Is Georgia football’s rush defense fools gold or the real deal?

Is Georgia football’s improved rushing defense a facade built on dominating teams who cannot run? Or has the defense truly stepped up and became a shutdown unit?

I’ve always believed that your defense has to be able to stop the run to be acknowledged as a real championship contender. Georgia football struggled with this last year after Roquan Smith left for the NFL.

To battle with teams like the Clemsons and Alabamas of the world, you must be able to stop the run. So, with that said, has Georgia’s rush defense gotten better?

Last year after five games, Georgia had given up 541 rushing yards. This season they have only given up 298 rushing yards.

These Dawgs have also given up just one 100-yard game all season to Vanderbilt in the opening matchup.

Opponents are averaging just 2.33 yards each carry and 60 yards a game against Georgia’s smothering defense.

In 2018, Georgia had just 52 tackles for loss during the regular season. This year Georgia already has 35 tackles for loss, showing a knack to attack the line of scrimmage.

The Bulldogs were also ranked No. 39 in rushing defense in 2018. As for this season, they are up to No. 5. The Dawgs can now finally get behind the line of scrimmage and stop a play before it gets going.

That abiltity is fueling this new run-stuffing defense.

The most impressive stat so far of 2019 is Georgia being the only team in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision not to give up a single rushing touchdown this season.

By comparison, Alabama ranks as the No. 51 rushing defense in the nation and Clemson is No. 27.

Both are known for having dominating rush defenses, and yet Georgia’s rushing defense has been much better than both of theirs.

That said, the teams that Georgia has faced this year are ranked No. 112 (Vanderbilt), No. 116 (Arkansas State), No. 61 (Notre Dame), and No. 96 (Tennessee) in rushing offense.

It is not as if they are facing the most potent running attacks in the nation.

Last year the teams that Georgia faced in their first five games were ranked No. 79 (South Carolina), No. 57 (Middle Tennessee), No. 29 (Missouri), and No. 85 (Tennessee).

So what should we take from this?

The first thing is that Georgia’s linebackers have improved, and the defensive line is playing a lot better. Are they up to being an elite unit, only time will tell.

Georgia has to play the No. 38 rushing offense this weekend, as it faces off with South Carolina.

The Gamecocks averages six yards a carry and over 200 yards a game. This matchup will be Georgia’s first real test of its rushing defense.

Georgia will also play the No. 19 (Auburn), No. 44 (Missouri), No. 61 (Kentucky), and No. 67 (Georgia Tech) rushing offenses this season. They also get to play another one of the weaker running teams in the nation Florida, who has the No. 89 rushing offense.

However, there is still a lot of football to play between some of these matchups, so the rankings could flucutate.

Georgia has plenty of tests ahead to show what they can do. This season is far from over, but it is hard to ignore the Junkyard Dawgs’ strong start, even if it wasn’t against the strongest rushing attacks in the nation.

You can only play who is on your schedule, and Georgia has handled them very well.

So, has Georgia’s rush defense improved?

Absolutely. Have they improved to the point of being a championship defense? That is still to be determined.

I do believe this defense will continue to get better by the week, though. It is a long time between now and December, so this defense has plenty of time to get ready for its postseason run.

I believe as the younger players like Nakobe Dean,  Travon Walker, and Nolan Smith gain more experience, you will begin to see what this rush defense can actually do.

Stay tuned because it will only get better. These guys are hungry. They certainly have the talent to be a championship level rush defense, the only thing left now is to prove it on the field when it matters most.