Anna Grace Bowling
No 9. Ole Miss is set to take on No. 2 Georgia in Athens on Saturday at 6 p.m. CST, 7 p.m. EST. With two back-to-back National Championships already under its belt, Georgia has dominated the SEC for the past two seasons. Although Ole Miss has had a strong season, there will be several Georgia players that could prove to be a challenge for the Rebels.
QB Carson Beck
After two years of QB Stetson Bennett at the helm, Carson Beck has done an outstanding job of filling his shoes, taking over and leading the offense.
One difference between Beck and Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart is Dart’s willingness and ability to run the ball. This season, Beck has passed for a total of 2,716 yards, which is an incredible accomplishment for a first-time starting quarterback.
Even though it is his first year starting for the Bulldogs, Beck has done a nice job of replicating Bennett’s production in the pass game.
After being injured for most of the year, McConkey appears to be back and healthy, and he is a major contributor to the Bulldogs offense.
In the past three games, McConkey has had a total of 288 yards receiving yards with one touchdown against Florida in Week 9. That is an average of almost 100 yards receiving per game. McConkey and Beck are a power duo that makes for a strong Georgia offense, a tandem that will be a challenge for the Rebel defense.
TE Oscar Delp
Delp has had to step in for injured TE Brock Bowers, who is arguably Georgia’s best player on the team. Without Bowers, Ole Miss may have a better chance stopping the Bulldogs explosive offense. However, Delp is not going to make this an easy task for the Rebels.
While he made a few appearances on the field here and there last season, the 2023 season has proven to be a big year for the sophomore TE. He is the one that has stepped in and stepped up in Bowers’ absence. Delp has had a total of 224 yards receiving this season and has scored 18 total points for the Bulldogs.
Weighing in at 6-foot-3-inches and 320 lbs, Stackhouse further proves the fact that Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart has always recruited well on the defensive line. He has stepped in and taken over the role vacated by Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, who are now playing in the NFL.
Although 2022 was his strongest year with the Bulldogs, Stackhouse has had a good 2023 season with 11 total tackles and seven solo tackles. Much like his name, Stackhouse is a powerhouse and does his job on the defense, clogging up run gaps and putting pressure on opposing QB’s.
Georgia has always had a strong group of safeties, and Javon Bullard is no exception to the trend. Bullard is a hard-hitting safety, and a great defender against the run, but he is also a great cover guy who can step in and defend the run. Ultimately, he does it all.
Bullard has made 33 total tackles this season, with 24 of those being solo tackles. He crushes offensive players, and he is someone that the Rebels will have to watch for.
