First look: Top story lines, betting odds for Georgia vs Missouri 2020 football game
The rest of Georgia’s season starts now.
After a 44-28 loss to Florida, many of the Bulldogs’ goals — a College Football Playoff berth, an SEC East title — appear to be off the table. Now, they play for pride in a closing four-game stretch that ranks as one of the easiest in the SEC.
It starts on Saturday, when Georgia travels to Columbia to face a 2-3 Missouri squad fresh off a bye week.
No. 12 Georgia (4-2) at Missouri (2-3)
Time: Noon Saturday (Eastern time)
Place: Faurot Field at Columbia, Missouri
TV: Noon
Line: Georgia by 12
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Here are three early storylines to watch heading into this week’s game:
What will Georgia’s motivation be?
The reality is that this isn’t where most of the Bulldogs thought they would be at this point in the season. Instead of gearing up for the home stretch and driving toward an SEC East title, Georgia now has no choice but to play each game in front of them and hope for a miracle. Now, they head west for an 11 a.m. local kickoff against a rested group that has shown flashes of being an up-and-coming team this season. Will the Bulldogs come out looking to prove a point, or will they come out flat and fall behind?
Bennett or Mathis: Will there be a quarterback change?
Georgia’s quarterback questions only amplified after the Florida game, as junior starter Stetson Bennett had another rough outing. He completed 5-of-16 passes for 78 yards with a touchdown and an interception, although he also dealt with an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder after a hit on Georgia’s second drive. Redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis wasn’t much better in relief, hitting on 4-of-13 passes for 34 yards with a score and two picks. Smart seemed to indicate after the game the decision to replace Bennett with Mathis had more to do with the starter’s injury and its effect than anything else. Still, at some point, it’s hard to believe the staff won’t give Mathis another extended look given the offensive struggles the last three weeks. Perhaps that comes against Missouri.
Can the Bulldogs defense return to form?
Even with all the attrition, the Florida game still ranks as one of the worst of the Kirby Smart era for the Georgia defense. The Gators had receivers running open all game and quarterback Kyle Trask made some outstanding throws en route to 474 passing yards, the most the Bulldogs have allowed under Smart. Georgia also lost safety Lewis Cine during the game to a targeting call — penalty or not, it looked as though Cine might have injured himself on the play anyway. If he can’t go, the Bulldogs will be down two safeties in addition to the other injuries suffered up front. The energy will be apparent early against Missouri. Georgia will either come out to prove its not as bad as Florida made them look, or they will be disinterested and give up more big plays to the Tigers.
Three Missouri Tigers to watch
QB Connor Bazelak — The redshirt freshman Bazelak is proving to be the quarterback of the future for the Tigers. In his first season as the full-time starter, he’s completing 69% of his passes for 1,101 yards and four touchdowns to one interception. All four of those scores did come in one game against LSU, but he’s still been a steady hand that completes a high percentage and doesn’t turn the ball over often.
RB Tyler Badie — This back is a weapon the Tigers can use all over the field. He’s the second leading rusher with 119 yards on a four yards per carry average, and he also has hauled in nine receptions for 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Bulldogs struggled to account for running backs in the passing game against Florida. If those problems persist against Missouri, Badie could make them pay.
LB Nick Bolton — Bolton does a little bit of everything for the Tigers on defense. He leads the team in tackles with 53 (15 more than the nearest player), and he also has 3.5 tackles for loss and three pass breakups.
This week’s UGA-Missouri and SEC football betting odds, TV times
College football point spreads, according to VegasInsider.com
- Noon: Georgia (-12) at Missouri, ESPN
- Noon: Vanderbilt at Kentucky (-17), SEC Network
- 3:30 pm: Texas A&M (-12) at Tennessee, ESPN
- 6 pm: Alabama (-23.5) at LSU, CBS
- 7 pm: Arkansas at Florida (-16), ESPN
- 7:30 pm: South Carolina at Ole Miss (-10), SEC Network
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "First look: Top story lines, betting odds for Georgia vs Missouri 2020 football game."