This weekend, the SEC delivers a high-stakes showdown between two of Nick Saban’s most notable coaching disciples. Lane Kiffin is going to enter Kirby Smart’s turf at Athens with a clean slate so far. On the other side, Smart’s Bulldogs are gearing up with just one loss to Alabama. Both coaches carry years of shared history from their time in Alabama, where Smart ran the defense and Kiffin orchestrated the offense from 2014 to 2016. Last season, Kiffin’s Ole Miss handed Georgia a 28-10 loss in Oxford, a win that still stings for Smart.

This time, Smart is fired up for revenge, looking to bounce back in front of his home crowd. That’s when Nick Saban thought of adding a spicy layer to this rivalry. Saban, during his recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, dropped some crucial wisdom for Kirby Smart. Georgia’s defense through six games has recorded just seven sacks. It’s a surprisingly low total for a team known for its dominating pass rush. The main issue? The defensive line has struggled to pressure quarterbacks. But can this approach help you pass by the brutal SEC offense? “I think affecting the quarterback is really, really important to winning,” Saban said on the show.

“I don’t think there’s any statistical data that would say how many sacks you get contributes to winning, but affecting the quarterback does. And sacks are a part of that. Tackles for a loss are a part of creating positive down a distance where you can do things to confuse the quarterback.” They aren’t getting a ton of takedowns. But affecting the QB’s rhythm has been a bigger challenge. When pass rushers don’t constantly disrupt throws or create tackles for loss, opposing QBs get the luxury of comfortable pockets. Sure, the Bulldogs’ defense has allowed just 17 points per game and ranks in the top 20 against the run.

But their secondary faces challenges, ranking 60th in pass defense. The young secondary, featuring first-year starters like Ellis Robinson and Demello Jones, lacks the experience to consistently shut down top offenses. Safety Kyron Jones is out with an injury, while Daylen Everette remains a bright spot. His return was huge for Georgia, giving veteran leadership to a mostly inexperienced group. This year, Georgia’s linebackers have been the ones scrambling to get to quarterbacks. “How many real difference makers do you have?” Saban added.

“So to have a difference maker, that’s a pass rusher… So, just taking that one guy away who is a disruptive player and a difference maker can make a huge difference in how you play defense and how well you do on third down.” 7 sacks are fine, but not Georgia-level. Plus, just one came from the defensive line. That lone sack was by redshirt freshman Nnamdi Ogboko in a blowout game. The usual suspects up front, like Christen Miller, Jordan Hall, and Elijah Griffin, haven’t recorded a single sack all season. Georgia’s defense has lost key edge rushers.

Last season’s stars like Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams were major playmakers, but their absence has left a void. Now, Gabe Harris is the lead man expected to fill that gap, but the depth isn’t there. Statistically, Georgia ranks near the bottom nationally in pressure rates, around 116th, generating pressure on the QB only about 26% of the time on pass plays. Like the game against Alabama. The Tide, led by Ty Simpson, exploited Georgia’s fragile defensive front, rolling up 262 yards and converting eight third downs before the half. What really hurt? Georgia simply couldn’t generate a pass rush. They managed only one sack on Simpson all game. 

Junior Jordan Hall was the lone lineman to record a tackle behind the line, with the team notching just four tackles for loss through four games. That pass rush absence allowed Alabama’s QB to comfortably pick apart the secondary. Now, all these problems are still fixable by Smart, who somewhat remained a defensive genius during his career. But let’s just be fast with it because the Rebels are already knocking.

Nick Saban’s disciples face-to-face?

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has his eyes set on a real battle “between the hedges” this Saturday. Now Klatt expects a tight, hard-fought game full of drama and momentum swings. He’s leaning towards a Georgia win, but with Ole Miss covering the spread, forecasting a close 27-24 finish. Klatt tipped his hat to Lane Kiffin’s game plan and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss.

Now, Chambliss showed flashes of his dual-threat talent last week with three touchdowns against Washington State, and Kiffin’s offense is known for explosive starts. Don’t be shocked if Ole Miss jumps out with an early lead or multiple possessions ahead. But the Bulldogs have had a habit of slow starts. They often let their opponents build leads early. Yet, Georgia’s strength lately has been second-half defensive shutdowns.

But then the glaring pass rush effectiveness also comes into question. Ole Miss will look to exploit this vulnerability by attacking early and often. Chambliss will have more time in the pocket than Georgia defenders would like. But with all this, the Bulldogs’ home record is an imposing factor: 50 wins in their last 52 home games. Even with the loss to Alabama, Georgia has repeatedly shown late-game grit and the ability to claw back into games.