Hello and Roll Tide!

This Saturday marks the 74th meeting of Alabama and Georgia who have played each other on and off since 1895. The Tide lead the All-time series 43-26-4. Nick Saban was very successful against Georgia going 8-2 versus the Dogs and 5-1 against Kirby Smart. Georgia is on a historic run, 45-2 since the start of the 2021 season, though both of those losses were delivered by Alabama. Alabama has been the only team to match up with Georgia as they try to establish a dynasty. Nothing says “Welcome to the SEC” better than a top-5 matchup between Alabama and Georgia as Kalen DeBoer will start his SEC career against Smart this Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is a rare underdog at home. Dating back to the matchup with LSU in 2007, Alabama has been favored in 90 straight games at home. DeBoer looks to play spoiler Saturday night by starting his SEC career off with a win. Saban field at Bryant-Denny Stadium will be rocking as two goliaths collide. Below are some injury notes, depth chart updates, a preview of the 2024 Georgia Bulldogs, and week 5 storylines. Let’s go!

Depth/Injury Notes:

· Malachi Moore is expected to play

· DeBoer is optimistic about Qua Russaw, listed as probable

· Yhonzae Pierre would see increase role if Qua is out

· Cole Adams is practicing, slowly ramping up

· Richard Young is practicing in uniform

Week 5 Preview: Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia comes to Tuscaloosa touting a 3-0 record, 1-0 in SEC play on the season. The AP has them ranked #2 nationally, dropping from the #1 spot after a tough road match at Kentucky. Georgia opened the season with a neutral site game vs Clemson (if you consider Atlanta to be neutral) where they won in dominant fashion. The offense took a while to click, leading 6-0 at the half, but the Dogs came out firing in the second half to secure a 34-3 win. The defense held Clemson to 188 total yards, impressive considering Clemson had 524 yards against NC State this past weekend. Kentucky had more success against the Dogs in week 3 as they outgained Georgia 284 yards to 262. Through 3 games, Georgia ranks 3rd in points allowed per game (6.0) and 4th in yards per game (202.0). Defense has been the cornerstone to Georgia’s success under Kirby Smart, and will certainly be the emphasis as they take on the Tide this weekend. To no surprise, Georgia is filled with NFL talent on the Defensive side of the ball. Edge rushers Mykel Williams and Tate Ratledge expect to be drafted in the top 2 rounds, and have combined for 3 sacks and 3 tackles for a loss this season. Alabama has struggled with offensive line play this season, so these two impact players will be an emphasis in game prep. Mykel Williams is probable to play Saturday. Malaki Starks leads the secondary for the Dogs and already has 1 interception on the season. The unit has been very impressive allowing only 91.3 passing yards per game.

Georgia had to replace two of quarterback Carson Beck’s favorite receiving options this season as both Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey left for the NFL. Dominic Lovett led Georgia in receiving at Wide Receiver a year ago and remains the top option for the Georgia offense this season. Through 3 games, Carson Beck has played efficiently completing 68.3% of his passes with an average of 8.3 yards per attempt. He has scored 7 passing touchdowns and has not thrown an interception. Beck is a top prospect at the position for the NFL draft, and remains in the Heisman conversation. Georgia’s leading rusher a year ago, Daijun Edwards, graduated and was replaced by coveted transfer Trevor Etienne. Etienne has entered into the Georgia offense very well averaging 6.5 yards per carry. While they have been able to replace high producers, Georgia has shown regression on 3rd down plays. A year ago, Georgia converted 55.15% of 3rd downs, best in the nation. This season, they have only converted 39.39% of 3rd down conversions, which ranks 74th in the nation. Alabama’s defense leads the nation in 3rd down conversion rate, allowing only 16% of opponent attempts to succeed. 3rd downs will play a huge role in Saturday’s game.

Their special teams unit is also a strength for Georgia. Kicker Peyton Woodring is a perfect 6 for 6 on the season and has made all 11 PATs. Punter Brett Thorson averages 49.5 yards per punt, 7th in the nation. As well, return specialist Anthony Evans III averages 10.6 yards per return.

Week 5 Strorylines:

· A battle in the trenches: Alabama’s offensive line struggled mightily against Western Kentucky and USF. The addition of Kaydn Proctor at Left Tackle significantly improved play at Wisconsin, yet penalties remain an issue. The Georgia front is skilled at pass rush and allows only 3.1 yards per rush attempt. Similarly, Alabama’s front 7 has been the spotlight on the defensive side of the ball. Bama allows 3.5 yards per carry, has 7 sacks on the season, and 4 forced fumbles. The team whose offensive line holds up best, will likely decide the outcome of the game.

· Who’s in the Secondary?: This has been a question all season long, as the Alabama defense continues to rotate corners. The injury to Malachi Moore may play a significant role in the game if he sits and DeVonta Smith shifts over to safety. Freshmen Red Morgan and Zabien Brown have each blown multiple man-coverage assignments downfield, but below-average quarterback play by opposing teams did not allow them to take advantage. That will not be the case Saturday as Carson Beck takes the field. The young corners need to play well or that may cost the Tide dearly. Domani Jackson has been a great addition at Corner, transferring from USC, however he has not seen a high-powered SEC offense like Georgia. We may see more 2-high safety looks to help these players in coverage.

· Welcome to the SEC, Hollywood: While this will be Kalen DeBoer’s first SEC game as head coach, it is also the first SEC game for all of the freshman and transfer players. Ryan “Hollywood” Williams has been sensational to start the season. He is on track to be the most successful freshman wide receiver in over a decade. His first SEC matchup with be a big test, let’s look for him anytime Jalen drops back to pass and see how he matches up with Georgia’s talented secondary.

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Roll Tide!

-Jake