BY THE NUMBERS
Georgia's offense: Averaging 243.8 yards per game passing (41st nationally), 147.1 yards rushing (72nd).
Auburn's defense: Allowing 203.4 yards per game passing (41st), 171.1 yards rushing (81st).
REASONS TO BE EXCITED
Good news, Bulldog fans (sort of): There's a program in your own state that has been struggling just as much as you have with the switch to the 3-4 defensive alignment, if not more so. Statistically, at least, it's hard to find any major ways in which the 2010 edition of Tech's defense has demonstrated improvement over last year's model. The pass defense, in particular, has continued to struggle: On paper, their average isn't that bad, but then you start to think about how few truly elite passing attacks the Jackets have faced this season. Last week, Duke's Sean Renfree lit the Jackets up for 334 yards on 30-of-41 passing; the week before, Miami's Stephen Morris went an efficient 10-of-18 for 230 yards and a score in only his second career start. None of the Dawgs' opponents this season have really figured out how to shut down wideout A.J. Green, and Georgia Tech is an unlikely candidate to be the first.
REASONS TO BE WORRIED
While Georgia's running game, too, might appear to have an easy day ahead of them on paper, the Dawgs have struggled all year long to get consistent production from the rushing attack against the better opponents on the schedule. The offensive front will have to step it up in both run-blocking and pass protection, because QB Aaron Murray is still shaking off some of the dust from a particularly brutal evening in Auburn two weeks ago. Supposedly Murray performed up to expectations in his return to practice this past Monday, but the Dawgs can ill afford to let him get knocked around this weekend.
KEY MATCHUP
Georgia WR A.J. Green vs. Georgia Tech CB Jerrard Tarrant. It really is this simple: Georgia's unprecedented string of six straight games in which they scored at least 30 points began when Green resumed his every-down presence on the field. There isn't a single person on Tech's sideline who's still unaware of his importance to the Dawgs, and you can bet the Jackets will double-cover the bejeezus out of him all day long. That effort will be headed by junior Tarrant, a turnover specialist who leads the team in interceptions and forced two fumbles last week against the Blue Devils. Green will once again be called upon to make Murray look heroic and to open up the field enough to allow the running game to make some plays as well.