The Georgia Bulldogs have proven they are the most resilient team in the country after pulling off another gritty 43-35 win over the No. 5 Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday. But, despite the win, Erk Russell is rolling over in his grave because this version of the Georgia defense may be the most vulnerable group in recent memory.
Glenn Schumann's crew is a far cry from the Junkyard Dawgs of the 1970s and even further from he dominant Dan Lanning-led units that were key in winning back-to-back national titles in the early 2020s.
The fact is, opponents are not scared of coming into Athens and playing this version of the Georgia Bulldogs defense.
Georgia fans aren't used to seeing teams score at will like Ole Miss did Saturday
Ole Miss scored five touchdowns on their first five drives on Saturday, and it felt like whoever had the ball last would win the shootout. At one point, Ole Miss was a perfect eight for eight on third down. The Bulldogs couldn't get off the field yet again.
After leading 21-20 at the half, Lane Kiffin's squad picked up right where they left off before halftime and scored two more touchdowns on their way to a 35-26 lead after three quarters.
It felt like Georgia couldn't solve whatever Kiffin and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss dialed up. Still, they deserve credit for ratcheting it up in the fourth quarter and finally finding a way to contain the Rebels.
The Dawgs can't get consistent pressure on opposing QBs
A big part of the problem so far this season is that Schumann and the Georgia defense aren't getting pressure on the QB without having to scheme up a blitz involving linebackers CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson, and Chris Cole. Perhaps even more worrisome is Georgia didn't have a single tackle for loss, never mind a sack.
Halfway through the season, it is abundantly clear that Georgia doesn't have a difference maker on their young defensive line. But give guys like Christen Miller, Xavier McLeod, and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye credit for still being stout against the run. They held the Rebels to just 88 yards on 24 carries with most of those yards coming from Chambliss scrambling out of the pocket.
The Dawgs will take the win, but Kirby Smart knows there's still plenty of work to do on defense
With the win, Georgia moves to 6-1 on the season and 4-1 within the SEC. Nevertheless, with the advent of NIL deals and the Transfer Portal, the days of Georgia getting up 17-3 in the first half and putting the game away in the third quarter are a thing of the past.
Kirby Smart and Schumann know they don't have the depth they once did, and it will require both of them earning their hefty salaries to get this year's group ready to play close games each week.
But it goes without saying that this team can't count on the offense to score on every drive like they did against Ole Miss, so something has to change on defense going forward.