No. 22 Missouri heads to Athens Saturday afternoon for a matchup with No. 1 Georgia. The Tigers are 6-3 overall and 3-3 in SEC play after a 34-20 loss to No. 7 Texas last Saturday in Columbia. Missouri has lost three of its last four games and faces a Georgia team that is 8-1 and coming off an impressive 42-7 road win over No. 10 Ole Miss. The Bulldogs have won 10 straight in the series and hold a 12-1 advantage all-time over the Tigers.
Missouri will look to establish its running game behind Jamal Roberts, who leads the SEC with 1,071 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. Quarterback Ahmad Simmons has thrown for 2,204 yards with 18 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Wide receiver Cayden Lee, who leads the Tigers with 835 receiving yards, injured his knee against Texas, but coach Eli Drinkwitz said there was no structural damage and Lee was back at practice Monday. Georgia presents a significant challenge on defense, allowing just 14 points per game, the best mark in the SEC.
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton has completed nearly 71 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns, while the Bulldogs average 41 points per game. Georgia also has one of the nation’s most productive rushing attacks, averaging more than 210 yards per game. The Tigers will need to win the battle up front, take care of the football and find ways to slow down an offense that has scored 69 points in its last two games. Missouri will be looking for its second win in Athens in the series, having beaten the Bulldogs there in 2013. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 Saturday afternoon on ABC.
