One of the greatest areas of improvement of Kirby Smart's tenure at Georgia is run protection. It includes physical and aggressive blocking from offensive lineman, wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs.
It was a top priority for Smart and his staff when they arrived in 2016.
To provide context of how far Georgia has come in run protection, we are comparing run protection this season to the 2016 game vs. Nicholls, a game where the Bulldogs only ran for 167 yards with two future NFL star running backs.. That game was a dose of reality to Georgia fans who didn't realize the issues in Georgia's run blocking.
Interior gaps
Comparison: 2016 Nicholls and 2018 Auburn
Nick Chubb and Sony Michel failed to break through the center of Nicholls' defensive line in 2016.
This season, D'Andre Swift had plenty of room to work with against Auburn, one of the nation's best defensive lines.
Georgia now creates more space and pushes the point of attack farther downfield.
