Georgia Bulldogs full team grades after first third of 2014

Sep 13, 2014; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks running back

(28) is brought down by Georgia Bulldogs safety

(20) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit:

-USA TODAY Sports

PASSING DEFENSE: D

Yards Allowed Per Game: 231.8
National Rank: 59th

Here is where Georgia could find themselves in some serious trouble down the road. They let South Carolina, Troy and Tennessee all move the ball at will through the air, with very little resistance.

Part of it is lack of personnel, and part of it is just defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt trying to feel his way around these players and this conference.

It seems that each games starts with a variation on a zone defense, with a bend-dont-break mentality. Unfortunately, in most cases the Bulldogs have been broken. It’s not until Pruitt gets aggressive with blitzes and starts running stunts that the opponent’s passing game becomes more limited.

These young and marginally talented defensive backs aren’t going to blow anyone away, and will struggle to keep up in coverage all season. The front seven will be key in keeping passing to a minimum, but getting pressure on quarterbacks and forcing early throws. If they give some of the quarterbacks in the upcoming schedule time in the pockets, they’ll be picked apart.