What Just Happened: Georgia defense makes statement in win over Clemson

If you are a fan of defense and punting, then you absolutely loved Saturday’s showdown between Georgia and Clemson.

It was an old school slobber-knocker, with two defenses that won the point of attack up front time and again. Neither team could run the ball with much consistency. Georgia’s stable of running backs will have much better success in games moving forward. Perhaps Clemson’s will, too, but they had no such luck against Georgia.

In this grudge match, Georgia’s defense proved to be more formidable in a 10-3 victory.

Considering Georgia head coach Kirby Smart’s background as a safety and defensive coordinator, you know he had to love most of the moments his defense produced Saturday night.

Georgia immediately placed itself into consideration for the No. 2 spot behind Alabama after the first week’s slate of games. Even though the Georgia offense couldn’t move the ball much at all, the defense showed it might be the best unit in all of college football.

It’s only one game, and Georgia has a tough SEC slate to face. But to get a win over a quality opponent—a College Football Playoff mainstay—can’t be overstated.

Georgia faces UAB next week and, barring the more unforeseen of scenarios, should be 2-0 following the week. With Clemson in the schedule, that’s exactly where you want to be entering the South Carolina game in Week 3.

Pick six: Following Clemson punter Will Spiers’ 35-yard punt in the second quarter, the football bounced off Kendall Milton, with the Tigers recovering. Clemson was unable to take advantage of the opportunity, however, with Georgia taking full advantage. On a third-and-four play following the mishap, safety Christopher Smith picked off a pass and returned it 74 yards for the game’s first touchdown.

Good coverage: With a little over nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-goal, Latavius Brini stayed in good coverage and wouldn’t allow Frank Larson, Jr. to come down with a ball in the end zone. This followed a second-down play in which Brini also played exceptionally well with his pass defense. This was the lone drive when Georgia defense allowed Clemson to move the ball down the field. And in the end, the Tigers were held to only a field goal.

Fourth-and-five: Hoping to tie the game late, Clemson was forced to go for it on fourth down with under six minutes to play. As he had repeatedly, linebacker Nakobe Dean burst through the line of scrimmage and forced Uiagalelei into an incompletion. With Georgia’s offense struggling, the Bulldogs defense came up huge.

Offense: C-

It wasn’t Georgia’s fault it received this poor grade. Clemson’s defense was spectacular throughout the game, stuffing the run and preventing quarterback JT Daniels from developing a rhythm in the passing game. The fear was that Clemson’s defensive line would make matters difficult for Georgia’s offensive line, and it turned out to be true. The offense was mostly ineffective throughout the game, even if it didn’t suffer many self-inflicted mistakes.

Defense: A

Georgia’s pass rush looked elite Saturday night. With seven (!!!) sacks, the Georgia defensive front made things difficult on Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei all game. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Uiagalelei was able to find openings to throw the ball, and even then, those opportunities were slim. Uiagalelei faced a lot of pressure, with the Bulldogs holding the Tigers to only 180 total yards. That’s absolutely insane when you think about how Clemson offenses have produced in recent years.

Special teams: A-

The only reason special teams received an A- instead of an A is because of Jack Podlesny’s missed field goal and the miscue that resulted in a fumble recovery on a Clemson 35-yard punt. Jake Camarda was exceptional punting the ball, averaging 43.4 yards per attempt with a long of 51. More importantly, Camarda downed four punts inside the 20-yard line. In a game in which defense excelled, it certainly helped to have a punter who put the unit in such great positions.

Coaching: A

Smart went toe to toe with Dabo Swinney and came out on top. It was a throwback type of game, which isn’t sexy these days. But honestly, who cares? Georgia got a top-five win in the first week of the season.

There is a ton to celebrate.