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On a day when true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm stole the show, Georgia’s defense quietly went about its business Saturday.
A unit that brought back 10 starters from last season never gave Appalachian State — a Sun Belt Conference squad known for its Goliath slaying and giving Power 5 foes fits — a chance to spring another upset. All the Mountaineers had to show for it afterward were 284 yards of total offense in a 38-10 defeat. But it is important to note when the Bulldogs permitted those points: in the final six minutes of the contest, with its starters already off the field.
Through three quarters of play, the Mountaineers had yet to crack 200 yards of total offense, managing just seven first downs.
It’s exactly the type of performance Georgia coach Kirby Smart expected, particularly from his defensive line.
“We had bigger players than they did up front. That’s not the best thing they do,” Smart said. “We’ll play a lot better offensive lines than that one, but I give App State credit. They’ve got a great quarterback, a great system and they’ve got a really good defensive unit, but our defense should dominate those guys.”
Not that Georgia was perfect.
Despite Smart pointing out Appalachian State’s offensive line was “overmatched,” Georgia only notched two sacks and seven tackles for loss. Further, the Mountaineers had several long runs Saturday, which the Bulldogs plan to shore up going forward.
“We just keep working, ’cause we won’t stop,” said junior defensive tackle Trenton Thompson, who tied for the team-high in tackles with six and led the way with a pair of tackles for loss. “We’ve gotta keep staying together because if we don’t, something else could happen.”
Appalachian State couldn’t envision a different result.
Senior quarterback Taylor Lamb entered Saturday second among active FBS quarterbacks with 27 victories as a starter — trailing only Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield — and with a plethora of stellar lines on his resume. His 63 career touchdown passes rank second in school history and fifth in the Sun Belt Conference annals. He was an honorable mention all-conference performer last season.
But he had to tip his metaphorical cap to the Bulldogs Saturday after they held him and the rest of the Mountaineers offense in check.
“We got in a groove kind of in the second quarter there, but you know you have to give a testament to that defense,” Lamb said. “They’re extremely good. They’re fast, they’re big and they had a good game playing against us.”
Appalachian State coach Scott Satterfield was equally impressed.
“They have such great length throughout their front seven,” Satterfield said. “Coming in to the game, if there’s a weak spot, maybe the secondary. I thought they played well in the secondary as well. … But (Trent Thompson) is a really good football player, and (Roquan Smith) and (Natrez Patrick) at linebacker, and then you’ve got two big bodies (Lorenzo Carter and Davin Bellamy) on the outside.
They’re 6-5, 6-6 — they’re just a really good defense, and they’ve played a lot of football in their time here. I think they’ll end up being one of the better defenses in the SEC.”
That’s certainly the Bulldogs’ goal this fall. Consider Saturday just the first step toward accomplishing that objective.
Even so, Smart was well-aware a far more imposing test looms in the coming week.
“Now it’s on to Notre Dame, which has a bigger, more physical offensive line and we’ve got to continue to do that — we got to get better up front,” Smart said. “I felt like we played a lot of players on defense, which I think helps the overall feeling in the room. (Players feel) ‘I get to play, I have more value.’ But it also keeps guys fresh.”
Ryan Black covers Georgia football for SaturdayDownSouth.com. Follow him on Twitter @RyanABlack.
