After a tough loss at home to perpetual nemesis Alabama, it is easily to pile on what the Georgia Bulldogs did and did not do Between the Hedges. The defense let the team down in the first quarter. The offensive play calling in the second half was borderline atrocious. All the while, Kirby Smart was let down by all his friends against his former employer once again. It is time for them to turn the page.
Truth be told, that might be slightly easier said than done. While they do have lowly Kentucky coming to town for what will likely be another rendition of its annual beating, there is one growing trend with this team that is just not going away. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, Georgia does not have a pass rush. Through its first four games of the season, Georgia has a combined five sacks on the year.
There are obviously a multitude of factors playing into this. Playing from behind throughout their first two SEC games allowed for Tennessee and Alabama to stay committed to the run. Going up against non-Power Four competition in the first two games of the season vs. Marshall and Austin Peay likely had Georgia not wanting to draw up something fierce defensively that either of their rivals could see.
In the end, this feels like it is mostly about poor scheme and not having enough depth in the trenches.
Georgia has to find a way to generate pressure to make the playoff again
Look. There is no way around it. Georgia needs to do a better job of retaining players out of high school and developing them as such in Athens. Good to great players are going to take their talents to the NFL Draft every year out of a program like Georgia. The same principles apply to other great football factories like Alabama, Ohio State and Texas. What is so concerning is where are the dudes?
One position coach who rarely gets called out honestly needs to here. That would be defensive line coach Tray Scott. He has been here for years now, helping the Dawgs get even more ferocious in the trenches. Although he may not have the best ingredients to work with, it is his job to make do with what Kirby Smart and Glenn Schumann provide him. In reality, this really falls on Schumann the most.
Again, we have very rarely pointed the finger at Scott for a job not well done. Smart is pretty much untouchable at his alma mater. This may not be his best team to date, but he is still going to find a way to win a lot of these games. Frankly, it all comes back to Georgia needing to upgrade from Schumann on defense and Mike Bobo as the offensive coordinator this winter if Smart wants to win more titles.
With seemingly every team in the SEC having a vaunted pass rush of its own, will Georgia's reappear?