Mississippi State @ Georgia preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 25, 2010 ) Georgia 12, Mississippi State 24

THE STORY: A dominant defense carried Georgia to its first SEC victory last week. Georgia will need more strong defensive play when Mississippi State comes to Athens this Saturday in a critical conference game for both teams. Mark Richt’s Bulldogs rebounded from two consecutive losses to open the season, holding Mississippi to 183 yards of offense in last week’s 27-13 victory. Quarterback Aaron Murray led Georgia with another strong game, passing for 268 yards and two touchdowns.

Mississippi State stepped out of conference play last week and struggled, needing overtime to hold off Louisiana Tech 26-20. A Jonathan Banks interception late in the fourth quarter kept Louisiana Tech from attempting a potential game-winning field goal. Mississippi State is tied with Mississippi for last in the SEC West, while Georgia sits tied with Vanderbilt in the middle of the SEC East.

Mississippi State beat Georgia 24-12 last year in Starkville, ending Georgia’s nine-game winning streak in the series dating back to 1975.

TV: Fox Sports South, ESPN3. LINE: Georgia -7.

ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (2-2, 0-2 SEC): The Bulldogs look to return to form on offense after a bad performance against Louisiana Tech, which outgained Mississippi State 359-340. Quarterback Chris Relf completed less than half of his pass attempts, finishing with 165 yards. Running back Vick Ballard was held to 68 yards, and only rushed for 38 yards the previous week in a loss to LSU.

ABOUT GEORGIA (2-2, 1-1 SEC): Freshman running back Isaiah Crowell earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors, rushing for 147 yards on 30 carries against Mississippi. But the Bulldogs struggled in the red zone and missed three field goals. After allowing 80 points in losses to Boise State and South Carolina, Georgia has given up just 13 points in its past two games. The Bulldogs allow 270 yards per game, ranking 13th in the nation in total defense and eighth in pass defense (150.3 yards).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Mississippi State converted just 3-of-16 first-down attempts last week.

2. Georgia linebacker Christian Robinson, who has missed the past two games with a chipped bone in his left foot, could return Saturday.

3. Mississippi State ranks eighth in the SEC in total defense.

PREDICTION: Georgia 23, Mississippi State 17 – In a game decided in the final five minutes, Georgia finds enough holes in the Mississippi State defense to win at home.