UGA Football Star Malaki Starks Talks Ole Miss Offense
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ATHENS - UGA Football defensive back Malaki Starks met with the media on Tuesday evening after practice and offered the following comments.
On what stands out the most about Ole Miss’s passing game and how they’ll prepare to face the Rebel offense Saturday…
“Their depth and the pace that they go… they are a very fast temp offense. They’ve got guys that can go get it and guys that can move in and out of the slot. Just the depth that they have at the positions and the abilities that the guys have; we just have to be able to match up and be able to run with it.”
On the Tennessee game last year and how fans and the environment affect the defense and their communication…
“That Tennessee game last year was different. We fed off their energy and we communicated very well. The whole point of defense if verbally or nonverbally, being able to communicate. That is something that when the noise does pick up, we have to be able to handle it. I think last year versus Tennessee we did that very well, so we have to be able to do it again because I know our fans are going to show up just like always.”
On how you prepare for your own home crowd noise…
“We really use the speakers in the indoor, the crowd noise that we use in the indoor to just make it more difficult to communicate. They get very loud, so it helps a lot. But just emphasizing the need to communicate. The speed that they go, and we practice with, you have to be able to nonverbal signal and verbal signal. So, just the way we practice is probably the best thing that helps us get ready.”
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Bulldogs Close Out Home Slate With Senior Night Against Rebels
Georgia concludes its 2023 home schedule Saturday against No. 10 Ole Miss with kickoff set for 7 p.m. on ESPN. The Bulldogs hold a 32-13-1 edge in the series with the Rebels. Georgia had won 10 straight in the series until the last meeting which came in 2016 in Oxford as the Rebels snapped the streak with a 45-14 decision in Kirby Smart’s first season at the helm. Ole Miss’ last trip to town came in 2012 when the Bulldogs won 37-10. ESPN College GameDay returns to Athens for the first time since last year’s win over No. 1 (CFP) Tennessee. The Bulldogs are 6-2 when GameDay visits Athens.
Georgia will recognize its Seniors before the game, and they are 46-3 in their career, which ranks second in victories for a class in school history. The 2022 Senior Class went 49-5 with a pair of national titles. Also of note, Georgia enters Saturday’s game with a 24-game home winning streak which has tied the school mark set from 1980-83.
About Ole Miss
Head Coach Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss in the national top 10 for the third straight season, the first such streak since 1962-64. In fact, the Rebels are 8-1 for the second straight year and the first time since 1961-62. Ole Miss leads the SEC and ranks (13th in the FBS) in turnover margin at +8. Ole Miss has tallied 10 interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Ole Miss ranks among the top 10 nationally in fewest turnovers with just six. The Rebels start fast, outscoring opponents 117-38 in the 1st quarter, and finish fast, outscoring opponents 103-44 in the 4th quarter. Junior QB Jaxson Dart directs the offense that has seven scoring drives under one minute. Sophomore RB Quinshon Judkins leads the SEC with 12 rushing TDs while Dart has seven. Ole Miss has three 500-yard receivers in Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins and Dayton Wade. Harris had 213 yards on 11 catches with a score versus A&M last Saturday.
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This Is Our House
Georgia is 43-4 at home in the Kirby Smart era, including 12-1 against ranked opponents. In fact, the Bulldogs have won their last 12 games in Athens versus ranked opponents. This year, Georgia crushed No. 20 Kentucky 51-13 on Dooley Field on Oct. 7 and then edged No. 12 Missouri 30-21 last weekend.
Balance Signals Success
The Bulldogs are one of only four teams in the country who are ranked in the top 10 in both Scoring Offense and Scoring Defense. The Bulldogs rank sixth nationally in Scoring Defense at 15.4 ppg. Georgia is 10th nationally in Scoring Offense at 39.3 points per game. The other three teams are Michigan (9-0), Penn State (8-1) and SMU (7-2).
One of the keys to Georgia’s success is its third down defense. The Bulldogs are ranked third na- tionally with opponents converting just 27 percent of the time. In SEC action, Georgia opponents are a combined 20-for-69 on third downs (29 percent). The Bulldogs are fourth nationally in converting third downs (55 percent). Georgia has converted 42 of 78 third downs (54 percent) against league opponents.