Georgia’s defense gave up 41 points to Tennessee, showing how much work still needs to be done.
While much has been made of the Bulldogs secondary performance in Knoxville, Georgia legend David Pollack, in an appearance with Greg McElroy on the Always College Football podcast, raised an alarm about a different area of the Georgia defense — the pass rush, which has only four sacks in the first three games.
“I saw something that I think is a big concern that we’re going to be talking about after the Alabama game and for the Georgia season,” Pollack said. “Who can rush the passer, Greg? As much as we want to talk about Alabama, like, I saw a bunch of guys that couldn’t win.”
Because of the lack of pressure, Pollack said Georgia began to blitz more, which in turn left Georgia’s defensive backs isolated in coverage. Tennessee took advantage of that, going after whoever was opposite Daylen Everette.
Tennessee receivers scored long touchdowns on Daniel Harris, Ellis Robinson and JaCorey Thomas.
With Georgia facing another explosive passing offense against Alabama on Sept. 27, the Bulldogs are going to have to do a better job of covering downfield and pressuring quarterback Ty Simpson and Alabama.
The Crimson Tide has the No. 2 passing offense in the SEC, behind only Tennessee.
“You got to cover (Germie) Bernard. You’ve got to cover Ryan Williams. You got to cover those deep shots,” Pollack said. “If you’re going to play aggressive, Georgia’s got to rush the passer at a way higher clip than they did versus Tennessee. Or else this defense that we talk about, we brag about with Kirby Smart, it’s not going to be what we’re used to seeing.”
All four sacks thus far have come from the inside linebacker room. Raylen Wilson and CJ Allen each have a sack, and Chris Cole, who also is used as an edge rusher, leads the team with two.
Cole agrees it isn’t all on the secondary and the Georgia defensive front can do more.
“That starts as a team, it’s not only our secondary, but it starts as the whole defense,” Cole said. “Getting more pressure on the QB before, so he doesn’t have time just to sit in the pocket and be able to make those throws.”
McElroy concurred with Pollack’s assessment of the Georgia pass rush. He pointed to the offseason addition of Army transfer Elo Modozie as proof that it was a previously known issue.
“I think they recognize that as a flaw,” McElroy said. “They go out to the portal to get Elo Modozie and a few others, but didn’t show up as much as you’d like in this game. So it’s something worth watching for sure because edge presence has given Bama fits. Will it in this game?”
Modozie played just 13 snaps against Tennessee. Gabe Harris and Quintavius Johnson have gotten more snaps at the outside linebacker position to this point in time.
Last season against Alabama, Georgia finished with no sacks. The Tide put up 41 points that day, the most Georgia’s defense gave up all last season.
In Alabama’s loss to Florida State, Simpson was sacked 3.0 times. But in the two games since, the Tide has surrendered only one sack.
Georgia used its off week to begin prepping for Alabama.
Being home against the Tide will go a long way to beating Alabama, something the Bulldogs have done just once in seven tries under Smart.
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