Georgia’s national championship a year ago came thanks in large part to what was a historically dominant defense.

With the possible exception of the SEC Championship game, the Bulldogs were sensational on that side of the ball in 2021.

There was an expectation heading into 2022 that in spite of its recruiting prowess and player development that Georgia would almost certainly have to take a step back defensively in 2022.

After all, in addition to losing defensive coordinator Dan Lanning to Oregon, the Bulldogs had a record five defenders drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, while losing several other key contributors as well.

For those who were expecting a significant drop off, however, Saturday’s 49-3 victory over the Ducks would suggest otherwise.

The Bulldogs, with a number of new players in new roles, looked fast and physical. They held the Ducks to a lone field goal and held the Oregon offense to just 313 total yards.

And the college football world took notice of the defensive performance on social media:

https://twitter.com/Coach_VR19/status/1566197162211528705?s=20&t=7BdERMD6ZwqZwdfIM9sOEg

https://twitter.com/_JuicyyJuicee/status/1566196267830710273?s=20&t=7BdERMD6ZwqZwdfIM9sOEg