ATHENE – The Cincinnati footballer cannot wait to get in the ring and prove himself against the stalwart of Georgia.
.‘We’re all guys, I think there’s always slides on our shoulders, and we want to go there and fight, ‘Marcus Freeman, Bearcats’ defense coordinator, said this week.
“It’s not a charity event for us. We are not here to go there and enjoy being at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. We’re here to win a football match. We prepare. We have a whole bunch of guys with that mentality. They are going to prepare for the next two days, go there on Friday and swing as hard as we can. ‘
The Bulldogs in 9th place (7-2) are a favorite over the Bearcats in eighth place, who enter the showdown today at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to prove they belong in the College Football Playoffs.
“I feel like it would mean a lot to us if we beat Georgia,” said Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati’s All-American cornerback. “That would put us on the map. Do you know what I’m saying? Across the country, all the recruiters and scouts and everything, they will know that we have, what it cost to beat that team. ”
Bearcats referee Joel Dublanko said he and his teammates are ready to play with the Bulldogs, who have eight players starting games, due to injuries and opt-outs.
“The style of football we are proud of is tough and filthy,” Dublanko said. “We’re playing the brand against a team like Georgia.”
Gadner, who hails from Detroit’s Martin Luther King High School, agreed.
‘“The first thing is that I believe we are tougher than many Power 5 teams across the country,” Gardner said. “We work very hard.”
Georgia experienced problems against teams that could be physically with them, especially in defeating the losses against Alabama and Florida, and a 14-3 victory over Kentucky.
In Cincinnati, the team of Coach Kirby Smart will face perhaps the most inspired team lined up all season.
“For the past hundred years, we’ve only had two opportunities to play in such games,” said safety Darrick Forrest, a proven safety from Columbus, Ohio. ‘We need to make the most of our opportunities. I feel like everyone wants to make the most of this opportunity. There are still things like in our back pocket.
‘We must surely go there to get it for our program, for our city, just for everyone. ”
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