ATHENS, Ga. – It may be one of the most clichéd axioms in sports, but “next man up” has given its literal meaning to the number 3. Georgiadefenders of this season.
A year ago, a historically talented defender led the Bulldogs to their first national championship in 41 years. Defensive start year – end Travon Walkershadow Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyattlinebacker Spin Walker and safe Lewis Cine – was selected in the first round of the NFL draft, the most from any school in the draft general period since 1967.
The other three Georgia defenders – the substitutes Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall and hidden corners Derion Kendrick – has also been drafted, leaving the Bulldogs with only three defensive players back starting in the 2022 season.
The attrition has gotten worse since then. When Bulldogs Take 1st Place Tennessee at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, only two players started for Georgia’s defense in a 33-18 win over Alabama in the CFP national championship match scheduled to be on the field – corner kick Kelee Ringo and safe Christopher Smith.
Bulldogs lose their high-level guard outside Nolan Smith to one End of season pectoral muscle injury this week; safety William Poole left the team in September for personal reasons.
However, the Georgia defense has the field with the High Flying Volunteers in a game that could decide the conference-led SEC East title in running defense (85.4 yards) and all-around defense ( 262.5 yards) and second to the pass (177.1 yards).
Not bad for a defense that also lost coordinator Dan Lanning, who left to become Oregonof the head coach. Frontline coach Glenn Schumann and special team coordinator Will Muschamp, former head coach at Florida and South Carolinawas promoted to co-defensive coordinator.
“It’s just the norm,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart. “Just because you lose good players doesn’t mean you won’t be good next year. Maybe that was the expectation of some teams, but it wasn’t the expectation of any team I was a part of. part of the expectation. that you will be good because you hire good players and because you train hard.”
Few FBS coaches have recruited defensive players as well as Smart, a former Georgia defensive lineback and Alabama defensive coordinator. Seven of the Bulldogs’ much-anticipated defensive starters for Saturday’s game have ranked in ESPN 300 are high school students.
Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. and safe Malaki Starks ranked No. 1 in their respective classes in 2021 and 2022. Ringo is the No. 1 saver in the 2020 tier. Jalen Carter is outlook number 12 in general and tackles defense number 2 in 2020.
“They’re just big, smooth and efficient,” Samford coach Chris Hatcher, whose team lost 33-0 to Georgia on September 30. “If we think we’ve got a wrinkle with them, I’ll look up and we’ve won a yard and it’s monday and 9. Know Kirby and Will because I’ve worked with them, they’re relentless recruiters Some of them played last season in the national championship because they had some brilliant wins. Those subs have a lot of rep and they know the expectations there. I just haven’t seen that much drop from last year to this year.”
Across eight games, Georgia’s defense played well against last year’s unit, statistically at least. The Bulldogs are second in the FBS in terms of scoring defense, just behind Illinois. Georgia allows 10.2 points per game in 2021; it is dropping 10.5 per game this season. The opponent committed 269 yards of fouls per game last season; in total they are 263 this season.
Georgia’s defense is even better in third place. Last season, opponents converted 35% of third kills; they’ve only moved the string 29% of the time this season.
“It’s all about the people out there being able to connect,” Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker speak. “As you can see, they have some great coaches behind them, and they play incredibly hard. That’s something you can’t teach. about. This is football’s top brand.”
Georgia hasn’t played as explosively offensive as Tennessee this season. This is only the second time the Bulldogs have faced a behavior that ranks in the FBS top 50 in scoring, according to data from ESPN Stats & Information, according to data from ESPN Stats & Information. Oregon, which is fifth in the country with 42.4 points per game, was only able to score in a 49-3 loss to the Bulldogs in the September 3 opening game.
The Volunteers lead FBS in points (49.4) and total fouls (553 yards per game) and second in passes (353.4 yards). Hooker was a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, completing 71.2% of passes for 2,338 yards with 21 touchdowns and one interception. Receiver Jalin Hyatt had 45 catches for 907 yards with 14 touchdowns, including a record five TD in a 52-49 win over Alabama on October 15.
Georgia’s defense was as good as last season, the Volunteers still testing it in the Bulldogs’ 41-17 win at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee fouled 387 yards, including 332 passes. Cedric Tillman there are 10 catches in 200 yards with one point.
With the second goal in coach Josh Heupel’s quick strike, the Volunteers have been even better this season. According to research by ESPN Stats & Information, it will be the first game in which an average foul of 49 points or more against a defense allows 11 or less in November or later since 1996.
Volunteers are also not one-sided. They are 25th in FBS for speed, with almost 200 yards per game. Hooker was the team’s third-placed driver with 338 yards and four points.
“Tennessee isn’t necessarily a fun offense,” Smart said. “They run really well. I think you can say that statistically they have explosive passes. They are a team that runs very deep. They perform very well with explosive passes. committed. There’s a toughness there. Their backs are really tough.”
One area where Georgia’s defense has fallen behind last season’s unit is sack manufacturing. Bulldogs made only 10 sacks and 39 losses dealt, which is outside the top 100 of FBS.
“You wouldn’t call them vanilla by any means,” said Tennessee quartet coach Joey Halzle. “They defended really well, we all know that. They have guys who can lunge at passers-by, they have blitzers, they have defenders. You don’t see many flaws in their defence. them. , because they have a lot of people around the ball.
“You see guys well trained with a lot of eye discipline. It’s not like they’re not coming home or they’re not forcing. They’re making tackles, they’re keeping things in front of them, and they’re getting people to shoot it again. Then they’re doing really well coming out in third.”
Losing Smith, who led the team with three covers, seven losses and 16 saves in midfield, wouldn’t make pressuring Hooker any easier. Sophomore Chaz Chambliss and freshman Marvin Jones Jr. will have to play more in his absence.
“Those guys have to play,” Smart said. “They train every day like Nolan. They have to get a chance to play. This is the next one.”
