TYLER CLARK (DT, #52)
This 6-4, 300-pound junior is one of the mainstays in the Bulldogs’ rugged defensive front. After having big performances in the SEC championship game, Rose Bowl and National Championship game last season Clark helped ignite the Georgia defense to a splendid start in the 2018 season as the Bulldogs blanked Austin Peay in the season opener and then allowed a potent South Carolina offense only two touchdowns in the 41-17 opening SEC win. Clark and his fellow D-linemen and linebackers will certainly need to play big against Drew Lock and Missouri’s explosive offense.
TYSON CAMPBELL (CB, #3)
With his top-end speed and talent, this true freshman out of Plantation, Fla. wrested a starting cornerback spot in the Bulldogs’ very first game and, overall, has performed well at a position where not many first-year players excel in college football. But Campbell was beaten on a 44-yard touchdown pass in the win at South Carolina and the Georgia defense can’t afford for that to happen against Missouri’s fast receivers. Look for the 6-2, 185-pound Campbell to be ready in this crucial SEC test.
ELIJAH HOLYFIELD (TB, #13)
It’s been pretty much a tailback-by-committee for the Bulldogs this season and Holyfield, son of former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield, has packed a pretty good punch of his own. In fact, in the dominating win over South Carolina, Elijah was the Bulldogs’ leading ground gainer with 76 yards on just nine carries and a touchdown. His quick, powerful runs greatly complement the ball carrying of D’Andre Swift, Brian Herrien and James Cook and the Dawg backs will need a huge performance Saturday to keep the ball away from the Mizzou offense.
MEL TUCKER (UGA Defensive Coordinator)
Mel Tucker came to Georgia from Alabama with Kirby Smart and has teamed with Smart to construct the Bulldog defense into one of the nation’s best, as evidenced by the team’s 13-2 run last season, which included an SEC title win over Auburn, a stirring Rose Bowl win over Oklahoma and a overtime loss to Alabama in the National Championship Game. But Tucker’s defensive unit will be facing one of its toughest challenges thus far against Drew Lock’s passing Saturday. Look for Tucker’s stop-em gang to be ready for that challenge!