This weeks national ranking (out of 117 Division I-A teams) for Georgia and LSU from NCAA.com http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/mainpage.jsp OFFENSE Rushing Offense -- LSU=32 (189) --- Georgia=53 (164) Passing Offense -- LSU=41 (229) --- Georgia=46 (223) Passing Efficiency -- LSU=32 (137) --- Georgia=62 (123) Total Offense -- LSU=25 (418) --- Georgia=52 (387) DEFENSE Rushing Defense -- LSU=10 (77) --- Georgia=59 (135) Passing Defense -- LSU=23 (160) --- Georgia=4 (126) Pass Efficiency Defense -- LSU=11 (93) --- Georgia=38 (109) Scoring Defense -- LSU=5 (8.5) --- Georgia=27 (15.7) Total Defense -- LSU=5 (237) --- Georgia=12 (260) OTHER Net Punting -- LSU=63 (35) --- Georgia=26 (39) Punt Returns -- LSU=108 (4) --- Georgia=13 (16) Kickoff returns -- LSU=70 (19) --- Georgia=101 (17) Turnover Margin -- LSU=35 (.75) --- Georgia=57 (0) If you can go by stats, this will be a low-scoring game. LSU will have trouble passing on Georgia. Georgia will have trouble scoring on LSU. Georgia is weak on kickoff returns. LSU is weak on punt returns. Georgia will have the home field, but only has a clear edge over LSU in pass defense and punting.
Although our stats should be theoreticly pumped up from playing Arkansas St. and Miss St. It seems that UGA's would be even more so... Have they played anybody decent yet? They haven't anything close to a test yet as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately, LSU lost their first test...
Stats early into and before conference play doesn't reflect what will happen in the trenches ... where these games are won The stat that shows GA ahead of LSU in Passing Dee doesn't reflect what will happen in the game and is misleading ... So they are at # 4 ... after playing Ga Southern who threw maybe 5 passes against them ... and two hapless Offensive Lines against Holtz (USC) and Marshall I wouldn't trade LSU's backups for their starters in the secondary ... Forget the stats ... watch those lines ... the only stat that reflects some truth is GA rushing Dee stat ... 59th ... 150+ yards per game rushing allowed against subpar teams and Div 1-AA schools :dis: I'm putting 35 Thousand USD on LSU and 3.5 points ... LSU will run on this team and score ... GA will not score more than 10 Confidence ... you bet your sweet azz ... I really liked that conference with Nick "smiling" ... he looks relaxed and having fun ... I'm there :thumb:
I think that is an excellent point. I don't agree with you on everything, but I can't disagree with that . . . it is dead on. Even though UGA is ranked 3rd, I don't think they are a heavily favored team in our game next week (outside of the betting lines). In many ways they are the underdogs, considering we beat them twice last season. You can bet those UGA players are less confident than the fans going into this game. Stats mean nothing when the game is on the line. LSU has to win this game to stay in the hunt for the SECCG, you can bet we will come out ready to play. We don't need 200 yrds rushing, 300 yrds passing, or the ability to hold UGA to 200 yrds of offense . . . we just need to score more than UGA to win.
Closer Look at Defensive Stats The better defensive stat to go by is the pass efficiency defense. LSU would appear to be the lesser pass defense based upon yards alone, but keep in mind that GA Southern did not throw the ball much against UGA, so that game alone will keep the passing yards allowed stat down for UGA. Pass efficiency defense is the gauge of an offense's ability to pass against a particular defense. LSU leads in that category. I like our chances against Greene and his receivers. He's getting all kinds of time to throw but isn't producing. If we can cover for just a few seconds, UGA will go down.
ramah nailed it..... it will indeed be settled in the trenches and I like LSU's lines better than UGA's, especially after reviewing the Ga Southern-UGA game. That being said, it's a sucker bet to wager big stakes on this game when there are more attractive spreads with less risk.
A few words re: Georgia's early schedule and rushing. Yes, Georgia's competition so far has been less than substantial, as has our team's response to it. I'm not sure what that proves. Texas typically opens the season by hanging over 50 on New Mexico St., North Texas, etc., before getting manhandled in their first true test. Of the three Alabama teams Georgia played last year -- UAB, Alabama and Auburn -- UAB gave us the best game. Yes, it's an annoying way to win, but winning is winning. South Carolina's defense is as good as its offense is bad. You guys don't have the pleasure of dealing with Ricardo Hurley, Ko Simpson et al in the comfy confines of Williams-Brice Stadium, but watch what happens when Tennessee travels there Oct. 30. UT needed an OT win at home last year against those guys and SC returns about everyone from that team. I also wouldn't read too much into Georgia's rushing stats, since Georgia's been getting those yards from 4th and 5th string backs. Hell, against Marshall we were reduced to running a 165-pound scatback between the tackles. Regardless, Ware is back, as is Milton. Cooper and Brown are also full-strength. I respect LSU's rush defense (and I presume Richt and Calloway do as well), but I expect Georgia to test it with much better weapons than we were able to use on our last two opponents. Good luck and enjoy Athens.
