3 things Georgia football’s defense must do against Notre Dame
By Eric Taylor
Slow down the run
The most basic element of football is running and stopping the run. Notre Dame‘s running game is ranked No. 45 in the nation averaging 193.5 yards per game, while Georgia‘s rush defense is ranked No. 5 giving up just 60 yards a game. Georgia did give up 116 rushing yards to Vanderbilt.
Unlike Vanderbilt, Notre Dame has two good runners, running back Tony Jones Jr. and quarterback Ian Book. Both have run for 127 yards this season and average around six yards per carry.
The last time these two teams met Georgia held Notre Dame to just 55 yards rushing. They will need a similar effort in this game.
This time the Dawgs will have to do it without the likes of Roquan Smith roaming the middle of the defense, but Georgia‘s middle linebackers are up to the task. They have amassed 45 of the team’s 208 total tackles and two tackles for loss this year.
Stopping the run is paramount to winning in football. It causes the other team to become one dimensional and allows the pass rush to pin their ears back and rush the passer.
Georgia must bottle up Notre Dame’s running game to win, something the Junkyard Dawgs have excelled at this year. Saturday night should be no different.