Defense:
UGA - 1st in yards per play allowed, 3.4 yards
UK -12th in YPP at 4.3
UGA - 1st in points per game, 5.5 (by the way, 2nd is 13.0).
UK -11th in PPG at 16.4
Offense:
UGA - 22nd in YPP at 6.5
UK - 16th in YPP at 6.6
UGA - 8th in PPG at 39.8
UK - 43rd in PPG at 31.6
The takeaway, for me: This is a game of two offenses that are putting up similar YPP numbers. Kentucky gets 5.8 yards per rush; we get 4.7. We get 9.6 yards per pass, they get 8.7.
The difference is their defense is just good by normal standards; ours is an all time great defense. The similarity in offensive yards per play with the disparity in points per game tells me that we're finding hidden yardage in special teams (I attribute this to the depth of our talent and athletes) and in our defense suffocating people and creating short fields for the offense. I saw somewhere earlier this week that our average field position is about 11 yards better than them. That's huge in terms of expected points.
Kentucky wants to run, and I'm begging them to come out and try to run the ball Saturday. We are giving up 2.2 yards per rush attempt. Kentucky is going to have to throw the ball to move down the field and score, and I don't think they can protect their QB long enough to do that.
This game is going to look more like the Auburn or SCar games than the Arkansas one in my opinion. We won't run them out of the stadium in the first quarter like Arkansas or UAB or Vandy, but I expect a 21-3 type halftime score with the Dawgs pulling away in the 3rd quarter.
UGA - 1st in yards per play allowed, 3.4 yards
UK -12th in YPP at 4.3
UGA - 1st in points per game, 5.5 (by the way, 2nd is 13.0).
UK -11th in PPG at 16.4
Offense:
UGA - 22nd in YPP at 6.5
UK - 16th in YPP at 6.6
UGA - 8th in PPG at 39.8
UK - 43rd in PPG at 31.6
The takeaway, for me: This is a game of two offenses that are putting up similar YPP numbers. Kentucky gets 5.8 yards per rush; we get 4.7. We get 9.6 yards per pass, they get 8.7.
The difference is their defense is just good by normal standards; ours is an all time great defense. The similarity in offensive yards per play with the disparity in points per game tells me that we're finding hidden yardage in special teams (I attribute this to the depth of our talent and athletes) and in our defense suffocating people and creating short fields for the offense. I saw somewhere earlier this week that our average field position is about 11 yards better than them. That's huge in terms of expected points.
Kentucky wants to run, and I'm begging them to come out and try to run the ball Saturday. We are giving up 2.2 yards per rush attempt. Kentucky is going to have to throw the ball to move down the field and score, and I don't think they can protect their QB long enough to do that.
This game is going to look more like the Auburn or SCar games than the Arkansas one in my opinion. We won't run them out of the stadium in the first quarter like Arkansas or UAB or Vandy, but I expect a 21-3 type halftime score with the Dawgs pulling away in the 3rd quarter.
