Missouri Georgia: Its Game Time!

Oct 5, 2013; Nashville, TN, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Marcus Murphy (6) stiff arms Vanderbilt Commodores safety Javon Marshall (31) during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning Tiger fans! Its another Mizzou football game day! Excitement is high around the program as the nationally ranked Tigers take on the Georgia Bulldogs on the road in the heart of SEC country. The stadium will be rocking and the football promises to be exciting and close. Before you settle in to watch the game, here are four things to watch.

Todd Gurley’s Health
Gurley is an extremely talented running back for Georgia who leads the team in rushing this season. But Gurley has been hobbled by his bad ankle all season. He is listed as doubtful for the game Saturday, and we probably won’t learn if he is playing until right before game time. If Gurley plays, watch early in the game to see how much he can do on that ankle. I think even if Gurley suits up he will be limited enough by that ankle that he won’t be a factor.

Aaron Murray
With Gurley out or hobbled, UGA is going to lean more and more on Aaron Murray’s arm to win this football game. He is more of capable of doing so as well, and he is having his best statsitcal season this year. Murray has thrown for 1534 yards, 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions. This is will be a tough matchup for the Tiger defense, and they need to get pressure on Murray and force him to move around outside the pocket. If Mizzou doesn’t get a good pass rush today, it could be a long game for the Tigers.

Fast Starts
Against Vanderbilt, the Tigers got off to a really great start, going up 20-0 very early in the game. Missouri needs a similar fast start to knock the Dawgs and their crowd off their game today. If Missouri can get an early two score lead, it will really shake up the atmosphere at Sanford Stadium and put some doubt in the heads of UGA players. That doubt is a dangerous thing, and before you know it the score could be 21-0 or 17-0 like it was last week. Look for Missouri to try and get off to a fast start by taking an early shot at the end zone Saturday.

Turnover Battle
In four of Georgia’s last five games, their opponent has scored more than 30 points. Missouri’s high powered offense is not going to break that trend this week. Look for an old fashioned shootout on the field today. These shootouts often come down to a key turnover late in the game, and the winner of the turnover battle often wins the game. Keep a close watch on the turnover battle in the Georgia Missouri game.