Film Study: What LSU can expect from Georgia in SEC Championship
LSU takes on Georgia in the SEC Championship game on Saturday afternoon, entering the game as 17.5-point underdogs against the best team in the country. The Bulldogs are perfect this year, coming off of a National Championship season in 2021, and further establishing their program atop the country.
LSU is in year one under Brian Kelly, and while the road to Atlanta has not been nearly as smooth, it’s a Tigers team capable of playing with anyone in the country. The precision and accuracy has allowed LSU to reach impressive highs in year one, but the lack of depth has cost the Tigers in a few spots this season, limiting their consistency.
Regardless, LSU is here to not only play spoiler, but make a statement. Ending Kelly’s first year with wins over Alabama and Georgia would put the nation on notice, even if it doesn’t put the Tigers in the playoff. We know LSU is capable, but let’s take a closer look at its opponent on Saturday in the reigning national champs.
I want to focus on the Kentucky game, since that was the most recent and the Wildcats kept it close, but these trends were maintained throughout the season.
Offense
Georgia’s offense is once again perhaps one of the more underrated units in the country. Led by the confident veteran quarterback Stetson Bennett and fitted with weapons that will run you over rather than bomb you over the top, offensive coordinator Todd Monken has his unit rolling once again. The Bulldogs rank 13 in offensive EPA per play, 9th in offensive, EPA per game, and seventh in raw yards per play.
There have been moments when the Bulldogs appear limited or one-dimensional on offense, as we saw against Missouri and Kentucky, but those increasingly look like outliers when assessing this season as a whole.
It all starts with their blocking. Whether it’s a run or pass play, it’s jarring how physical the Bulldogs are in their blocking both along the offensive line and on the perimeter. Running back Kenny McIntosh is obviously the biggest benefactor of this, with 5.4 yards per carry and eight touchdowns on the year, but even on screens or basic pass protection, it looks like you will feel Georgia on every play.
McIntosh leads the SEC in receiving yards by a running back, speaking to his versatility. He’s similar to Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama who gave LSU fits, but he’s more physical between the tackles. Daijun Edwards is another talented back who has 114 carries on the season and 606 yards. Here’s McIntosh lined up in the slot.
The rushing attack looks similar to Ole Miss in spots, but with better blocking. The pre-snap motion is consistent and there’s good variance in the types of runs from the Bulldogs. The motions also set up counters, play actions, screens, and a large portion of the offense, similar to LSU and Ole Miss in a way.
Kentucky’s defense is really good and Georgia just plowed through their front several times. McIntosh ended the game with 143 yards on just 19 carries in the win.
Kentucky looked comfortable dropping eight in obvious passing situations and Bennett couldn’t really beat them. This is obviously the position you want to be in as a defense, but it’s getting to second or third and long that’s the problem. The Bulldogs have allowed the second fewest tackles for loss of any team in the country. They are always going forward.
That’s also evident in the red zone where they are awesome. Georgia has scored on 64 of 67 trips to the redzone (No. 1), and has scored touchdowns on 43 of those trips. They are also No. 5 in the country in third down conversion percentage.
Defense
Last year, Georgia had one of the greatest defenses of all time. This year, it’s almost an entirely new crop of talent, with a new defensive coordinator, but the same results. The Bulldogs make everything difficult and it starts with No. 88 Jalen Carter. A defensive lineman who will have his name called in the top five picks in the NFL Draft, Carter is the heart of everything this defense does. He’s incredible in the run game, forces double teams on most plays, and opens lanes for everyone else. Smart and the defensive staff do a good job of moving him around as well.
In coverage, there’s a lot of zones and press quarters on the boundary, potentially giving LSU a shot at taking some one-on-one throws down the sideline, but then you run into star cornerback Kelee Ringo.
The most impressive aspect of this defense is its speed in coverage. The middle of the field is a minefield, just inviting quarterbacks to try to make the throws into tight windows. Will Levis and Hendon Hooker had a tough time finding gaps in the middle in their games, forcing them to look on the outside. Here’s a nice throw by Levis over the middle, then…
It’s a defense that has allowed 11 points per game, so obviously the Bulldogs will be challenging to score on. LSU’s offensive line had its best game of the season against Alabama to win that game, and the group will need to be even better on Saturday. The same goes for Daniels who will need to be on time and on target.
There can be no drops. There can be no back-breaking penalties. If this offense does not get off to a good start then this could get ugly in a hurry.
I’m someone who thinks LSU can cover the spread and keep this game close for a while, but watching this Georgia team on tape is daunting. Maybe the Bulldogs come out flat like they did against Missouri or Kent State, but if not, LSU has to be physical and precise for 60 minutes to have a shot.
