Notre Dame OL/UGA DL battle one to watch

The first two offensive lines that Georgia will face this season operate on polarizing extremes.

In its season opener, the Bulldogs were able to take advantage of an offensive front that was overmatched en route to a 31-10 victory. As a primetime showdown against Notre Dame looms, Georgia’s front-seven prepares for a much larger unit.

Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush is protected by a line that averages 315.8 pounds and led by two NFL-caliber talents on the left side – Mike McGlinchey (291 pounds) and Quenton Nelson (331 pounds).

“I think McGlinchey is going to be a first round pick, if not, he’s going to be really close,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “He is very impressive. That whole left side is really strong and powerful. We are excited for the challenge. Our defensive line has to step up and play well because they are going to play against some big, physical guys.

“Across the front, I’m just telling you they’re the biggest team we’ll play when they line up.”

Amongst Georgia’s entire defense exudes confidence as starting safety Dominick Sanders wants to “punish (Notre Dame) from the start” and not be concerned with any of the history regarding the team’s first trip to South Bend.

It’s the same amongst the Bulldogs’ defensive line led by Tray Scott – a unit which averages 293 pounds. In Georgia’s first win, the front was able to exploit the Mountaineers’ unit as Trenton Thompson led the way with six tackles.

“They do have a big offensive line, but we have a big defensive line,” defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter said. “We’re just going to go out and play our game of football. If we use our technique to our advantage, it should go our way.”

Ledbetter then continued on with a stronger sense of confidence, removing doubt of whether the Fighting Irish’s front will be exploited.

“There’s always a way to beat somebody,” Ledbetter said. “Somebody will always have a weakness. You have to find it. We’re going to find it and execute off of it.”

Georgia rotates frequently amongst its defensive line, and one major contributor has become sophomore Tyler Clark, who was considered more of a “raw” player during his freshman season but has developed to the point where he is depended on.

In fact, Ledbetter – who has served as a leader to Clark as a veteran – believes the Americus native can become a premier player at the position.

Clark received a significant amount of exposure in his first campaign, including in Georgia’s last-second loss to Tennessee. When looking at Notre Dame’s unit on tape, he sees similarities between the two programs.

“They’re big boys, and I’m up for the challenge,” Clark said. “It’s a big difference from App State, because they weren’t that big but they played hard. We just have to do what we did last week.”

In addition to the offensive front, Notre Dame provides many more tests for the Bulldogs. The Fighting Irish rattled off a 49-16 victory over Temple to open their season – seeing three players (including Wimbush) rush for over 100 yards.

Georgia knows the stage will be set for the dramatic as it will be a primetime showdown on NBC and the first time that the two programs have played since the Bulldogs came out with a win in the 1981 Sugar Bowl to claim the national title.

All of that aside, Georgia is focused on what it can control internally in order to fly back to Athens with a victory as a 6.5-point underdog.

“It’s exciting because I love competition,” Ledbetter said. “I know everyone is itching to get a lick on their guys. I definitely respect them, but good competition is hard to come by. When you see it and everyone is raving about it, you want to prove a point and we will.”