Georgia's Defensive Issues Go Well Beyond the Secondary's Struggles

Say what you want about offensive play-calling or missed field goals, but the Georgia Bulldogs lost their conference opener to South Carolina because of obvious defensive struggles.  And though less apparent, Georgia's defensive shortcomings go well beyond poor play in the secondary.

In the tease that was the second-half effort against the Clemson Tigers in Week 1, Jeremy Pruitt coordinated a valiantly dominant game plan.  Persistent pressure on the quarterback disrupted timing and allowed defensive backs to play aggressively in coverage without getting beaten deep.  Against the run, the Dawgs were content to bend without breaking as Georgia's lead widened.  

The results—from both a visual and statistical standpoint—were staggering.

But as the team (and fans) learned against South Carolina, some of that success was fool's gold.  That formula was far less formidable against the Gamecocks.

Opponent	Passing Yards	Rushing Yards	Total Yards	First Downs	Points
Clemson	203	88	291	15	21
South Carolina	271	176	447	27	38

The most glaring deficiencies were in the secondary.  Time and time again—particularly in the first half—South Carolina receivers ran free, surrounded only by open field.  As a result, quarterback Dylan Thompson torched the Bulldogs by completing 19 of 25 passes for 240 yards and three touchdown passes over the course of the game's first two quarters.

But those ugly and repeated lapses in coverage were not the isolated result of missed assignments by cornerbacks and safeties.  To the contrary, those miscues were aided and abetted by a lack of defensive pressure.  

The well-timed and oft-disguised blitzes that sent Clemson into a downward spiral were nonexistent against South Carolina.  Rushing linebackers (from either the outside or inside) crept to the line too early and exposed intent far too often before the ball was snapped.  

On several occasions, freshman defensive back Dominick Sanders arrived at the line of scrimmage so early (only to have to pause for the snap) that he looked like an undersized defensive end.  Repeated premature aggression on blitzes allowed Thompson, a fifth-year senior, to know exactly where to go before the ball was even snapped.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

To the Gamecocks' credit, they boast one of the better offensive lines in the SEC, and that unit proved its worth against Georgia's front seven.  After registering nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage and five sacks against Clemson, Georgia managed just five tackles for a loss against South Carolina.  Amarlo Herrera had the Bulldogs' only sack.

But a lack of defensive pressure wasn't the only shortcoming of Georgia's defensive front.  Perhaps the most frustrating facet of the entire evening—and something very few fans are bemoaning this week—was Georgia's inability to stop the run in crucial situations.  

While Georgia (and a minor ankle injury) mostly limited star running back Mike Davis, backup Brandon Wilds burned Georgia's defense repeatedly—most often in obvious running situations.  While Wilds wasn't statistically dominant by any means, the consistency with which he picked up yardage, extended drives and helped South Carolina eat the clock or score second-half points was staggering.

In the third quarter, Wilds ran the ball five times for 33 yards in the midst of a long South Carolina touchdown drive that put the Gamecocks up 31-20.  Along the way, he picked up two first downs—both in short-yardage situations.

In the final period it was Wilds—again, not Davis, the starter—who ripped off 39 yards and a touchdown on just two carries to put South Carolina back up by 10 points.  It was Wilds who churned out 11 yards on second down to extend South Carolina's final clock-eating drive.  Wilds also picked up six yards on third down to set up Thompson's sneak for the game's final first down.

It's easy to highlight Georgia's young secondary and the passing yards surrendered as the reason for this loss, but Georgia's heralded defensive line and star linebackers couldn't stop a second-team running back and couldn't get Pruitt's unit off the field.

Where Does the Defense Go Now?

Prior to the South Carolina game, pointing to the youth of the 2014 season seemed like a cautionary warning.  Now, it seems like a feigned attempt at encouragement.  But the truth of the matter is the season is young.  Georgia is not out of conference contention by any means, but the defense must improve.

The good news is that Pruitt, a proven coordinator with a knack for generating midseason growth, knows there's a lot of work to be done.  According to Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald, Pruitt took the blame for the disappointing effort against South Carolina.  "I put them in a situation where they didn't have a chance to be successful and that's my fault," he confessed.  

He also recognized the burden his unit placed on Mike Bobo's offense, saying, "If you score 35 points and we don't win, then we're not doing our job."

Don't expect Pruitt to continually fail to do his job competently.

The secondary will improve with repetition and further instruction from Pruitt, who is also the coach of that position group.  If that happens, and the front seven refine smaller points (like timing on blitzes) and renew an emphasis on winning the point of attack, this defense could be one of the most improved in the conference.

But keep in mind, it needs that much improvement.  That may take some time.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.