Sterling Bailey made the expression one usually makes when hearing something that doesn’t make sense. His Georgia defense, he was told, ranks eighth in the SEC in stopping the run.
It seems better than that, right?
“Stats are stats,” said Bailey, Georgia’s defensive tackle. “But personally I feel like as a defense, we’re able to stop the run.”
In a week when doing so will be critical — Auburn’s offense is predicated on power running — the good news for Georgia is that Bailey is right.
Yes, the Bulldogs rank in the bottom half in the SEC in rushing yards allowed (131.44 per game). But a closer look at the numbers shows a different story.
For one thing, there’s a large gap — 30 rushing yards per game — between No. 8 UGA and No. 9 Tennessee on the list. The gap is closer in the other direction: The SEC’s fifth-best run defense, Missouri, is only yielding 10 less rushing yards per game.
Sacks are also included in run yardage and that hurts Georgia, as its sack yardage (93 lost yards for opponents) is the third-least in the SEC.
Opponents have converted just 50 percent on third-and-short situations, according to cfbstats.com, and averaging just 2.91 yards per carry in the first quarter. (That balloons to 4.56 in the fourth quarter.)
Georgia’s two worst games against the run this year were against Florida (which gained 60 of its 258 rushing yards on one fourth-quarter play) and Tennessee (where quarterback Joshua Dobbs scrambled for 118 of Tennessee’s 223 yards).
Those numbers count, obviously. But by and large when other teams have tried to run the ball with their tailbacks, Georgia’s defense has been stout. Even Alabama gained less than its season average for yards-per-carry with its four yards against Georgia vs. 4.53 for the season.
“I think overall we’ve been pretty good and we’re going to keep getting better,” Georgia inside linebacker Jake Ganus said. “But run defense is more of an attitude. I think we’re getting there. We’ve still got a lot of young guys everywhere. But as a defense, I think we’re starting to come together and really get it.”
Ganus has helped the key the front seven, leading the team in tackles (63) with fellow inside linebacker Tim Kimbrough second (53). The defensive line, a committee of seniors (like Bailey) and freshmen (like Trent Thompson), has also been stout up the middle. Cornerback Malkom Parrish has been making open-field tackles all season, while outside linebackers Leonard Floyd and Davin Bellamy have come on lately.
“Our effort is really there when you turn on the film,” Bailey said. “Everybody is really going after the ball.”
They will have to do so against Auburn, which should also be a better running team than its current ranking (sixth) in the SEC. Tailback Jovon Robinson, newly installed as the starter, had 159 rushing yards and a touchdown at Texas A&M while Auburn racked up 311 rushing yards in an upset win.
Georgia has also been pretty stout against traditional running attacks. But Auburn’s is not traditional and if Jeremy Johnson is the starting quarterback, there’s another headache. Running quarterbacks have given Georgia problems. Both Dobbs and Florida’s Treon Harris extended plays by scrambling to create long passing plays.
“They do a lot of different things. They give you a lot of different looks to try to confuse you,” Ganus said. “(Coach Gus) Malzahn has really kind of perfected that offense, in a way. He does a great job of using different playmakers at receiver, at getting them the ball. Sweeps and all sorts of stuff. So for us, we just really need to be focused and know your assignment and know what can hurt you at all times.”
About the Author
