Kirby Smart shares one critical matchup Georgia must win against Auburn despite Bulldogs' struggles there all season long

The Georgia Bulldogs' pass rush has been borderline embarrassing this season. Despite Kirby Smart living in denial about that fact, this week's game against the Auburn Tigers and Jackson Arnold could be the perfect "get right" opportunity for the Georgia Bulldogs that gets their defense ready to make a run at the College Football Playoff.

However, if that is going to happen, Georgia's defense has to make sure they take care of one critical matchup. Jackson Arnold's athleticism versus the struggling defensive front of Georgia. Kirby Smart addressed that specific hurdle this week as he met with the media ahead of the Bulldogs' SEC rivalry game against Auburn.

Key stats that should impact Georgia vs Auburn

• Georgia ranks 116th among FBS college football teams in defensive sacks generated this season with seven.
• Auburn ranks 136th (dead last) among FBS teams in sacks allowed this year with 21.
• Georgia ranks 1st among power conference teams in explosive run rate allowed. They've allowed just seven runs of 10+ yards. Only one run of 20+ yards.
• Auburn ranks 7th among power conference teams on rushing plays of 40+ yards or more.

Georgia's pass rush could finally get right against Jackson Arnold if they contain his athleticism

This year's Georgia Bulldogs are not like your older brother's on defense. Yes, they have elite off-ball linebacker play thanks to CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson, and the emerging hybrid defender Chris Cole. However, the team has zero sacks from conventional edge defenders and only seven of them total on the season (ranking 116th among FBS teams).

That could change this week considering Jackson Arnold has become the biggest sack liability in the entire sport (taking 21 sacks to start the year), but Georgia's front six or seven have to make sure they contain him if their lackluster pressure can't get home. Kirby Smart addressed that fact as his very first answer on what Arnold brings as a threat:

"First is [Jackson Arnold]'s athleticism. He's had two or three plays that were broken plays or scramble plays, RPOs that were designed to be thrown that maybe look like they changed and he takes off running. He runs for 60 yards. He runs for 70 yards. He doesn't just run for like eight, nine yards, and go down. He runs like a running back, he runs over you, through you, around you with speed. They run gap schemes with him. They run perimeter runs with him. And then probably the toughest thing to defend is when he drops back and he ends up taking off running. He's a weapon, and they've got weapons around him in terms of the ability to throw downfield."

Jackson Arnold's mobility and the Auburn running backs have saved the Tigers' offense more than once this season, consistently churning out running plays of 10+ yards and finding a handful of a massive-field flipping opportunities with 30 and 40+ yard runs too. When Arnold uses his escapability to create positive plays, Auburn is a completely different team. When he panics against pressure, he and the entire offense folds.

Georgia's linebackers and defensive line must be able to bring more pressure than they have been doing. Otherwise Arnold's ability to extend plays with his legs will buy him enough time to hit future NFL wide receivers Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton.

If the Bulldogs can in fact bring much pressure of any kind, Jackson Arnold is likely going to curl up into a ball just like he usually does. Two weeks in a row, the game has essentially ended on Arnold taking terrible sacks. Against Oklahoma, it was in the end zone for a safety. Against Texas A&M it was on a 4th & 1 where Arnold just immediately pulled his eyes down into the pressure, missing two easy 1st down conversion targets at wide receiver who were wide open (as you can see below).