Memphis will be laid to waste

Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs will look to finish his first season in charge with a Liberty Bowl victory.

Posted 4 years ago

Welcome to your one-stop shop for all the relevant UGA football news and takes every Monday through Friday. In today’s edition, it’s almost time for the Liberty Bowl between Georgia and TCU. Get ready to run through a brick wall …

SPOT THE DAMN BALL!

A quick preview

There are only a few hours left until the Liberty Bowl finally (finally) kicks off, and, by this point, you’ve probably read all the previews you can stand to read. If you haven’t, you’re quickly running out of time. So, in order to serve both of these parties, here’s a quick bullet-by-bullet preview of the Liberty Bowl:

TCU is more susceptible to the pass than the run, so a healthy dose of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel will do Georgia a world of good.
Kenny Hill has thrown 13 interceptions this year, so UGA’s excellent secondary could have a field day. The Bulldogs should be more wary of his legs, as he’s rushed for more than 500 yards and 9 touchdowns this season.
UGA’s weakness still is its offensive line, and TCU pass rushers such as Josh Carraway could pin their ears back and make a difficult afternoon for Jacob Eason.
Georgia is 123rd nationally in points per trip inside the 40. If the Bulldogs haven’t figured out how to finish drives over the last month, the game may not be close.
TCU tailback Kyle Hick’s big-play ability is TCU’s biggest offensive asset, but ILB Roquan Smith and his partners Reggie Carter and Natrez Patrick should be able to keep him under control.
Georgia is favored by 1 point, per most betting markets, and TCU is a touchdown favorite according to S&P+, so expect a close game. In close games, special teams can be a deciding factor. Both UGA’s Isaiah McKenzie and TCU’s KaVontae Turpin have long return touchdowns this season, and a score by either of them could turn the tide in this game.
There’s a good chance this game comes down to field goals. Georgia gets a slight advantage in the kicking game, as TCU kicker Brandon Hatfield has missed 4 field goal attempts of more than 30 yards and only attempted one kick of more than 40 yards. If the game is as close as many expect, a late field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship could move him from folk hero to just plain ‘ol hero.

Podcast previews

Even if you don’t have the time to read some previews, you may have some time to listen to them. Here are a few podcasts previews you can use to ride out the final hours before kickoff:

Waitin’ Since Last Saturday

The Waitin’ Since Last Saturday crew does its final preview of the Liberty Bowl:

Shutdown Fullcast

Yes, this is a preview of a Georgia game hosted by a couple of Florida fans and a Tennessee fan. Georgia bashing ensues. But it’s a short listen and funny as hell, if you can take some self-deprecation.

The Solid Verbal

Ty and Dan’s preview of the Liberty Bowl is brief, but The Solid Verbal is always worth a full listen for college football fans.

Georgia hoops storms back to beat Auburn

Mark Fox and his Bulldogs received a huge boost with a comeback win against Auburn on the Plains in their SEC opener. Georgia trailed by 12 points at one point in the second half but broke off a 12-o run to tie the game at 66, before storming ahead to win, 96-82. Yante Maten scored 31 points in the victory. Auburn was 10-2 entering the game, so this is a win that the Bulldogs could possibly point to when it comes time for them to make their case as a tournament team when the season ends.

Georgia basketball: Recap, box score from 96-82 comeback win over Auburn https://t.co/23QTrde1EN pic.twitter.com/6zBajcDASW

— DawgNation (@DawgNation) December 30, 2016