Trust me, you’ll want to read Ian Boyd’s take on how Georgia’s defense is succeeding, viewed through the prism of the Notre Dame and Mississippi State games.
2017 has already seen Georgia put away a pair of strong spread offenses led by dual-threat QBs, with a 20-19 victory in South Bend over Notre Dame and a 31-3 home victory over Mississippi State. Among teams that’ve played multiple ranked opponents, Georgia and Clemson rank far above the rest in yards allowed per play; UGA’s allowed 3.71 to ranked teams.
The Dawg defense held Notre Dame’s Brandon Wimbush to a total of 212 yards despite the Irish QB throwing or running 55 times, an average of 3.9 yards per play with a pair of lost fumbles. They held Nick Fitzgerald to 130 total yards on 39 combined passes or runs, for a total of 3.3 yards per play with a pair of interceptions to boot. They also held the Irish to almost seven yards below their average per carry otherwise (1.49 to 8.28) and MSU to more than a yard per carry less than LSU allowed (4.78 to 5.94).
He makes a very good point — one that I had not considered — that even though both teams’ offenses feature running quarterbacks, the schemes involved are different.
Dan Mullen’s offense is rather different from the Irish attack. While MSU often plays with a tight end, it prefers to operate on the perimeter with spread-option concepts.
Even so, Georgia managed to shut both down in different ways. Read Boyd’s post in full to see how that was accomplished.
Have I mentioned that I’m really beginning to enjoy this season?
Get The Picture 
Two thoughts:
1) on the two ND clips it’s all Roquan. ND is getting a push but Roquan makes sure the play goes nowhere. On the MSU ones it’s clear that our DL just was whipping them.
2) the liability in the defense is if you play a guy who can stand in and deliver it on target to recievers who are bigger and better athletes than your corners.
That’s why Saban beats vandy 59-0 and gives up 1200 yards in two games to Clemson. Big physical recievers and a tough qb is the antidote. Fortunately, I don’t think we play that combination during the regular season. Few teams have it.
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Roquan is affecting almost every play if only because everyone on the other side needs to keep track of where he is; failing to do so exacts a penalty. I’m already getting nostalgic about missing him and Lorenzo next season.
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I’m seeing guys come up behind Lorenzo and Bellamy. Not seeing another Roquan. Maybe they’ll talk him into coming back.
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I think he’s enjoying the college experience (He’s an Econ major) and could be the leading Butkus and other award candidate entering his senior season … but I wouldn’t blame him if he’s leaves for 1st round payday.
Good for him … although Nate McBride or Monty Rice could become that type of player as well.
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I hope. Just not enough sample size yet. We may find out that Roquan is just special and we won’t have anybody that’s a complete replacement.
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Can’t disagree with that — Roquan is a special talent – smart, athletic, and great instincts.
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Agree. Rice has already shown good speed and delivering a hit doesn’t seem to be a problem for him. Grant & Walker on the outside next year doesn’t bother me either.
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“I’m really beginning to enjoy this season”
Annndddd that’s just when the Football Gods usually strike down upon us with GREAT vengeance, and FURIOUS anger….
Here’s hoping we’ve managed to appease them somehow…or maybe that they are too distracted supplying the copious amounts of luck that the Gators seem to be blessed with this year.
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This….. Jules
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Whose knee explodes in the first quarter?
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Yep. That whole hog theft/BBQ in the summer of 1980 was probably a Faustian bargain we’ve been paying for ever since. Maybe the curse has finally worn off.
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football gods already did by striking out our starting QB 3 minutes into the first game… what other team is sitting at 4-0 with our schedule and their second string QB?
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Experienced athletes executing a well-designed scheme = success
Hopefully, we take that same approach to Knoxville on Saturday.
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Beat Florida.
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And avoid the rush. Hate Tech early.
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There are few things in sports more comforting to a fan than a dominant defense on their football team. A dominant starting pitcher with the ability to throw 120 pitches is probably better but not by much.
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The UT QB is not mobile, it should allow for the UGA D to be in a relentless pass rush because it doesn’t have to worry about the QB run. I am expecting more sacks and forced int’s by the defense this game. This should be a lot of fun to watch
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This is what I cannot wait to see. A quarterback who doesn’t run should free up Bellamy and Carter. I imagine they are excited about this week.
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I just hope they aren’t just crashing down like Floyd did in the ’14 Florida game.
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I think the only question mark still left is, how will our defense do if/when we play a QB who can throw it all over the place with accuracy?
A good pass rush and disguising defenses can certainly mitigate that, along with, obviously, stellar secondary play.
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I don’t think Georgia plays one of those. I mean, who’s the best QB left on the schedule, Kyle Shurmur? Maybe Stidham if he settles in as the season progresses?
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About an hour ago, Petino and Jurich were given their walking papers at Louisville.
And this manner of reviewing the Dawgs D is worthy of football ignorants like me to understand how outright brilliant the D play calls were. Tucker, along with Smart be a KEEPER. I’m getting sweaty to watch them at work for whatever T can throw at them.
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Pitino.
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Well shoot, they fired the wrong guy!
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The secondary play that I’ve been most critical of for several years has vanished.
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The UGA defense has been all we expected, and hoped for. Last week was an almost perfect example of how a defense should play both the run and pass. Our opponent this week doesn’t have the talent we faced against MSU, but they have two things we haven’t seen yet: 1) an angry, desperate team who will fight and play above their talent, and 2) a hard nosed RB capable of breaking tackles when we don’t wrap up, or swarm.
We have to match their intensity by being ready to fight a cornered animal. And we have to take the fight out of Kelly early, not let him think he can succeed and put their weak offense on his strong shoulders/legs. If we do that, the task should be relatively easy….sigh, it never is against them? They save their season, and their coach, if they knock off a Top 10 rated team this Saturday. If our guys realize the “special season” can be lost by taking one day off, perhaps they will come out with the chip on their shoulders and smack them in the mouth early. While we are capable of blowing them out, I expect a typical UGA/UT fight to the finish. Here’s hoping Kirby is in their face about this and has their full attention.
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Agreed, Mac. IMHO this game is much more dangerous than the last and possibly the most dangerous remaining on the schedule.
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The fierceness, efficiency and effectiveness of our defense has been almost shocking.
But I even more shocking to me so far has been the consistency from week to week. Consistency as a defensive unit as well as individuals.
More than any other reason, this is why I expect a blowout Saturday. I’ve thrown “UGA 42-10” out there, and the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that’s what we’ll have.
If I can add one caveat it would be that Chaney still worries me. I thinks he’s done a very nice job with the QB hand he has been dealt, but I haven’t been as impressed by his gamecalling as I have been with Tucker.
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I’ll admit that what worried me about the MSST game was that Mullen’s offense is different and better executed than NDs…success against one didn’t mean success against the other. That’s what makes both so impressive. Roquan is Roquan. But the D-Line is a wrecking crew right now. Tyler Clark and John Atkins may be the most under appreciated guys on the squad right now.
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Great observation on Atkins and Clark, combined with TT and Rochester, our DL has been rock solid. Seems like Thompson has been qieter than expected but he is always doing his job and makes 1-2 nice plays each week. The front 4 has opened up the opportunities for our LBs to show out, just as planned.
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Well waddya know?
https://georgia.247sports.com/Bolt/Georgia-Bulldogs-John-Atkins-relishes-role-as-heart-of-the-trenc-108108701
https://www.dawgnation.com/football/unsung-key-player-georgias-defense
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Kirby and his program, from recruiting to discipline to coaching to strength and conditioning, is now showing very positive results and will lead uga to the top of cfb!
Glad he is here!!
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Yeah, I was afraid of this. We’re doomed. Too much pride, confidence, and general well being. It’s all downhill from here.
But yeah, this D has been really fun and adrenaline pumping. The O last week was very surprising. I’m not convinced they can keep it up yet.
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I’ve been telling y’all, Kirby is on it
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Is it weird that both teams have scored over 30 points in this game each of the last 5 seasons?
Tennessee and Florida…changing the program means beating these teams in the years where they are down. Saturday is yet another way that Kirby can prove that he’s doing what he has set out to do. In one of those games where there is absolutely no reason on paper on why you don’t win that game…you show up and win the game.
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