This season’s Georgia vs. Alabama clash is going to shake things up, as Kalen DeBoer‘s team might do something that no team has been able to do in seven years: beat the Bulldogs at their home. The last time Georgia lost a game in Athens was in 2019 against South Carolina in double overtime; since then, it’s a 33-game win streak for them. But here comes the bigger question: After having a tough start against Florida State, can Bama make this history? And even Georgia’s overtime win against the Vols was a defensive mishap. Now, both teams’ defenses need to step up, showing what they can actually do.

Look, Bama has a win streak of its own against Georgia in Stanford Stadium, where they won in both of their last meetings in 2015 and 2008, and even last season they won it in their own stadium with a 41-34 margin. But now the real test arrives: how are both of their secondaries going to hold up against each other? And that’s exactly what ESPN’s analyst Chris Fowler said on the Paul Finebaum Show. “I’m really eager to see both Alabama’s and Georgia’s defenses, because they both played one elite offense, and both have looked really bad in spurts of play, but they’ve also had their developments. And I think now we’re going to find out a lot more about both defenses,” he said.

Georgia’s defense against Tennessee was a bit off, as they gave up four passing touchdowns, which is their most since their game against Ohio State in the 2022 Peach Bowl shootout. On top of that, Kirby Smart’s team has already allowed six pass plays of 30+ yards this season, which ranks them at the bottom nationally (116). And this is not the usual Georgia, which is known for its dynamic defense. Even Fowler’s pointing at it: “And then Georgia had some massive lapses and turned it around, but still a very uneven defense.”

Now their real test? It’s going to hold up the game against Bama’s strong passing game. That’s right after a tough start against FSU. Ty Simpson completed 41 of 46 passes for 608 yards, 7 TDs, and no interceptions last week. But is that enough? Because both of Alabama’s wins were against weaker teams, and Georgia can be their real test. Imagine losing against a team that just came from a 2-10 season and whose weakest point was their defense, as FSU ran for 230 yards on 4.7 carries against Bama.

Which is a massive turnaround from their last year’s 89.9 rushing yards per game. The worst part? Their QB, Thomas Castellanos, rushed 16 times for 78 yards and a TD alone. So, it’s pretty clear now why Fowler said this about Kalen DeBoer’s secondary: “They played timid, they were confused, and they played slow because they were unsure of themselves. And Gus Malzahn will do that to you. But I think it’s an opening game scenario. Since then, they haven’t really been tested. How are they going to hold up against these Georgia playmakers and Gunner Stockton? I’m eager to see that.”

So, it’s pretty clear this game is the test of both of their weak links. And Kirby Smart’s already playing gamble with his one explosive weapon.

Kirby Smart gets real on Gunner Stockton

Gunner Stockton was the guy who carried Georgia’s momentum against Tennessee, completing 23 of 31 for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns. But the real deal was how well he delivered critical plays, and one was Georgia’s last fourth-down attempt, where he connected to London Humphreys for a 28-yard touchdown. And that’s when the game is tied with just 2 minutes left.

Even Kirby Smart knows how well he handled his game and carried his team like a true leader against the Vols. “I thought he played like a competitive, tough dude. He overcame so much, but I can assure you, Gunner is not worried about what you’re saying about him, and, you know, and that’s what I love about the kid. He’s not going to be affected by outside noise,” he said. There’s no doubt that Stockton was explosive in that game, as he handled the Vols’ defense pretty well, and going up against a team that recorded 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks is not that straightforward.

That’s exactly what makes him a great player, stepping up when it matters the most, and one key moment was when the Vols went 21-7; it was Gunner who stayed calm and brought Georgia back in the game. “I mean, look, he took some vicious shots in that game. He took the ball down and ran some, you know; he had times that things weren’t picked up. He expected to be picked up. And I just think he’s a warrior to keep getting back up. But he still knows there are things left out there. He missed a couple of motions. He missed things. He grew up a lot because he played on the road in the SEC, but you get confidence from that.”

Now, let’s wait and see how both teams hold up their game against each other.