ATLANTA — Georgia Bulldogs are ready to begin their national championship defense in Saturday’s season opener against Pac-12 powerhouse Oregon Ducks.
For the last decade and a half, Oregon has had a near dominance over the Pac-12. In that time, they have twice played for the national championship, four Rose Bowl games and six conference championships.
Now the team is under new management: former Dawgs defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.
Watch No. 3 Georgia vs. No. 11 Oregon Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on Channel 2! Our coverage begins with special 2-hour Bulldogs Game Day Kickoff Special from 10 a.m. to Noon.
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Lanning hopes to bring some of Georgia’s championship culture to Eugene.
“What an opportunity. You get an opportunity to test yourself early against one of the best teams in the nation. Obviously, I have a lot of respect for that program and what they’ve built over the last few years. I think it’s a great test for our players to go in there and see what we’re made of.”
Lanning will have his work cut out for him after the Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was taken in the NFL Draft first round.
The Ducks were among the worst teams in the country on third down stops and just averaged a 1.5 sacks per game.
But the linebackers Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell could be the best 1-2 linebacking corps in the country.
“I promise Kirby wants to whoop my tail, and I promise I want to whoop his. We’re both competitors and we’ll both do the best to prepare our teams.”
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The Dawgs will also see a familiar face on the offensive side of the ball.
Former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix transferred to Oregon. Nix struggled with consistency issues on the Plains but hopes to fix those in Eugene.
Oregon has always been able to put up points. Nix will be surrounded by talent at receiver, running back and have solid pass protection. The blueprint may sound familiar to the Dawgs.
Most preseason polls have the Ducks as a top 20 team. Be warned if the Dawgs get up early, the Ducks are a second half team. Last year they outscored opponents in the second half, 251-172.
Lanning may be in his first season, but the Ducks have high expectations: a Pac-12 championship and possibly an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
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