Last season, transfer linebacker Jake Ganus emerged as one of Georgia’s best defensive players. It’s still very early, but it appears the Bulldogs have another impact transfer for the defense.
Maurice Smith’s journey from Tuscaloosa to Athens became one of the biggest storylines just before the season, and it’s become clear why Nick Saban fought to keep him. Smith can play some ball.
Primarily coming off the bench for the Crimson Tide, Smith started in his first game for the Bulldogs and immediately showed why. On the Tar Heels’ second possession, quarterback Mitch Trubisky threw a deep pass to speedster Ryan Switzer, who had a step on Smith. In a flash, Smith recovered and leapt to knock the pass away inside of Georgia’s 5-yard line.
It was a spectacular play early in the game that helped set the tone for the Bulldogs’ pass coverage, which held North Carolina 0-for-5 on deep passes. Smith wasn’t done, however, as he went on to deflect another deep pass later in the game.
Maurice Smith ???? pic.twitter.com/b1KxxFEhIT
— Jake Reuse (@ReuseRecruiting) September 4, 2016
Maurice Smith has now made two huge deflections on deep balls to Ryan Switzer. I guess he was worth all that drama …
— Edward Aschoff (@AschoffESPN) September 4, 2016
Smith’s familiarity with Kirby Smart’s defensive schemes allowed him to quickly feel comfortable with his new team. In a short amount of time, the senior was able to prove himself on the practice field and rise up a depth chart full of veterans.
“The decision wore down to how you practice,” Smart said of starting Smith in his post-game press conference. “We tell our players all the time we put a lot of value in practice and Mo is a really hard practice player. He believes in doing it right, he believes in being physical, and I’ve been fortunate enough to see that for three years.”
On the field against North Carolina, Smith proved he was more than just a hard practice player. He finished with five tackles and two pass breakups. The stats don’t tell the whole story, however, as a couple of those tackles came on third down and helped get the defense off of the field.
There will be some learning curves for Smith, though, as he appears positioned to embark on his first season as a starter. Twice in Saturday’s game, Smith failed to set the edge against Carolina’s running backs, who broke big runs.
Those are learning moments that Smith likely fixes. The defensive back has shown his competitive nature and even used it as a motivating factor during the game.
“It made me feel a type of way because they felt they could pick on me like that,” Smith said about the Tar Heels targeting him for deep plays, according to the Macon Telegraph. “When I did make the plays, I made sure it wouldn’t be able to happen again. That’ll set the tempo for the rest of the teams we play, to let them know you can’t come to my side of the field.”
With a veteran secondary that helped Georgia finish ranked No. 1 in pass yards allowed per game last season already in place, the addition of Smith could have a ripple effect on the entire defense. North Carolina is one of the best passing attacks Georgia will face, and they aced their first test.
Georgia has a young front seven, but the potential is certainly there. If the Bulldogs have a secondary capable of holding the Tar Heels to 156 yards through the air, it should allow the other defenders time to make plays and focus on stopping the run.
Fans are hoping Smart could help mold Georgia in Alabama’s winning image, something that may take time. However, the unexpected arrival of a member of the Crimson Tide’s latest national championship team appears to be helping that transformation.
William McFadden covers the University of Georgia for Saturday Down South. For news on everything happening between the hedges, follow him on Twitter @willmcfadden.
