Ad Disclosure
This year’s trip to Jacksonville did not end well for Georgia, which lost to Florida for the third consecutive season in a sloppy 24-10 game.
The Gators’ always-stingy defense harassed the Bulldogs’ offense throughout the afternoon, limiting them to 164 total yards and only 21 yards on the ground. That type of performance has become the norm for Florida’s defense, which has been among the SEC’s best for several years.
While Saturday’s poor outing raised some very real concerns about Georgia’s offense, the defense appears to be making great strides in Kirby Smart’s first season as head coach.
The Bulldogs held the Gators in check for much of the afternoon, allowing only 231 yards and 3 touchdowns despite starting with poor field position on several drives.
“I thought defensively, kids played extremely hard,” Smart said at his post-game press conference. “But the field position was just atrocious.”
Florida started inside of its 30-yard line just three times and began five drives on Georgia’s side of the field. On average, the Gators started drives at their own 41-yard line. The Bulldogs’ average starting spot was their own 29.
Although Georgia’s defense did a good job limiting the potential damage, Smart criticized their ability to help flip the field for the offense when they had the chance.
“Part of that field position was not only the kicking or punting, but there were two third downs they convert, that if we stop them, we get really good field position,” Smart said after the game. “They convert a 3rd-and-10 and then we stop them later on, and now (our offense is) backed up. We couldn’t swing the field position early to help our offensive team.”
Three times, Florida converted on 3rd-and-10 or longer, which is something that the best defenses rarely allow. Georgia doesn’t yet have an elite defense, but there are signs that it could soon.
Improvement has been most noticeable in the run defense. There was a lot of talk about the fact that Georgia’s run game was held to only 1.1 yards per carry against Florida, but the Bulldogs were nearly as effective against the Gators’ offense.
In the first half, Georgia held Florida to 1.6 yards per carry, only .1 yard more than the Bulldogs averaged. Thirty-eight of the Gators’ 100 rushing yards came on their final two drives when the game was in hand and they were trying to drain the clock. Outside of those two drives, Georgia held Florida to 62 yards and 1.8 yards per carry.
Georgia’s five leading tacklers against Florida were all underclassmen, and three sophomores lead Georgia in tackles this season. Players like Trenton Thompson, Natrez Patrick, Roquan Smith and Deandre Baker have steadily improved under Smart and defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
Georgia’s defensive youth movement will only bode well for the future and should be supplemented through the recruiting trail – where Smart should have a tremendous impact.
This growth isn’t just showing up on the stat sheet. At the beginning of the season, Smart lamented the lack of leadership on this team. After Georgia’s win at South Carolina, he explained that the young players were taking charge.
“This was the first week of practice that I had sophomores telling guys to run off the field between sets. I had sophomores saying things, they’d never done that.” Smart told reporters. “I was almost taken aback. It made me feel better about where we’re headed.”
Whenever a regime change is made, a new coach must sell his vision to the team. Usually, it’s the young players who need to buy in, because they are the ones who will be around long enough for that vision to manifest.
The young players on Georgia’s offense have received the most attention, which tends to happen with freshman quarterbacks and skill players. Offensive growth often comes slower than on the defense because of the knowledge and repetitions needed to execute at a high level. Defense is more reactive and a player’s instincts can be extremely valuable.
It’s not surprising to see the offense struggling, but it is surprising to see it struggle this much. Those same youth-related issues could have hindered Georgia on defense as well, but the young players have risen to the challenge and continue to improve.
Georgia is No. 18 nationally in total defense, allowing 326.1 yards per game. The Bulldogs are proving to be stout against the run, holding opponents to 109.75 yards, and are slowly improving against the pass.
When Smart was hired, fans had visions of a terrifying Georgia defense akin to those he helped build in Alabama. The Bulldogs still have a long way to go to reach that level, but progress is being made.
Offensively, Georgia’s young players are gaining tremendous experience, but the learning curve is apparent. On defense, however, the young players aren’t just learning, they are leading the way. And the Bulldogs’ defense is quickly becoming something fans can be proud of.
William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.
