'It is just the standard': Georgia D preps for biggest challenge yet

ATHENS, Ga. -- It mightiness beryllium 1 of the astir trite axioms successful sports, but "next antheral up" has taken connected a literal meaning for No. 3 Georgia's defence this season.

A twelvemonth ago, a historically talented defence led the Bulldogs to their archetypal nationalist title successful 41 years. Five antiaircraft starters -- extremity Travon Walker, tackles Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt, linebacker Quay Walker and information Lewis Cine -- were selected successful the archetypal circular of the NFL draft, the astir from immoderate schoolhouse successful the communal epoch of the draught since 1967.

Three different Georgia defenders -- linebackers Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall and cornerback Derion Kendrick -- besides were drafted, leaving the Bulldogs with lone 3 returning antiaircraft starters going into the 2022 season.

The attrition has gotten worse since then. When the Bulldogs instrumentality connected No. 1 Tennessee astatine Sanford Stadium connected Saturday, lone 2 players who started for Georgia's defence successful its 33-18 triumph against Alabama successful the CFP National Championship crippled are expected to beryllium connected the tract -- cornerback Kelee Ringo and information Christopher Smith.

The Bulldogs mislaid elder extracurricular linebacker Nolan Smith to a season-ending pectoral musculus injury this week; information William Poole near the squad successful September for idiosyncratic reasons.

Nonetheless, the Georgia defence that takes the tract against the high-flying Volunteers successful a crippled that mightiness determine the SEC East rubric leads the league successful tally defence (85.4 yards) and full defence (262.5 yards) and is 2nd against the walk (177.1 yards).

Not atrocious for a defence that besides mislaid coordinator Dan Lanning, who near to go Oregon's caput coach. Linebackers manager Glenn Schumann and peculiar teams coordinator Will Muschamp, a erstwhile caput manager astatine Florida and South Carolina, were promoted to co-defensive coordinators.

"It is conscionable the standard," Georgia manager Kirby Smart said. "Just due to the fact that you suffer bully players does not mean you are not going to beryllium bully adjacent year. Maybe that is an anticipation that immoderate teams have, but that is not the anticipation of immoderate squad I person ever been a portion of. The anticipation is that you are going to beryllium bully due to the fact that you enlistee bully players and due to the fact that you manager hard."

Few FBS coaches person recruited antiaircraft players arsenic good arsenic Smart, a erstwhile Georgia antiaircraft backmost and Alabama antiaircraft coordinator. Seven of the Bulldogs' anticipated antiaircraft starters for Saturday's crippled were ranked successful the ESPN 300 arsenic precocious schoolhouse seniors.

Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. and information Malaki Starks were ranked the No. 1 athletes successful their respective classes successful 2021 and 2022. Ringo was the No. 1 cornerback successful the 2020 class. Jalen Carter was the No. 12 imaginable wide and No. 2 antiaircraft tackle successful 2020.

"They are conscionable big, creaseless and efficient," said Samford manager Chris Hatcher, whose squad mislaid 33-0 astatine Georgia connected Sept. 30. "If we thought we had a crease connected them, I'd look up and we'd gained a gait and it's second-and-9. Knowing Kirby and Will due to the fact that I worked with them, they're relentless recruiters. Some of those guys played past play successful the nationalist title twelvemonth due to the fact that they had immoderate blowout wins. Those backups got a batch of reps and they cognize the anticipation there. I conscionable person not seen that overmuch of a drop-off from past twelvemonth to this year."

Through 8 games, Georgia's defence stacks up good against past year's unit, astatine slightest statistically. The Bulldogs are 2nd successful the FBS successful scoring defense, down lone Illinois. Georgia allowed 10.2 points per crippled successful 2021; it is giving up 10.5 per crippled this season. Opponents gained 269 yards of discourtesy per crippled past season; they're totaling 263 this season.

Georgia's defence has been adjacent amended connected 3rd down. Last season, opponents converted 35% of 3rd downs; they're moving the chains lone 29% of the clip this season.

"It each comes down to guys that are retired determination being coachable," Tennessee backmost Hendon Hooker said. "As you tin see, they person immoderate large coaches down them, and they play highly hard. That's thing that you can't teach. The effort and cognition and toughness that they bring to the crippled is immaculate, and that's what SEC shot is about. This is the apical marque of football."

Georgia hasn't played an discourtesy arsenic explosive arsenic Tennessee's this season. It is conscionable the 2nd clip the Bulldogs volition look an discourtesy that is ranked successful the apical 50 successful the FBS successful scoring offense, according to information from ESPN Stats & Information. Oregon, which is 5th successful the state with 42.4 points per game, could negociate lone a tract extremity successful a 49-3 nonaccomplishment to the Bulldogs successful the Sept. 3 opener.

The Volunteers pb the FBS successful scoring (49.4 points) and full discourtesy (553 yards per game) and are 2nd successful passing (353.4 yards). Hooker is simply a starring Heisman Trophy candidate, completing 71.2% of his passes for 2,338 yards with 21 touchdowns and 1 interception. Receiver Jalin Hyatt has 45 catches for 907 yards with 14 touchdowns, including a school-record 5 TDs successful a 52-49 triumph against Alabama connected Oct. 15.

As bully arsenic Georgia's defence was past season, the Volunteers inactive tested it successful the Bulldogs' 41-17 triumph astatine Neyland Stadium. Tennessee had 387 yards of offense, including 332 passing. Cedric Tillman had 10 catches for 200 yards with 1 score.

With a 2nd offseason successful manager Josh Heupel's fast-break attack, the Volunteers person been adjacent amended this season. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, it volition beryllium the archetypal crippled featuring an discourtesy averaging 49 points oregon much against a defence allowing 11 oregon less successful November oregon aboriginal since 1996.

The Volunteers aren't one-dimensional, either. They're 25th successful the FBS successful rushing, with astir 200 yards per game. Hooker is the team's third-leading rusher with 338 yards and 4 scores.

"Tennessee is not needfully a pass-happy offense," Smart said. "They tally the shot truly well. I deliberation you could accidental that statistically they person explosive passes. They are a moving squad that chunks it deep. They bash a truly bully occupation with explosive walk plays. They perpetrate to the run. There is simply a toughness there. Their backs tally truly tough."

One country Georgia's defence has lagged down past season's portion is sack production. The Bulldogs person generated lone 10 sacks and 39 tackles for loss, which ranks extracurricular the apical 100 successful the FBS.

"You wouldn't telephone them vanilla by immoderate stretch," Tennessee quarterbacks manager Joey Halzle said. "They're a truly bully defense, we each cognize that. They've got guys that tin unreserved the passer, they've got blitzers, they've got screen guys. You don't spot a batch of flaws successful their defense, particularly looking astatine them from a unit standpoint. They're good coached, they're successful position, you spot them flying to the football. That's wherefore you don't spot them giving up large plays, due to the fact that they person a clump of guys astir the ball.

"You spot guys that are good coached with a batch of oculus discipline. It's not similar they don't get location oregon they don't unit it. They're making tackles, they're keeping everything successful beforehand of them, and they're making guys drawback it again. Then they're doing a bully occupation of getting disconnected the tract connected 3rd down."

Losing Smith, who led the squad with 3 sacks, 7 tackles for nonaccomplishment and 16 backmost hurries, won't marque pressuring Hooker immoderate easier. Sophomore Chaz Chambliss and freshman Marvin Jones Jr. volition person to play much successful his absence.

"Those guys person to play," Smart said. "They signifier each time conscionable similar Nolan does. They person to person an accidental to spell play. This is the adjacent antheral up."