Bulldogs have the edge over Buccaneers in all but intangibles
OFFENSE EDGE: GEORGIA
Georgia leads the SEC in scoring at 42.1 points per game and is sixth in total yards at 449.1.
Quarterback Hutson Mason leads the SEC with a 67.6 completion percentage with 16 touchdowns and three interceptions and is averaging 163.8 passing yards per game, 11th in the SEC.
Charleston Southern amassed 576 yards of total offense last week against Liberty, its most ever in a Big South game.
The Buccaneers are completing just 54 percent of its passes. Quarterback Austin Brown from Flowery Branch is 122 of 231 for 1,833 yards with 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Georgia's Nick Chubb has rushed for 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns as a freshman and is second in the SEC in rushing.
Charleston Southern coach Jamey Chadwell was asked this week how Chubb compares to other backs his team has faced this season.
"Well, he doesn't," Chadwell said. "We've got some good backs in our league, no doubt, and we've faced some good backs. For a freshman, he's phenomenal. His balance and strength that he runs with it and then to add his speed, he's by far the best player I think we've seen in really the time I've been here the last two years. He's pretty special, especially being that young."
Chubb rushed for 144 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries last week. Now he becomes the featured back again with Todd Gurley lost for the season with a torn ACL.
"They won't miss much of a beat with Nick Chubb coming in there," Chadwell.
Wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell (21 catches for 173 yards) has touchdowns in each of the past two games for Georgia. Redshirt junior Nathan Perera leads Charleston Southern in receiving with 28 catches for 398 yards and two touchdowns.
DEFENSE EDGE: GEORGIA
Georgia is coming off probably the most impressive defensive performance in coordinator Jeremy Pruitt's first season in Athens.
Auburn was held to one touchdown and 292 total yards of offense last week.
Inside linebacker Amarlo Herrera led the way with 12 tackles and his third career interception. He is sixth in the SEC with 87 tackles, two spots ahead of inside linebacker Ramik Wilson's 80.
The Bulldogs are fifth in the SEC in total defense (333.4) and sixth in scoring defense (21.6)
Outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, who played the star nickel back last week, is tied for the SEC lead with three forced fumbles and is 10th in sacks with six.
Liberty played a backup quarterback last week due to injury but still managed to put up 36 points and 376 yards of offense against Charleston Southern.
The Bucaneers play a 3-4 defense that has produced 14 interceptions, second most in the Big South, and the fewest passing yards per game at 173.7.
"I've seen quite a few picks I've seen over the last couple of games that I've watched," Mason said. "They play a lot of zone coverage and it makes the quarterback be a lot more accurate in zone. Whereas in man coverage you've got a man running with a man, there's not a lot of guys behind him dropping in coverage so you've got to be accurate."
Charleston Southern is 13th in the FCS in total defense (302.5) and 17th in scoring defense (19.0). It is also 10th in the FCS in third down defense holding opponents to 29.9 percent and 23rd in rushing defense at 128.8.
Sophomore cornerback Troy McGowens is 14th in the FCS with 1.3 pass breakups per game. Safety Davion Anderson has three interceptions.
SPECIAL TEAMS EDGE: GEORGIA
Charleston Southern is second in the FCS in kickoff return defense, holding opponents to 15.2 yards per return. The Buccaneers are 100th in FCS in net punting at 32.2 yards per punt and 97th in punt return defense at 11.6.
Sophomore Truett Burns averages 36.9 yards per punt. Kicker David Kennedy is 10 of 17 on field goals with a long of 34 and has had two blocked. Charleston Southern leads the Big South in punt returns at 14.4 with sophomore Darius Hammon sixth in the FCS with a 13.8 avg. He also averages 24.2 yards on kick return.
Georgia's Collin Barber is averaging 39.1 yards per punt. Kicker Marshall Morgan is 10 of 13 on field goals with a long of 47. Isaiah McKenzie should handle the kickoff duties again after Gurley was lost to injury. He's second in the SEC at 29.7 per return.
COACHING EDGE: GEORGIA
Georgia coach Mark Richt is 134-47 in 14 seasons and is 38-1 in nonconference home games. Charleston Southern coach Jamey Chadwell is 18-6 in his second season and 43-28 in six seasons overall including at North Greenville and Delta State. He took over a program that endured a 15-game losing streak from 2010 to 2012 before finishing the '12 season 5-6.
INTANGIBLES: CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
The Bucaneers have 10 starters from Georgia, including four on its offensive line. Charleston Southern played before 12,362 last week at Liberty and 3,629 at its last home game. "There's not a concern even with the kids from there that 'Hey, man, we're in the mecca of college football," Chadwell said. "More of the concern is when the ball is kicked off and they're running by us." Georgia is coming off a big win over Auburn and must turn to an FCS opponent now in a noon start. The game more Georgia fans may care about is Saturday night's Missouri-Tennessee game because a Vols win sends Georgia to the SEC title game.
OVERALL EDGE: GEORGIA
Charleston Southern still has hopes of landing an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, but may have a hard time keeping this one close. The Buccaneers lost 21-20 at Vanderbilt on Oct. 11, but Georgia is an upper echelon SEC team this year. Vanderbilt is not. The Bulldogs should roll easily in this one.
- Marc Weiszer