UGA pass defense shredded by Mallet, Arkansas

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By Scott Cain

For the AJC

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A week to shore up its pass defense didn’t make much of a difference for Georgia in its first SEC road game.

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AP
Original Caption: Arkansas wide receiver Greg Childs, left, catches a pass to score for a touchdown in front of Georgia cornerback Branden Smith (1) during the first quarter.

AP AP Original Caption: Arkansas wide receiver Greg Childs, left, catches a pass to score for a touchdown in front of Georgia cornerback Branden Smith (1) during the first quarter.

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A soft pass defense was a concern last Saturday when South Carolina shredded the Bulldogs for 313 yards through the air. Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett matched that number before the third quarter had ended Saturday night at Reynolds Razorback Stadium.

The Bulldogs gave up 11 passes of 18 yards or more to Arkansas in the first three quarters.

Getting top pass rusher Justin Houston back from a suspension didn’t make enough of a difference to keep Mallett from breaking Arkansas’ single-game record for touchdown passes midway through the third quarter with five.

Mallett didn’t isolate on just one defender. Defensive backs Branden Smith, Brandon Boykin, Bryan Evans and Prince Miller each appeared to have coverage responsibility on touchdown passes of 48, 40, 30 and 18 yards.

Georgia used zone coverage, with the cornerbacks lining up 10 yards or so off the receivers and the safeties 20 yards off the line, but the secondary still had trouble keeping receivers in front of them several times. Zone is designed to prevent that from happening. Other times, the defender would run step-for-step with his man only to have the receiver jump and pluck the ball from over his head.

Turnovers by Georgia’s offense put the defense in a bind on two of the first-half touchdowns allowed.

Stopping the run wasn’t a problem, highlighted by what looked like it might be a momentum-boosting goal-line stand in the third quarter. The Bulldogs stuffed Arkansas power runner Broderick Green on back-to-back plays from the 1, then tight end D.J. Williams got loose in the end zone for a touchdown that gave Arkansas a 35-34 lead with 5:15 to play in the third quarter.

After allowing 21 first-quarter points, Georgia steadied itself and shut out Arkansas in the second quarter. The pass defense broke down again in the third quarter when Mallett hit Greg Childs for 40 yards and a touchdown and threw 2 yards for Williams’ touchdown. Childs, who is 6-foot-3, jumped to grab the pass over thee 5-10 Boykin.

Injuries didn’t help. Miller went down in the game’s opening minutes, and Vance Cuff left in the third quarter. Miller came back to play. Cuff hurt his knee and did not return.