SAMFORD(2-0) AT NO. 13 GEORGIA (2-0)
7:30 p.m. › Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. SEC Network Alternate & 102.3 FM
THE MATCHUP
Georgia’s first two opponents — Appalachian State and Notre Dame — had run-heavy offenses, but Samford likes to throw it and throw it a lot. In last season’s 56-41 loss at Mississippi State, Chris Hatcher’s Bulldogs attempted an eye-popping 70 passes while running it 34 times. “Offenses in college football throw the ball so well now and with such a high success rate,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “A lot of their percentages are based on quick passes and a short passing game, so there will be a lot of completions within 5 or 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. It’s not going to be so much affecting them with pass rush as it is the ability to tackle the guy when he catches it. Limiting the yards after the catch will be important, because they do a great job in their screen game, which helps their completion percentage. You’ve got to be able to get them on the ground. It will be an extremely different style of play from what we’ve seen the last two weeks.” Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges is the reigning Southern Conference offensive player of the year. The redshirt junior completed 375 of 530 passes (70.8 percent) for 4,088 yards and 36 touchdowns last season, and he already has seven aerial scores through two games this season. Hodges will face a Georgia defense that has loads of confidence after holding Notre Dame to 55 rushing yards and repeatedly making life miserable for Fighting Irish quarterback Brandon Wimbush. App State quarterback Taylor Lamb also had a difficult time against Georgia, which seems eager to keep things going. “The sky’s the limit for what we can do as a defense and as a team,” senior insider linebacker Reggie Carter said. “We’re working on getting better each and every week. The sky’s the limit.’’
ONE TO WATCH
IN THE END
The Bulldogs are the new night owls of the Southeastern Conference — tonight will mark the third of at least four consecutive night games to open this season. Georgia last began a season with four straight night games in 1944, and this year also marks the first time the Bulldogs have opened with three consecutive nonconference foes since 1987. The next nine weeks after tonight will include eight conference games. Playing this evening should give Georgia the juice it needs to overcome any hangover effect from last Saturday’s emotional triumph at Notre Dame, or a repeat of last season’s 26-24 escape of Nicholls State, which, like Samford, is a Football Championship Subdivision program.