Walker, Herring taking tag-team approach
Getting more pressure from their respective positions at defense end was a preseason goal for Malik Herring and Travon Walker.
Although the pair counts just one sack between them—Herring, two weeks ago, at Alabama—head coach Kirby Smart is pleased with the disruption he has been getting from his defensive line. Despite the low sack totals, Walker and Herring have been a big reason why, combining for 14 of the 27 quarterback pressures through the first four games.
“We’ve been more disruptive. I think Dan (defensive coordinator Dan Lanning) and the defensive staff have done a great job of creating ways to make those guys more effective, whether it’s dropping them, rushing them, covering them,” Smart said. “They’ve added some wrinkles that have helped us and allowed those guys to make some plays and statistically improve in terms of hits and sacks and stuff like that. We have still got a long way to go. Our last performance wasn’t our best, but we won’t be defined by it, either.”
Although this year’s regular season is just 10 games, both Walker and Herring are on pace to at least match last year’s numbers with six and eight quarterback pressures, respectively.
“Hand blocks, recognizing the pass sets … whatever it may be, we try to stay on top of that,” said Walker, a member of the 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team.
“I just try to help him out, point out things he could have done, and he tries to help me with things I could have done … get better rushes, check better edges,” Herring said. “That’s what we do during the game. We try to watch each other when we are off the field, give each other an update on what we’ve got and what we could have did.”
If you have been following the careers of Herring and Walker closely, then you realize the two have known each other for years.
Herring grew up in Forsyth and played his high school ball for Mary Persons, while Walker hails from Thomaston where he played for nearby Upson-Lee.
“He’s like my big brother. I have been looking up to him ever since I was in middle school. He lived like 15 minutes up the road from me, so he’s always been one of those players who has pushed me and become better myself,” Walker said. “Being that we play the same position and out there competing against each other every day, it just pushes me to become a better player. He stays on me and I stay on him.”
Against Kentucky, stopping the run will be priority No. 1 for the defense, which is second in the SEC in sacks with 13.
The Wildcats have struggled to pass the ball and come into Saturday’s noon kickoff dead last in passing yards at just 123.4 yards per game.
Both quarterbacks Terry Wilson, who missed practice Monday and Tuesday, and Joey Gatewood are both quite adept at running the football.
“I definitely think that you have to stop the run when you play Kentucky, first and foremost. I’m sure they’re over there searching for ways to increase the passing game and do a good job, because they can’t be one-dimensional,” Smart said. “But we’ve got to worry about us. We have got to go out and play a good football game. We have got to out-execute them. We have got to have our guys mentally and physically ready to play, because I know the coaches on Kentucky’s staff. They do a really good job, and they’ll have their team ready to play.”