It hasn’t been a memorable season for Georgia, but a postseason appearance can still be taken as a positive for a team that is under a new coach and is utilizing a freshman as a quarterback.
Georgia, which finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, is pinning much of its chances of beating TCU on its defense. Slowing down their opponents’ attacks has been the Bulldogs’ most notable identity this year, as the program ranks 16th in total defense and 39th in scoring defense, allowing 23.9 points per game.
Keeping the Horned Frogs’ passing game from going off in particular is certainly a top priority for Georgia, which lost a close one to Georgia Tech in the season finale, 28-27. The Bulldogs are 18th national against the pass, surrendering just 186.9 passing yards per game They could also be meeting TCU at a perfect time with the Horned Frogs’ offense seemingly on a bad trend; TCU failed to reach 200 passing yards in four of its last six outings.
The other side of the ball for Georgia features the backfield tandem of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, who are poised to give abuse to TCU’s run defense that has given up 859 rushing yards and six touchdowns in the Horned Frogs’ past three games.
Georgia is 5-5 ATS in its last 10 games in which it was the favorite.
TCU head coach Gary Patterson won his first bowl game in Memphis in 2002. That was a long time ago, and this week, he’ll look to duplicate that feat with his Horned Frogs.
The Horned Frogs are coming off a deflating 30-6 loss to Kansas State on December 3 and a win in Memphis this Friday is going to be a welcome achievement for a TCU program that has struggled with inconsistency throughout the season. That assessment couldn’t be highlighted any better by the Horned Frogs’ last three games, a stretch that saw them got beaten to a pulp by Oklahoma State (31-6) and win over Texas (31-9) before the debacle against the Wildcats.
Still, TCU know it stands a big chance of coming away with a victory against the Bulldogs. For one, the Horned Frogs are certainly looking to pick on Georgia’s glaring weakness when it comes to defending in the red zone. As strong as the Bulldogs’ overall defense has been, it does rank second worst in the FBS in red-zone defense, allowing opponents to convert 95 percent of the time inside their 20-yard line.
Conversely, TCU’s defense is staring at a so-so Georgia defense, which the Horned Frogs appear to be capable of taking care of. TCU’s pass rush unit has been one of the best in the nation with 40 sacks, eighth most in the nation, and it’ll be looking to further cripple Georgia’s passing offense that ranks just 97th in overall.
