Kirby Smart shares how Georgia developed its suffocating defense
By Keith Farner
Published:
Georgia is putting up eye-popping numbers on defense, and perhaps none better than when it held Tennessee to a negative-1 rushing yard on Saturday despite the Vols having a strong offensive line.
It’s an anamoly in the SEC this season as record-setting offenses have become the norm across the league every week this season.
Georgia is ranked No. 2 in the country in total defense behind Houston as the Bulldogs are allowing only 236.7 yards per game. On the SEC coaches media teleconference on Wednesday, coach Kirby Smart explained how Georgia developed the unit, and what’s in store this week at Alabama.
“We have really good players but we haven’t played anyone of Alabama’s caliber, that’s that powerful on offense,” Smart said. “We’ve played some good teams but not what they are. So, you know, the defense is, a lot of times they’re always trying to play catch up in terms of what the offense is doing they get dictated to them. What’s going on, and we have a lot of guys back. So that’s allowed us to play to a level of consistency in terms of last year and this year outside of probably the LSU game, but every week is a, is a new battle.”
On offense, QB Stetson Bennett is becoming more comfortable as the season goes on.
“In terms of the strength offensively right now it’s the biggest thing is getting continuity and being able to execute and we feel like we’ve got good backs and we’ve got good wideouts, one is growing and getting better,” Smart said. “So it’s one of those deals Stetson is getting more and more experience, and you want to build a play to his strengths, which has been able to distribute the ball to a lot of people.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
