The Peach State Football Preview; Week 10

The Peach State Football Preview; Week 10

Falcons (1-7) BYE

After 8 games, the Atlanta Falcons have looked anything but good and it has mainly been a scoring issue and a defensive issue. The Falcons offense has the offensive power to effectively make big plays through the air with All-Pro Julio Jones out wide, but for once, that has not been enough for the lowly Falcons. Despite the Falcons being ranked #1 in the NFL through the air with an average of 316 yards per game, the running game has struggled immensely. The Falcons backfield has been the brunt of their problems only producing 65 yards a game and 3 rushing touchdowns total. I will contribute the offensive woes to the lack of ground production and the inability to disguise the pass in the red zone.

Even with Matt Schaub throwing for 460 yards against Seattle last week, he only threw for 1 touchdown and it was to Calvin Ridley. Without effectively running the ball, the Falcons will continue to put pressure on their defense, which is ranked last in several major categories including sacks and points per game. With all 6 divisional games left, the Falcons strangely still have a fighting chance, but with the toughest competition likely coming down the stretch, the Falcons need a drastic change defensively and it more than likely should be with the defensive mindset. 

The Atlanta Falcons have a week 9 bye and a chance to evaluate themselves. This will be the stretch that will literally make or break them. 

Georgia (6-1) vs Florida (7-1)

The annual rivalry will be played in Jacksonville, Florida like usual, but what is not usual is the seemingly do or die stakes for both teams. The Georgia Bulldogs lost their only contest this season against South Carolina due to a poor offensive showing. QB Jake Fromm has done a great job controlling the ball and not giving it away, but the high octane performances have come at a minimum. The Georgia ground game has been the strong point of the team just like always and this game will definitely be decided by how well they can continue to run the ball. 

Florida has a new quarterback at the helm in Kyle Trask, who has played well, but will surely have to play his best game of the season to beat a great Georgia defense. The defense is well equipped with a dominant front seven and an athletic secondary. The premier matchup in this contest will be between the Florida passing game and the Georgia Front. If the front is able to force Trask into mistakes, the Bulldogs will be able to edge the Gators late, similar to the loss against Auburn. 

The dominant backfield at Georgia will surely make the difference in this SEC east contest. If the Bulldogs are able to control the game with a fresh rotation of backs, the Florida defense will likely struggle since they may be missing some key starters on the defensive front. If the Georgia offense can be more creative in the way they mix up the run and pass, it could be a big day for them, but if Florida’s offense does not turn the ball over and give the Dawgs any extra possession, it may be more favorable of the Gators. 

Georgia Tech (2-5) vs Pittsburgh 

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have unfortunately been facing the growing pains of a new staff, post Paul Johnson. Geoff Collins, formerly at Temple University, is a great coach that has experience winning big games, but with personnel issues likely his main problem, the offense has looked less than stellar. On a consistent basis, the Tech offense has had to solely rely on the running game for any offensive production. The passing game has struggled due to the lack of a consistent quarterback play. 

With 4 different quarterbacks seeing the field this season, James Graham has produced the most for the team. However, the Georgia Tech team has yet to play a full game where they establish any offensive dominance. If the Tech offense system can somehow benefit from a strong game to produce in the air, this will be their best opportunity to edge out a good Pitt team. As the last team in the ACC Coastal division, Georgia Tech is likely not going to see 6 wins, but with this season being the part of growing pains, the Tech coaches would be wise to begin planning for the future and focus on recruiting personnel for the future to fit the new scheme. 

Georgia State (6-2) BYE 

The 2019 season has been one of the most impressive seasons for a surging program in Georgia State. They have shown they are a legitimate force in the state and have shown more promise than many of the teams in the state. Scoring has been a positive for them as they boasted a 55-33 victory over Sun Belt foe, Troy. A win over Troy more than likely helped to boost Georgia State in the national frame and help their recruiting in the process. Recruiting has been largely responsible for how well they have been doing this season as they are in the middle of a talent bed in the City of Atlanta. 

Led by Elbert County native, Tra Barnett, the State ground game has looked efficient and impressive. The offense has rushed for 1668 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. The passing game has looked equally impressive as QB Dan Ellington has over 1500 yards and 16 touchdowns throwing. This very equal combination has produced one of the more consistent teams in the Sun Belt. 

With Georgia State expecting to face their stiffest opponents in the last 4 games of the season, in Appalachian and Georgia Southern, the Georgia State Panthers look to remain one of the most dominant teams in the state and continue to become a national spectacle. 

Georgia Southern (4-3) vs Appalachian State

This football season has been anything but impressive for the perennial bowl team, Georgia Southern. For many teams, 4-3 may not be considered a failure at this point in the season, but with Georgia Southern battling for not only a conference title with an in-state rival, but their success over State has huge implications for in-state recruiting. It is very likely that many of the Southern prospects have begun to value State over Southern and have caused Southern’s past winning lore to take a hit. However, Southern is still a good football team and they are still able to get physical when it's necessary. 

All American Cornerback Kindle Vildor has proven himself as one of the nation’s best cornerbacks; Power Five and non-Power Five. After a big 2017 and 2018 football season, Kindle Vildor has propelled himself into a true lockdown corner that is rarely challenged. Whenever he is targeted, it is likely going to be an interception or a breakup. On his career, Vildor has 8 interceptions on 29 pass deflections, which have made him a force. With him as the leader in the secondary, the ground game is the most pivotal for any opposing team. 

Undefeated Appalachian State boasts an impressive victory over North Carolina and looks to maintain control of the Sun Belt. If Georgia Southern wants to compete against the conference rival, the QB play of Shai Werts will be important and they must come up big offensively if they want a chance to win. 

Kennesaw State University (7-1) vs Monmouth

Between FBS and FCS football in the state of Georgia, KSU has easily been one of the most consistent teams over the past few seasons. Their new program has seen several big-time conference wins in the Big South and has been nationally ranked at some point every season. Coach Bohannon, formerly of Georgia Tech, has put together a great program and it has shown. 

With their only loss this season coming at the hands of FBS opponent, Kent State, Kennesaw State has dominated their level thus far and it looks to continue down the stretch. Their offense is a form of the option and it has provided much success on the ground. The KSU offense has averaged 41 points a game this season. They have scored nearly 3 times as many points as all opponents and have 3000 total rushing yards. Their 6.8 yards per carry is top in the Big South and has equaled to 7 victories and 0 defeats against their level. 

Kennesaw State will continue this trend on the ground and put up an impressive performance against Monmouth, who is also undefeated in the conference. 

Mercer University (3-5) vs Samford 

Mercer University has struggled this season. But the record definitely does not tell the complete story. The Bears have shown promise with many young players able to stand out such as Sophomore running back Deondre Johnson and wide receiver Steven Peterson. 

Defensively, Senior Safety Eric Jackson has been the standout player for the defense. In his last game, he racked up 15 tackles, making Jackson the first player to make at least 15 tackles this season. He has had a strong career individually thus far.

What has hurt the bears though has been a multitude of injuries to impact players. Most notably, QB Robert Riddle, Senior LB Will Coneway, and Receiver David Durden have been ruled out for an extended period of time with major injuries. Hopefully, the Bears will be able to rally together and win an important conference game against a tough Samford team. 

With 3 remaining conference games, the Mercer University Bears have a great opportunity to get above .500 on the season and salvage what is left of the 2019 season. 

-By: LeMarkus Bailey