Georgia Football: How UGA can stop the Alabama option game

Defensive line generating pressure:

While it doesn’t quit draw the rave reviews as Alabama’s, UGA has a very strong defensive line. The likes of Trenton Thompson, Julian Rochester and Tyler Clark have become forces in the middle and ‘Big John’ Atkins continues to be an excellent nose tackle.

It’s imperative that those big uglies cause disruption in the middle and are able to prevent any gaps appearing. If Georgia can burst through holes and make them go away up the middle, it will present Hurts with one less option.

On the outside, Jonathan Ledbetter has been fantastic this year and stopping the run. while he hasn’t had many sacks, that’s not what UGA wants from him in this system. He and David Marshall will be crucial to slowing down Hurts however.

If the DT’s can get push up the middle, it’s going to but up to Ledbetter and Marshall to close that pocket down. Georgia wants to force Hurts out onto the edges because that means he’s going backwards. It also gives their athletic linebackers a chance to make a play and potentially even a turnover.

Alabama’s running game relies on the up the gut runs to tire out the big men up front. UGA doesn’t have any stars up front, but it does have a tremendous rotation and is very different from Clemson in that regard. The Dawgs need to keep those inside lines clogged so that their next level can do their job.