Under Pressure

By request of The Dawgvent, UGASports examined an area in which the Bulldogs were seemingly one of the best in the nation last season—pressuring the quarterback.

A quarterback pressure (QBP), a statistic UGA began recording in 1998, is any pass play whereby an opposing signal-caller is, simply, pressured (i.e., hurried, hit, or sacked). In 2019, the Bulldogs totaled a staggering 248 quarterback pressures, or 17.71 per game, a program-high since the school started keeping track.

Notably, Georgia’s program-high for quarterback pressures last season promptly followed a record-low of only 4.93 QBPs in 2018. What’s more, in 15 seasons from 1998-2012, only once did the Bulldogs average less than 9.00 QBPs per game (8.27 in 1999). Yet, in the six seasons which followed entering 2019 (2013-2018), only once did Georgia average more than 9.00 QBPs per game (9.62 in 2014).

The Bulldogs’ annual average number of quarterback pressures from 1998-2019:

Although the UGA program has recorded QBPs for the last 22 seasons, it doesn’t recognize the statistic in its team or individual records. Therefore, UGASports went back and totaled up all the QBPs—for all 204 individual defenders who tallied at least one—to distinguish Georgia’s all-time top 10 in season and career quarterback pressures (a name or two may surprise you on the career list):

Perhaps above all, of Georgia’s 248 quarterback pressures last season, 222, or 89.5 percent were made by players who are returning this season, ensuring opposing quarterbacks will likely be often under pressure again in 2020.