“Best in the country” and “generational” are descriptions bandied about regarding the play of Georgia’s defense.
The numbers are plain to see.
Georgia ranks first nationally in scoring defense (6.6 points/game), red zone defense (57 percent), second in total defense (226.6 yards/game), passing yards allowed (151.0 y/g), and rushing defense (75.6 y/g).
Fans have seen for themselves the damage this unit can do.
However, it’s what you can’t see that’s enabled Bulldog defenders to accomplish what they have—and why any fears that Georgia may start taking its collective success for granted are ill-founded.
“There’s a lot of things you guys don’t see, and I say it every week I’m up here,” said Georgia safety Christopher Smith. “Every Monday, we go to the doctor, we’re going to get here, talk about what we did wrong, and try to fix it. The only way you can get better is to focus on the things you did bad. If you focus on the things you did good, you’re not going to get any better."
The fact his defensive players want to get even better has Smart giddy. It would be quite easy for the players to rest on their laurels, but Smart said that's definitely not any kind of danger with this year’s group.
“They've been tremendous. They understand we're not where we need to be, and that's been a consistent theme around here for five-six years. It’s not like it’s all of a sudden magical this year that we just try to get better after games,” Smart said. “Regardless of the outcome of the game, there are things you have to work on to get better. Millions of things that you guys don’t see or aren’t privy to during the game that, on the tape coaches watch, are mistakes.”
Take Georgia’s 34-7 win over Florida, for example.
The defense’s effort forcing three turnovers in the final 2:22 of the second quarter certainly deserves applause. However, it’s the mistakes made throughout the course of the entire contest that the defense will be focusing on this week ahead of Saturday’s game against Missouri.
“Five-six busted coverages, yet all they hear on TV is how coordinated the coverage is. That’s not necessarily true, and you guys don’t necessarily know that. You wouldn’t, but our guys do, and that’s what Monday’s about,” Smart said. “It’s about making sure we can clean that up. Same thing on the offensive line. If a guy moves, and we miss a double team and nobody sees it, they think it’s somebody else’s fault. We're trying to clean those things up. We want to play cleaner on both sides of the ball. That’s what practice is for.”
It's also about being prepared and scheming for what opponents may try to do offensively.
If it looked like Nakobe Dean knew what was coming when he stepped in front of Anthony Richardson’s pass and returned it 50 yards for a Pick-6—turns out he did.
According to Smith, the Bulldogs had seen that particular route before.
"That play they ran, they ran that even up to last year. Florida ran that same play, and I guess Florida was used to it,” Smith said. “We even practiced it, so when he (Anthony Richardson) threw it, he broke on it and made a great play.”
Dean’s play this year has been one of the many highlights for Georgia’s defense.
Monday, the Bulldog junior was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top linebacker. Roquan Smith was the last Bulldog to win it, back in 2017.
“He’s an awesome player,” Smith said of Dean. “He’s so smart. I love being on the field with him, because he makes me feel so comfortable. He’s always making sure that whole defense is on the same page.”
