The Oklahoma Sooners are headed for the biggest test so far this season.
Brent Venables' squad is traveling to Athens, Ga., where they'll take on the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC). So far this season, Oklahoma (2-1, 0-0 SEC) has struggled offensively, but the OU defense has played up to its par, allowing just 7.7 points per game. Against UTEP and New Mexico, OU didn't allow a touchdown.
But now comes the biggest challenge: the Bulldog offense. Georgia is off to an historic start this season. In all three games this year, the Bulldogs scored 45 or more points. Georgia's plus-145 scoring margin is the largest the Bulldogs have had in over 100 years.
After reviewing the opposition on film, Oklahoma defensive end Taylor Wein has noticed what
makes Georgia a good challenge for the Sooners.
"They play really aggressive downhill," Wein said of Georgia. "You can just tell by the way that they read things they're super well coached and trained and equipped. Very athletic, they do a lot of things, they're versatile. And so, it's going to be a game of physicality. This is going to be a game won in the trenches and we know that they're going to bring their best... They're one of the best in the country and so, we got to come correct when it comes to physicality, and playing behind our pads and getting our helmets underneath their chin traps."
If the game is won in the trenches, Oklahoma will likely have to do so without the best player on both sides of the line of scrimmage. In Wednesday's availability report, left tackle Michael Fasusi has been ruled out. He's been dealing with a shoulder injury that's kept him out of the past two games.
And on the defensive line, David Stone injured his knee during practice this week. Thankfully, though, OU received good news on Stone after his MRI, and it doesn't look like any significant damage. He has been listed as questionable for Saturday's game.
Either way, Oklahoma's defense knows it'll have to be the more physical unit to slow down a team that excels at running the football and putting points on the board. Georgia averages 253.3 rushing yards per game, with running back Nate Frazier doing a lot of the heavy lifting. One detail to follow is that Frazier was also listed as questionable in the Wednesday availability report.
Oklahoma is set to play No. 2 Georgia at 2:30 p.m. CST on ESPN. It will be the first time Oklahoma has played Georgia since the Sooners joined the SEC. The last matchup was the 2017 Rose Bowl, a 54-48 double-overtime game; the Bulldogs won.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Oklahoma DE Taylor Wein discusses Georgia's aggressive offense
