ESPN analyst Greg McElroy extremely critical of Georgia defense after loss to Florida
In nearly every game it has played this season, Georgia has displayed the stifling defense that the college football world believed it had going into the year.
Through the first five weeks, only Alabama scored more than 21 points against the Bulldogs.
After Saturday’s 44-28 loss to Florida, former Alabama quarterback and college football analyst Greg McElroy was extremely critical of Georgia’s defense, eviscerating the Bulldogs’ showing against the Gators during his appearance on “College Football Live”.
“There’s no excuse for Georgia to go out in the two biggest games of the year and get pushed around offensively and to give up that kind of offensive productivity. We’re talking about a group that got shredded by Alabama and shredded by Florida in their two biggest games of the year, and this is a team that’s supposed to win with their defense?” said McElroy, per Austin Nivison of 247Sports.
“I’ve heard all the conversation and vitriol being spewed at Stetson Bennett and D’Wan Mathis, the quarterbacks. I get it. Is it warranted? Yeah, to a certain extent, but this team is built to run the football and to win on defense” continued McElroy.
“In the two biggest games, they couldn’t do either. If I’m Georgia, I’m looking in the mirror and asking is this the best way to proceed? We’re calling this the best defense in America? Clearly, it’s not based on the performances they’ve had against two very capable offenses in Alabama and Florida.”
McElroy has a point, as Georgia has failed to step up with the strengths of its team in the biggest moments of the season.
This unit will likely end the year on a positive note, as the strength of schedule lightens up significantly with games against Missouri, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt still to come.
Even if Georgia finishes the season 4-0, however, Bulldog fans will still have the bad taste in their mouths of knowing they couldn’t get it done in the two games where it mattered most.
Well, at least he didn’t bring up Justin Fields.
He did. Said when Fields played he got the ball out late. Said he stills does. B1G defenses not comparable to SEC. Receivers are wide open so he doesn’t pay the price.
He’s right. The supposed strength of the team has not lived up to its billing. Bama’s explosive plays are perhaps forgivable. But the absolute gashing from Florida is not.
Ouch. That hurts.
That’s not meant as a knock on Florida. It’s just that a few breakdowns that result in explosive plays are more forgivable than an entire game’s worth of dumb defensive plays which constantly ceded chunk yardage.
Get used to it! When has UGA ever stepped up in big games! Soon you will be back to the also rans you have been for the better part of 4 decades. We’ve all got your number and it sure isn’t #1.
Wait a minute now…Georgia stepped-up in big games back in 1980.
Get used to it! When has UGA ever stepped up in big games! Soon you will be back to the also rans you have been for the better part of 4 decades. We’ve all got your number and it sure isn’t #1.
@ Undertheradar1 – 53–44–2
UGA’s defense was at full strength vs Bama but got put in some short field situations due to the Offense. The Florida game they were extremely short-handed. Not an excuse, FL played extremely well, but again, the Offense turning over the ball and not being able to maintain drives put the Defense on the field much too often.
None of that relates to the inability to defend a wheel route or tackle in space…..or not fall down when defending a pass. That’s all squarely on the UGA defense…
Zamir White only having 7 carries total is on OC Monken. You assumed UGA would go conservative to protect SBIV, run the ball and play defense. Even after going up 14-0, UGA didn’t play to its strength. Coaches coach, players play. How much blame goes to each one is hard to say.
UGA will recover. CKS keeps recruiting the necessary replacements.
Florida was down Pitts and two starting offensive linemen in the second half, and its best defensive lineman in the first half. Injuries mattered more to Florida in 2019 than to Georgia in 2020. Injuries had nothing to do with Dean not being able to cover our running backs or Campbell getting beat in tight coverage.
You’re a bald-faced liar if you actually think injuries mattered less to Georgia in 2020 than to Florida in 2019. Neither one of those teams were likely winning the way they played even at full strength. In 2019, Florida couldn’t score to save its life for over 3 quarters. In 2020, Georgia couldn’t stop Florida to save its life for slightly less time, and simultaneously couldn’t score.
Well Kirb, I am expressing my opinion, not stating facts. But I think it’s fair to suggest that Florida having not one but both edge defenders/rushers at less than 100% in 2019 was much more significant than playing without a starting nose guy and safety.
I would grant the loss of Davis more value if Florida emphasized running the ball, but I just don’t see him as a difference maker in pass defense. And I’ll stick with my last sentence above with respect to LeCounte.
Florida’s offense is obviously lightyears better this year. But I will remind you that if Fromm doesn’t make his last clutch third down completion, Florida in fact was moving the ball and would have gotten it back with a chance to tie the game. Within that context, yeah, Zuniga and Greenard not being able to change at least one Georgia possession mattered.
Nash, UGA’s second TD saw both the no. 1 WR and QB injured. Stetson, whose skillset is already limited, was even more limited after that big hit. Not to mention our starting (2nd-string) safety was ejected for targeting, plus the other ~15 or so injuries across the 2-deep prior to the game as well. With all due respect, you are greatly downplaying UGA’s injuries by saying 2019 Florida was impacted more. However, I’m not trying to make excuses for UGA’s performance or diminish Florida’s. Florida earned an outstanding victory without question.
Box, I don’t disagree that by the end of the game Georgia was running a MASH unit. And I think they may have suffered more injuries during the game than Florida (it’s hard to keep track and it’s time to get back to work).
I will concede that the statement about 2020 versus 2019 probably isn’t fair given the addition of Bennett’s injury and Cine getting hurt/ejected with LeCounte already out.
I do want to apologize for my outburst regardless. Uncalled for.
Hey @Jax Dawg
Thanks for the overall series update, wow congrats on all those past wins.
Here are some more current #’s
44 – 28 – Final score of this game and why UGA is looking up in the SEC East.
9/29 – UGA’s completions
We prefer to live in the now…
Where UGA’s SEC East hopes go down the drain.
Where Trask is in the Heisman race
Where UGA’s qb room is in shambles and their former QB is likely in the playoffs.
Where UGA’s best hopes are in 2021
congrats, norcross.
it’s been 4 years since uf’s fans could live in the now after a victory.
it’s been 11 years since uf’s fans could live in the now with a chance still alive to win a nat’l title after the calendar turned to nov.
we could play this game all day.
True, but it’s more fun now.
McElroy does not have a point. It is on the QB. A team “built to run the football and to win on defense” doesn’t have much of a chance against a great passing offense. Georgia’s games against Alabama and Florida were predictable. They need to modernize their offense, beginning with a great QB. Bennett and Mathis don’t fit that description.
Some validity to his observations, but also remember the offense turned the ball over 3 times in each of those games. You can’t give elite offenses 3 extra possessions a game and not pay the price.
Also, Georgia’s injury situation on defense is reminiscent of Bama’s last year, and we saw the result of that as the season wore on. Bama was torched by LSU and Auburn for almost 100 points, but they at least had an offense that tried to keep pace.
Turnovers weren’t the reason UGA got whipped, two of them were in the last 5 minutes of the game.
In a two-score game, two turnovers in the last 5 minutes – or at any point – are consequential.
Bama stayed competitive last season, even with all of their injuries. UGA can’t say that. The difference is the QB position. UGA doesn’t have one. Bama had and has multiple.
I think it’d be hard to really compare the injury situation of bama ’19 vs uga ’20 and the true impact of what was lost by each team…but you hit the nail on the head regarding the qb situation.
jones’ abilities were apparent last year in both the iron bowl and bowl game when he had the full reins. that noted, there were a # of talking heads and bama fans on this site (not all) that were clamoring for and/or expecting young to be the starting qb…or at least the starting qb by mid-season via either a lack of a true offseason and available practice reps afforded to him or simply jones not being able to handle the starting position
Congrats to you as well @ PTheRicker on the 40th anniversary celebrated this season of the last Championship UGA won.
Sure, they were competitive but for a team who is historically known for defense they gave up 46 to LSU (to be fair an all time offense) and 48 to Auburn (nowhere close to an all time offense) and that’s predominantly where the injury narrative of Bama was last year and the comparison to UGA this year. I think that’s the main comparison being made.
No argument that UGA is missing a QB which is holding them back from being more competitive, but the injuries don’t/shouldn’t matter take is incorrect.
No one said injuries don’t matter. What I did say was that an elite QB can overcome them. UGA wouldn’t have beaten Bama or UF this season even if they were 100% healthy.
And this article is about the defensive side of the ball
The post I responded to talked about offense. Miss that?
If you’re talking about Mountain Dog’s post, it was about defense (obviously it was pointed out the offensive contributions to the perception of the defense as MD mentioned the short field opposing offenses got).
UGA fans (the sane ones) aren’t saying the offense would magically be good and would win the natty this year if there weren’t injuries. What is being pointed out is the defensive performance was impacted by injuries, not the only factor. If the safety is considered to be the QB of the defense as communication and alignment is set by him, then it’s fair to say UGA missing Lecounte was a big deal and will impact evaluations of the defense if you’re basing it on this past Saturday. Not to mention the other myriad of injuries.
However, yes the defense has other issues (Tyson Campbell trying to defend 50-50 balls, the wheele route, etc) but we also don’t know how much the defensive playbook had to be parsed down with the players (namely lecounte) out.
You get that LSUSMC?
You sure wrote a lot to say nothing.
LSUSMC,
Is that how you say “I was wrong”? It’s ok to admit it. Apparently when I wrote fewer words you didn’t understand so I figured using more would’ve helped.
I was wrong about that. (See, it isn’t so hard)
There’s nothing wrong about anything I wrote. You don’t have to like my content.
I was referring to Bama’s defense in the comparison, relative to McElroy’s comments about UGA’s D. I also noted that Bama at least had the offense to keep the games close, which we did not.
I think it is time to just realize we can’t find lightning in bottle like UGA 1980 or LSU last year. We both recruit well but putting everything together to Win natty is not in cards right now. Kirby needs to get out of his “run and wear out teams” mode and evolve. Monken might be answer next year but not in 2020. I want to put this season in rear view and be positive for next year. In a sick kinda way I’m glad we aren’t in running cause whoever wins 2020 will be followed by ifs and buts.
One thing is pretty clear: A top five recruiting class without a top quarterback isn’t getting it done today.
Agreed. The SEC has two QB’s that are considered elite at this time, Jones and Trask. I would rate Mond as third best in the conference so far this season. How much do Alabama and Florida’s national championship odds change if Mond is their starter compared to the other two? Would that change anything for either?
Hard to say. But I think part of the answer is that even though his completion ratio is lower than Trask or Jones, Mond has played really well this year. He’s been better than I thought he would be and I think it’s fair to say he qualifies this year as a top quarterback.
Well, if things hold we’ll have that 5-star QB (Vandagriff) in this next class. And remember, JT was a 5-star as well, and will be a big factor in the competition next year assuming he’s 100%.
“And remember, JT was a 5-star as well…”
May I suggest you take those ratings with a tablespoon of salt.
Without a qb nothing but 2nd place participation trophies.
It seems for now the consensus is that an elite offense will beat an elite defense. The championship teams lately have all been able to score a lot of points. Run and control the clock will work against the Kentuckys of the world, but not against the elite offenses. Of course, during my life things have always gone in cycles, and history suggests at some point defenses will start to catch up.
As for myself, I want to be great in all three phases of the game. Don’t see an upside to sucking on in any phase of the game.
No one has advocated sucking.
Whatever happened to Monken’s “air raid” offense ? Haven’t seen it in 2020.