Bulldogs vs the Longhorns. Whatever we say is gonna land us in hot water, but we gotta talk about it. Steve Sarkisian has one of the best rosters under his belt right now and at the center of it all is Quinn Ewers. This guy has managed to average 200+ passing yards in all the 4 games he has started in. Take that and add the touchdowns he swings in, and Quinn Ewers pretty much becomes the final boss of quarterbacks. But what will he do when he finally goes up against a team that can stand on the same level as Sarkisian’s ‘go big or go broke’ roster?

Well, back on On3, Andy Staples makes it very clear that the Longhorns and Ewers have to watch out for this one. “For Quinn Ewers in the Georgia game, the square is 255.5 passing yards, more or less. The Oklahoma game and the Michigan game, he didn’t have to go more than this for them to win. I do think he’s going to have to do that this time because he’s playing a functional offense,” Staples mentioned. Despite being out for 2 games, Ewers has still managed to lock in 9 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and a QBR of 82.9.

But can he make it work against the offensive line that Kirby Smart has managed to create? No matter how many jabs you throw at Carson Beck for the Crimson Tide game, you cannot deny the fact that this dude has what it takes to dismantle any team out there. Do you have any idea how many passing yards Beck managed to cover against a behemoth like the Crimson Tide?

439.

This is not an easy task. Yes, we get it, this ain’t even the same Tide as the one Nick Saban had, but Kalen DeBoer and Co. put up one of their best games against the Dawgs. Beck and Co. were hammered in the first half with the Tide, not allowing the Bulldogs to get any points in the entire 1st quarter.

From that, Carson Beck managed to help his team bounce back with 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter. Beck has already managed to grab 2 400+ yards games under his belt so we know what he is capable of against the Longhorns’ defense. Going into this game, Sarkisian cannot take this easily.

Yes, Georgia is on a 5-1 run but this will be the first game for the Longhorns where they could easily be pushed to the edge. We all know that Kirby Smart has what it takes to turn things around, but Steve Sarkisian still has some ways through which he can clutch a W.

Steve Sarkisian’s biggest test

The Bulldogs are going into this with their run game already handicapped. Both Branson Robinson and Tate Ratledge will be out of the run for this game because of the MCL injury and the ankle surgery. And on top of that, Georgia’s overall run game has been subpar.

Averaging around 4.6 yards per carry, this would mark the Dawgs’ lowest in the last 4 years. Kirby Smart and Co. are too reliant on Carson Beck’s pass game and this is exactly where Sarkisian needs to strike. If the Longhorns’ defense wants to stop the domination from Smart’s offensive line, they have to figure out a way to stop Trevor Etienne’s run game.

Here’s where Anthony Hill Jr. and David Gbenda will come into play. Both of the guys are more than capable enough to stop Etienne. This game will be an all-out offense-defense war. Sarkisian and Co. are going up against a quarterback who will be marking this as his 21st combined start. The last 2 QBs the Longhorns had faced had barely 1 combined start. The stakes are high and the table is set. Only the best will come out on top.