Trust me, if you enjoyed today’s Seth Emerson’s piece about Georgia’s defense, you’re gonna need a cigarette and/or a cold shower after reading Max Olson’s post ($$).
Georgia has the nation’s No. 1 pass defense, and that unit never lets up. They’ve taken big leads into halftime of their last four games (35-0, 26-6, 38-0, 24-0) and have allowed a total of 170 passing yards in the second half of those games. That’s insane. Opponents have dropped back to pass on them 150 times, according to PFF. More of those plays have ended in sacks (18) than completions of 10+ yards (16). The Bulldogs have allowed the second-fewest 10- or 20-plus-yard plays in FBS. They’re one of only three defenses that have forced three-and-outs on more than half their drives.
There’s more where that came from, so read the whole thing. Hubba hubba.
Get The Picture 
That’s all good, but it just feels like we’re waiting to get exposed (Munson). The season-ending stat line will look great, but Alabama lights us up in the SEC Championship game. I’m certainly no hoping for that, but I’ve seen too many great Georgia D’s get lit-up in the past.
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Well, they rush the passer better than any of Smart’s previous defenses, and I don’t know who will be able to keep them out of backfield long enough to test just how good the secondary is. Alabama will be the first team capable of it, I think. And while I certainly respect Alabama’s offense, they aren’t as good as a year ago. Primarily because they aren’t nearly as explosive. Can they consistently sustain drives against this Georgia defense? I doubt it, but we’ll find out. The offense would have to play a truly miserable game for Georgia to lose before then.
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Totally agree with biggusrickus. How will Bama keep the Dawgs’ front seven out of the backfield long enough for Bryce Young to ‘light us up’? Rolling the QB out of the pocket doesn’t work. Nor does throwing screens. Nor does the designed QB run or straight up running the ball. How does Bama win the LOS consistently enough to beat Georgia? I dunno; maybe the Dawgs turn the ball over three or four times, but I doubt it. This team is different.
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Meant to reply to Geezus, not br.
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Make no mistake, I want the dawgs to win EVERY game. I also realize that Bama has the same dudes on their team that we do, we recruit the same kids. They are deep and talented and have proven in the past to have our number. Their line has the best chance of giving a quarterback time. Will they? Who knows. I think Bryce Young is going to be another good one too. Hopefully, O’Brien is the weak link (he’s no Kiffin or Sark).
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Well, let’s look at the last three games. One we lost in OT after kicking their ass for 3.5 quarters. Second, we dominated them until the fourth quarter late. Third, we lead them at their place with 5 minutes left in the 3rd (the only time they trailed at half all season) using a walk-on QB that had very little hands on time with the OC to start the season. Yes, they exploded for 3 TDs to end the game, but I don’t see those players on Bama’s team this year and I think our defense has done a much better job avoiding those plays this year.
Yes, Bama will be tough and beating them will take a full game. But it’s not like we don’t match up with them. Not since 2017 anyway.
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Even with all that, we still lost those three games. I never said we couldn’t compete with them. I’m just trying to make sure my Kool-aide is tempered a bit.
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I have no usable football knowledge but I wouldn’t say Bama’s D is as good as Georgia’s. Their tackling is not nearly as good and they don’t get after the passer like the Dawgs do. When Tykee Smith is healthy, the secondary will be even better. Just don’t see Bryce Young lighting up the Dawgs’ D.
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Yup. Bama is missing those WRs that would make catches that were unbelievable. I’m not even sure if Young is a good as Mac was last year to this point yet. He may very well turn out to be as the plays more and more.
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LOL….it never ends.
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Well, to be honest, their receivers did run free in our secondary LAST year. It will be fun to see what happens THIS year.
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They had 6 points and 216 total yards.
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Sorry, I was referring to Alabama 2020 – 500+ yards and 41 points – I guess addressing Biggus’ comment.
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Carry on.
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It WILL be interesting to see what happens this year. Georgia’s defense is better, and Alabama’s offense is worse than a year ago. I like Georgia’s chances if the offense plays a decent game.
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Agree on all counts.
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still running free though (whether they chose to throw to them or not).
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Right? I’m so sick of the “inner Munson” people. That shit is so old. If you can’t just enjoy a season like this, why even watch? Is it just fun to have something to worry about? Because life offers plenty of real problems so I can’t see watching football so you can worry about everything that might go wrong. Fuck an inner Munson. Let go of the past. Some of y’all act like people who are in an abusive relationship.
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Relationship between my inner Lawrence Harry Munson and reality has me all effed up, tequila usually brings me back around and my inner Munson keeps my feet on the ground…I have wondered many, many, many times this year what “Get the picture” would have come up with…
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Lol Mike, that’s cause we ARE in an abusive relationship.
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Preach it, brother!
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I don’t know you or how old you are, I’ve been following the dawgs since the mid 70’s when I was a kid. I’ve seen far more heartbreak and “almosts” than not. That’s why I believe most fans will always have an inner Munson until we can win a couple (or three) in a short window of time. The dawgs have proven consistently that we cannot have nice things.
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You had me “at following the dawgs”….
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It would be a salve for the wounded Inner Munson soul.
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I’m forty three though I do t see how that matters as I’ve seen my share of disappointment both in football and in the areas of life that really matter. Disappointment is part of life. I don’t get letting it turn you into the kind of person who fears it and always expects it. Some CAN always go wrong. That doesn’t make me want to give up. I could have a car crash at any given time. I still drive and I’m not scared when I do it. I just hate that people are watching this team waiting for the other shoe to drop. That is a shame.
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I get that, Munson conditioned me to always wait for the other shoe. I have a very clear and present perspective on the things that are truly important.
The age comment was more for someone who has only been following the dawgs since the early 2000’s. They really don’t know what heart break is.
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Mic Drop post. I couldn’t agree more.
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I’m sorry but, You haven’t seen anything approaching this defense at Georgia.
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I don’t recall a defense this dominant at UGA or anywhere for that matter. That’s the reason so many very good players transfer or leave early. The talent and skill level is unprecedented. Kirby got it going on.
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Who’s that coming down the track? A mile-long train of rat poison IMO.
You ain’t played nobody boys.
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Except that now we have.
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It’s more about a mentality. It was a loose reference to something Kirby said after the game. He’s going to keep telling them they haven’t played anyone.
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Keep ‘um angry and hungry.
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I have been getting concerned–both UGA blogs I read everyone has feasted on rat poison. Bad things can happen at Auburn–they just won at LSU. Warning Will Robinson !!!
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Until Agent Bobo can find and destroy the rabbit’s foot Gus hid in JH, I won’t sleep easy.
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I noticed Auburn is 20th at 1.31 PPD. That’s pretty good, too. South Carolina is 21st at 1.37. Makes you stop and think.
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Yup. Its those non-conference games they feasted on to start the year. Skews their offensive stats heavily.
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My son and I were talking and agreed it’s hard to watch the dawgs and be objective. *”Are we that good? * My lyin’ eyes say we’re as good as there ever has been on defense. Can that be true?
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Tony Barnhart could say it better, with less words.
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Oh he’s just waiting for that prime moment to drop a wisdom bomb on us. Timing is everything.
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Going out on a limb to guess his hot take: “This Georgia defense could be the best they have ever had”
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More like “Will the Georgia defense have another big game? The outcome of Saturday’s game will likely depend on it.”
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I still don’t get the Barnhart hate on this blog but some of the comments do make me laugh.
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I don’t know if it’s hate, but he gets paid to say the most banal shit in the world.
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Most people are pretty mediocre both at what they do for a living and in all other aspects of their lives. Including people who make a lot of money. I don’t see why Barnhart is singled out for it.
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That I don’t know. He’s certainly less annoying than Matt Hayes and the like.
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I was paying him a compliment..
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Capt. Tony of the S.S. Obvious would say that so far this season “the UGA defense will make beating UGA very difficult”…
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“The defense has been good. Time will tell if it remains good. We’ll know more when…”
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Ryan Leaf said on XM this morning we still haven’t played anyone. Maybe after the next bludgeoning this weekend we can get some credit? Probably not though…
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All this Munsoning. I know it’s in our DNA. But we are the best team in the country and this team will beat everyone it plays. Book it
I’ve been saying since the preseason – when everyone talked about our chances with one regular season loss – we aren’t losing in the regular season. And we aren’t losing in the post season.
This is the year folks. Watch it, enjoy it, savor it. This is a special team. Kirby has them dialed in better than any team I’ve ever seen.
I don’t say the above to be cocky or arrogant. I truly believe it. This team would whip the 2017 team. More talented, more focused, better coached.
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There it is, man. The only thing that can defeat the Dawgs is the refs with their Bama privilege calls or incapacitation of # 1 and 2 QB.
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Like in ’17
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The defense is really good. The question for me is how much of this is the offenses faced so far. I think the best passing defense Georgia has faced this year is ranked in the mid-80’s? Obviously those rankings are partly due to being exposed to the Georgia defense, but how much is that dragging those rankings down? We may not face a an offense that can pose a major threat in the passing game until the SECCG.
I don’t care who the competition is though. Some of those stats are impressive no matter who they are against. Specifically, the more than 50% three and outs and the more sacks than completions number in the second half of games (if I am reading that correctly).
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Just finished reading that one on The Athletic before coming over here, Senator, and what I found both interesting and gratifying is that only two teams remaining on our schedule- UT and Charleston Southern- are not in the current Top 50. There should be increasingly less oxygen in the room for the Dawggraders out there if we hold form thru our regular season schedule.
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The Dawgraders won’t be suffocated
But they will be humiliated.
Danny KaneLL got the first taste of it from his co-hosts last weekend.
That assshat will back off a little, but he’ll still get in his digs. They’ll just be less frequent a more subtle
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Funny how you can’t spell Kanell or Mullen without two Ls.
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Keep going Defense. By seasons end y’all will be the GOAT!,,
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Our D is just so damn fast. All our first tackler has to do is get a hand on the opposing player and slow him down a half step. By the time the bad guy takes another step, there are 3 Dawgs on his ass. He has no chance. Unreal.
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A great front 7 can make average DBs look really good. Great DBs can cover for an average front 7 for only so long. Give any good QB enough time and sooner or later a window will come open if you have decent receivers. When you have a generational front 7 with way above average DBs then MAGIC happens like we’re seeing now. No offense is going to look very good when the QB is running for is life and the receivers are covered.
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The discussion in the article is on stop rate — how many drives end in a punt, turnover, or turnover on downs. We’re at 93.4% right now.
For comparison, in 2017 we were 11th in the nation at 75.4%, and Clemson was Number 1 at 81%.
2018: UGA was 29th at 71.4%, Clemson #1 at 83.6%.
2019: UGA was tied for 2nd at 82.4% with Clemson, and Ohio State was #1 at 82.5%.
2020: UGA was 22nd at 71.9%, Iowa #1 at 81%,
So, yeah, 93.4% is pretty ridiculous.
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Thanks for that perspective, Dawgfan1995. I could see that. I simply couldn’t quantify it.
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Excluding our offense giving away 21 points, someone is going to need a top level QB, massive OL, and big fast receivers. Only Bama comes close to that description (and clempsun snicker ) …but our offense is no slouch. So even if someone figures out a way to move the ball on us, they have to stop us too. Again, not too many teams in the country have that kind of resume.
Beat Auburn, not ourselves.
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For all the inner Munson people, I’ll save you the suspense, at some point, yes somebody will score a few touchdowns on this defense, probably Alabama. That doesn’t mean they aren’t great, it means Alabama is damned unusually good. When will y’all be able to enjoy this season? After the last second ticks off the clock of the national championship with Georgia as the winner? Hell the season is over then. As far as I can tell the key to being happy and enjoying life is being thankful. Or as the great poet Ray Wyliegh Hubbard says, “On the days my gratitude exceeds my expectations…I have pretty good days.” I am damn thankful for this season. Try it out. Or just go on being neurotic and miserable.
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Tell it, brother!
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There is a bigger stop rate gap between #1 UGA and #2 Iowa than between Iowa and #14 Liberty.
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Well – Liberty does like to sit across the room and watch things unfold.
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Head: holy smokes we’re bound for 15-0 and nobody will score more than 17 unless we help them.
Heart: Jordan-Hare can be a mad house and Stetson sure loves him a double-covered Post route in lieu of an open RB in the flat.
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I have the same problem from time to time. Once i have a few adult beverages (and then quite a few more on Saturday before kickoff) my head tells my heart to STFU. It also tells my feet that they can dance and my voice that it can sing so there is that.
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Pour me one or four, brother.
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I told myself that I should stop drinking, but I’m not about to listen to some drunk that talks to himself.
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That’s funny. I laughed out loud.
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15-0.
SEC Championship Game: UGA 45 – Alabama 0.
National Title Game: UGA 70 – Alabama 0.
Mark the tape.
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margin of error: we might also kick a FG or two.
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