Peach Bowl Game Preview: No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Peach Bowl is one of the most traditional college football bowl games as it has been played every year in Atlanta since 1968. Since 2014, the Peach Bowl has been in the rotation to host a College Football Playoff Semifinal with the next coming in 2022. On New Year’s Day, we get to watch two Top 10 teams battle it out with No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs squaring off against No. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats.
This will be Georgia’s sixth appearance in the Peach Bowl, 3-2 in their previous games with wins coming in 2006, 1998, and 1973. Cincinnati will be making their first appearance in this historic bowl game.
Georgia opened the season with three straight wins, including Auburn, then fell in two of their next three contests with a win over Kentucky sandwiched in between losses to Alabama and Florida. The Bulldogs then defeated Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Missouri to close out their season 7-2 to finish second in the SEC East behind Florida.
Cincinnati is coming into this game undefeated at 9-0, 6-0 in the American Athletic Conference. The Bearcats most notable wins came against Army (24-10) on Sept. 26, at SMU (42-13), on Oct. 24, and against Tulsa (27-24) on Dec. 19 in the conference championship game.
No. 9 Georgia Bulldogs vs. No. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats
Date: Friday, Jan. 1, 2021
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
TV: ESPN
Spread: Cincinnati -7
Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Game Preview
Georgia
Offense
The Bulldogs score 33.2 points per game while their balanced attack throws for an average of 232.8 yards and rushing for an average of 188.6 yards. Since taking over quarterback duties halfway through the year, sophomore J.T. Daniels has thrown for 839 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 66.7 percent of his passes.
Georgia QB J.T. Daniels
Sophomore running back Zamir White leads the team with 740 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Two weapons for Georgia in the passing game are sophomore wide receivers Kearis Jackson, who has caught 33 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns, and George Pickens, who has snagged 29 balls for 378 yards and a team high five receiving touchdowns.
Defense
Georgia gives up 19.89 points a game while only allowing 69.3 rushing yards and 253.44 passing yards per contest. Sophomore linebacker Nakobe Dean leads the team with 64 total tackles with 1.5 for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. Senior linebacker Monty Rice is another defensive playmaker chipping in 49 total tackles including four for a loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Senior defensive back Richard Lecounte leads the team with three interceptions to along with his 26 total tackles and one fumble recovery.
Cincinnati
Offense
The Bearcats score a whopping 39.3 points a game while gaining 242.2 passing yards and 225 rushing yards per matchup. The leader of this balanced attack is junior dual-threat quarterback Desmond Ridder. Ridder has thrown for 2,090 yards and 17 touchdowns while adding an additional 609 yards and 12 more scores on the ground.
The team’s leading rusher is senior running back Gerrid Doaks who has 673 yards and seven touchdowns on 144 carries. Ridder’s favorite targets are sophomore tight end Josh Whyle, who leads the team with 25 receptions, 318 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. The top wide receiver is junior Jayshon Jackson who has caught 22 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown.
Defense
Cincinnati gives up just 16 points a game while allowing opponents to gain 118.4 rushing yards and 192.33 passing yards per game. The leader of the defense is senior linebacker Jarell White, who has 74 total tackles including seven for a loss, two sacks, and two interceptions. Another linebacker to watch is senior Darrian Beavers who has 50 total tackles including six for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and two interceptions. Senior Coby Bryant leads the team with three interceptions and seven pass breakups to go along with 32 total tackles and one fumble recovery. The force on the defensive line is junior defensive end Myjai Sanders who has 30 total tackles including 10.5 for a loss, seven sacks, and five pass breakups.
Analysis
These two talented teams are fired up as Cincinnati is looking to finish undefeated and Georgia is essentially playing in their backyard. Both programs have talented defenses. Whichever defense comes up with the big plays will walk out with a win.
The key battle will be Georgia’s young offense against the veteran Bearcat defense. Georgia has too much experience against better competition to slip up against Cincinnati to lose a “home game.”
Final Score Prediction: Georgia 31, Cincinnati 21
Photo credit: Los Angeles Times; Georgia QB J.T. Daniels
Photo credit: Cincinnati Enquirer; Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder