There is a buzzword among Georgia’s defensive players in preseason camp, which entered a third day Wednesday. You may have heard it before.
Havoc.
The Bulldogs used that word a lot last year as the coaching staff emphasized creating turnovers and deflections and pressuring quarterbacks on defense. In football, that is known as “havoc.”
Specifically, “havoc rate” is defined as the total number of an opponents’ offensive plays divided the times those plays resulted in a tackle for loss (including quarterback sacks), an interception, a fumble or a batted ball. Georgia’s goal last season was 20 percent. If team were to run 50 plays, and 10 of them resulted in one of the aforementioned outcomes, that would be a havoc rate of 20 percent.
Georgia fell short of that last season. While the Bulldogs’ exact havoc rate is unknown (they count deflections and non-lost fumbles), UGA finished in the lower half of the SEC in interceptions (6) and fumble recoveries (8). Nationally, the Bulldogs finished 116th in the nation in takeaways at 1.1 per game.
That is not to say Georgia was bad on defense. On the contrary, the Bulldogs led the country in scoring defense (12.6 ppg) and rushing defense (74.6 ypg). But as Georgia returns nine starters and most of the lettermen from that defensive unit, they are seeking to make improvement in all areas, and that one first and foremost.
“We didn’t reach our goals in all those games, so that’s obviously something we can improve on and get better at,” said sophomore Azeez Ojulari, who led the Bulldogs with 5.5 sacks and 39 quarterback pressures. “We’re still going to preach that again this season and hopefully get over it.”
Georgia certainly doesn’t lack in the area of personnel to get that done. In addition to a defense that includes nine regulars returning, the Bulldogs are loaded at the linebacker positions. Ojulari, a 3-star prospect coming out of Marietta High and the best performer to date, probably was the least heralded as a recruit.
Inside linebacker Nakobe Dean and outside linebackers Adam Anderson, Nolan Smith and Jermaine Johnson all had at least one 5-star rating before signing with the Bulldogs. Georgia added more prestige to that unit by landing another 5-star to the group in M.J. Sherman this year. Meanwhile, former 5-star Travon Walker plays defensive end and works primarily at that position, but also is being utilized specialized situations on the edge.
As proved last year, keeping opposing teams from scoring is possible with or without havoc. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs will be making it a point of emphasis again this season.
“The goals from this year to last year aren’t too different,” Dean said after practice Tuesday night. “We’ve just got to out-do it. We’ve got to execute better. We’ve got to have more havoc plays. We’ve got to take the ball away from people. All that.”
Ojulari has been oh-so-close to making it happen. His 39 QB pressures were among the best in the SEC.
He was asked if he has done anything in particular to try to convert some of those pressures into sacks.
“Just working every day, coming in here with that great desire to get better every day,” Ojulari said. “I’ve just been keeping up my training and working on my edge moves, counter moves, just making sure I get there.”
But, Ojulari said, it’s never about stats, individual or otherwise.
“We’re still working on being that great defense,” he said.
As proved last year, keeping opposing teams from scoring is possible with or without havoc, and that is the ultimate defensive stat.
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