For all the talk about Georgia’s slow offensive starts, there are some defensive issues that need correcting before the Bulldogs resume SEC play at Auburn next week.
The Bulldogs’ showing in Saturday’s 49-21 win over UAB was not quite what they expected.
“It wasn’t our best game on defense,” nose guard Nazir Stackhouse said. “It’s like I said a few weeks ago, we’re going to learn from games like this. It’s not going to be perfect. All we can do is go home, fix what we need to fix, and execute it like we can so we can be victorious the following week.”
Despite back-to-back losses to Georgia Southern and Louisiana, UAB came in the game with one of the better offenses in college football.
Quarterback Jacob Zeno caused some damage, completing 31 of 51 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He also accounted for the Blazers’ third and final touchdown on a 3-yard run, marking the second consecutive game the Bulldogs have allowed a rushing score.
Cornerback Kamari Lassiter knows the Bulldogs must continue to improve if the team wants to reach its ultimate goals.
“We can work on a lot of things. We have a lot of things to get better at,” he said. “I’m sure we’ll make it a point this week to really lock in and focus on our three main traits of DNA that got us here.”
Georgia did cause one turnover when Smael Mondon tipped a pass that Tykee Smith snagged for his third interception in four games.
However, the Bulldogs managed just one sack and did not create the sort of havoc the team expected.
“The standard is something we always try to live up to, whether it’s defense or offense,” Stackhouse said. “Tonight, Coach [Tray] Scott told us before the game, we’re not playing against UAB, we’re playing against the standard. Obviously, we didn’t really uphold that as far as the defensive line, but that’s OK. Like I said, everything is not going to be perfect, but we’re going to go out there and do our best.”
Georgia played Saturday’s game at less than 100 percent.
Sophomore defensive end Mykel Williams, the Bulldogs’ best pass-rusher, did not play due to what Kirby Smart called "an illness." As a result, the Bulldogs managed just one sack. Smart said Williams is expected back next week.
“When Mykel went down, it was a next-man-up mentality. We hated for him not to be out there,” Stackhouse said. “With him being such a big part of the pass rush, it’s kind of like what happened to us before when Jalen Carter was out. But we can’t let things like that hurt us defensive-wise.
"We’ve just got to bust our butts, first, second, and third down, and hope for the best with him and that he has a speedy recovery.”
Safety Dan Jackson agreed.
“We’ve just got to keep swarming to the ball and not count on someone else making the play,” he said. “Don’t act like you’re the only guy out there.”
