With just days until Florida and Georgia meet for the 95th time, a lot of attention has been given to Georgia’s run game led by running backs, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.
The attention is rightly deserved. Chubb and Michel have combined for 14 touchdowns and account for the SEC’s 2nd ranked rushing offense.
“They just do a good job of complementing each other,” Coach McElwain said. “I see the unselfish nature in which those guys are playing.”
With that being said, it won’t just be a battle between the trenches this weekend. A young
Gators’ secondary will be put to the test as they prepare to see one of the best, if not the best, offenses that they’ve seen all year. No. 3 Georgia averages 454 yards and 37 points per game.
Leading the way for the solid Georgia offense is Jake Fromm.
The 6-foot-2-inch pro-style quarterback took over as starter against Notre Dame after sophomore Jacob Eason sprained his knee in the Bulldogs’ season opener against Appalachian State.
An early enrollee, Fromm drew praise from coaches for his leadership qualities and his ability to pick up the playbook quickly. Fromm now leads the SEC in passer rating (170.4) and yards per attempt (9.60).
The true freshman is coming off arguably his best game of the year too. Fromm was 18/26 for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns against Missouri.
However, safety Chauncey Gardner didn’t seem too worried about the young quarterback in Monday’s press conference.
“He’s throwing simple passes,” Gardner said. “Anybody can throw a slant.”
Gardner seemed confident that his young corners could handle the load. Especially true freshman Marco Wilson.
“He’s been playing good like I said, he’s a young guy but he’s been like an older guy,” Gardner said. “He’s focused on playing football and not the outside noise.”
That focus is something that Gardner and the team saw from the moment Wilson was on campus.
“I saw it when he first came in, he was on a mission and we told him, keep that mentality and carry it into the season,” Gardner said.
The former 4-star prospect has lived up to the hype that he garnered while playing at American Heritage.
Wilson has allowed just 4 receptions on 23 targets this season. He is currently the only cornerback in the SEC with 20+ targets, who has contested over 50 percent of passes in his direction. He also has 16 tackles and 7 passes defensed.
His aggressive, physical play at the line of scrimmage could cause problems for Georgia’s receivers when trying to run slants.
He has also shown the ability to cover the deep ball. He has been tested over the top several times and has proven that receivers really are on an island when lined up against Wilson. Just ask Tennessee’s Marquez Callaway.
It will definitely be a battle between true freshmen this weekend. Jake Fromm and his receivers against Marco Wilson, CJ Henderson and the rest of the Gators’ secondary.