ATHENS — Georgia knows it is going to have its hands full this weekend. Such is the case when the Bulldogs welcome the No. 5 Ole Miss Rebels to Athens.

The Rebels enter the game with an unbeaten record, looking to build off a strong season. Lane Kiffin’s team already has wins over Tulane and LSU.

Both of those games came at home. This will be the strongest road test the Rebels have faced to this point. Saturday will be quarterback Trinidad Chambliss’ first road start in the SEC.

The dynamic quarterback has caused problems for defenses this season with both his arm and legs.

Given how much mobile quarterbacks have troubled Georgia in recent years, the Bulldogs know they’ll have to put forth a strong effort.

“Can Georgia’s defense get off the field on third down to get the ball back to its offense,” ESPN’s Mark Schlabach wrote. Can Ole Miss’ offense keep moving the chains the way it has for much of the season? The Rebels are converting more than 50% of their third downs, and the Bulldogs have allowed opponents to convert about 40%. Mobile quarterbacks have given the Bulldogs fits over the past few seasons, and the Rebels have two of them in Trinidad Chambliss and Austin Simmons, who has been slowed by a sprained ankle.”

Simmons was not listed on this week’s availability report, indicating he should be fully good to go against the Bulldogs in the event Ole Miss struggles.

“The challenge is to be in great shape, be in condition to be able to line up and execute and recognize things at a really fast pace,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of his defense. “That’s where they put a lot of pressure on you.”

Third down and mobile quarterbacks haven’t been the only issues for Georgia this season.

Paramount is how Georgia starts games. The Bulldogs have fallen down by double digits in three of their four SEC games to this point. Georgia was able to rally against Tennessee and Auburn, but lost at home to Alabama.

The Rebels and their offense feel more capable of scoring enough points to beat the Bulldogs. Ole Miss beat Georgia 28-10 last season when the two teams met in Oxford, Mississippi.

“The story of Georgia’s season, thus far, has been slow starts,” Will Backus of CBS Sports said. “The Bulldogs fell behind 21-7 against Tennessee earlier in the year before roaring back for a win. In Week 7, Auburn out to a 10-0 lead, but Georgia was able to rally with 20 unanswered points to avoid a potentially disastrous upset. Georgia can’t start slow against an explosive Ole Miss team. The Rebels can put enough points on the board that it may be hard to dig out of a potential hole.” 

The home team has won each of the last four meetings between these two teams, predating when Smart and Kiffin took over.

Smart has pushed hard for the crowd to make an impact on Saturday, specifically when it comes to impacting Chambliss and the Ole Miss offense.

The national media will have plenty of eyes on the game, as it is the only top-10 matchup of the weekend.

ESPN’s College GameDay will be on hand to preview the game on Saturday.

Kickoff between the two SEC teams is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.