers say about Ole Miss and Georgia?

Let's look at some of the key stats below.

READ MORE: How To Watch, Betting Odds: Ole Miss Football vs. Georgia Bulldogs

PASSING GAME

Ole Miss: 377.11 YPG, 23 TDs, 3 INTs, Sacked 19 times

Georgia: 299 YPG, 17 TDs, 11 INTs, Sacked 10 times

The two quarterbacks in this game (Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart and Georgia's Carson Beck) bring some expertise to the table in their respective offenses, but you can tell by the numbers that the Rebels have relied more on the air attack than the Bulldogs so far this season. Even so, Dart's three interceptions are a much better number than Beck's 11 in 2024, and taking care of the ball will be a storyline to watch on Saturday.

Where Georgia does have the numbers advantage, however, is in pass protection. Dart has been sacked nine more times than Beck so far this year, and if Ole Miss wants to have a shot to pull off the upset, it will need to keep its quarterback upright this weekend.

RUSHING GAME

Ole Miss: 178.3 YPG, 4.7 YPC, 24 TDs

Georgia: 132.3 YPG, 4.5 YPC, 15 TDs

This could come as a surprise to some, but from a pure numbers perspective, Ole Miss' rushing attack has been slightly better than Georgia's this year. Some of the Rebels' biggest issues on the ground, however, have come in conference play, so this year-long look doesn't exactly tell the whole story.

It certainly doesn't paint a full picture of the current state of Ole Miss' running back room. Henry Parrish Jr. is sidelined with an injury he sustained late in the first half last week against Arkansas, and the Rebels continue to look for a consistent answer in the backfield, something that will be critical against Georgia this weekend.

DEFENSE

Ole Miss: 82.2 rushing yards per game (2.3 per attempt), 41 sacks (256 yards)

Georgia: 108.1 rushing yards per game (3.3 per attempt), 20 sacks (167 yards)

I wanted to highlight these two defensive stats in particular because I think they will play a large role in telling the final story of this game. Both Ole Miss and Georgia boast some talented defensive fronts, ones that have smothered opposing rushing attacks and gotten to the quarterback throughout the year.

Establishing a consistent run game will be critical for both teams as will keeping the quarterback safe on pass plays. If these defenses can cause the offenses to be one-dimensional, we could be in for a low-scoring afternoon in Oxford. Watching these front sevens work will be one of the main storylines in Saturday's game.