(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

The 2009 Georgia Bulldogs have spent a lot of time being dissected, debated, and doubted by fans and critics alike.

It isn't that they have been an awful team so much as they have been a victim of their own prior successes.

No matter what anyone has to say about the coaching ability of Mark Richt, the stats simply don't lie—he has put this Georgia Bulldog team in the upper echelon of Division I football and that is nothing to scoff at if you are a die-hard fan.

However, this season has been a major disappointment because of the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the team on the field each week. We can't seem to find our identity and when we come close, we digress into poor play, bad effort, and lackadaisical output on the field.

That said, sitting at 4-3 on the season, it's time to give the Dawgs a midseason progress report.

This isn't the first of its kind for our beloved Bulldogs. Fellow Dawg fan Mike Foster has already put forth a solid effort of his own that you can see here if you are interested.

This article is just another report from a different angle.

The Defensive Line

The 2009 campaign started with so much hope for the defensive line. Our front four was supposed to be fierce with Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Justin Houston, and Roderick Battle leading the charge.

Well, Justin Houston was suspended for the first two games and Roderick Battle was lost for the season during the South Carolina game—there went the possibility of the defensive end spots being dominant.

The tone of the defensive line was set from that point forward and, so far, the production from each spot has ranged from decent to average as our guys have proven to be more stout against the run than the pass.

We are still struggling to find a consistent edge rusher but Justin Houston's return has been a boon—he has recorded three sacks since his return.

However, neither Jeff Owens nor Geno Atkins have been the terrors that we hoped.

They have performed well but not as expected. Owens' return was thought to elevate the play of Geno Atkins. However, neither has found pay dirt this season and both have made only quiet contributions at best.

Moving forward it would be nice to see more aggressive play from our line and increased pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

Defensive Line Grade: C+

SEC Sack Rank: 6th

SEC Tackles for Loss Rank: 7th

The Linebackers

There's Rennie Curran and then there's everyone else. Rennie again has shined at the Will (Weakside Linebacker) spot, making sure tackles and keeping runners honest.

The remainder of the linebacker corps has played fairly well overall despite injuries to key players.

Both Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent have missed time, but freshman Christian Robinson has played well in their absence and will likely continue to get playing opportunities even after they return.

Sophomore Marcus Dowtin has played exceptionally well this season and is the seventh leading tackler on the team—behind Justin Houston. He has been slowed in recent weeks by injury, but his performances in the first five weeks of the season have proven that he has the goods.

Overall, the linebackers have performed well and could be better if the front four were able to bring about a better pass rush and force more of their opposition to be balanced offensively. At this point many teams are comfortable passing the ball on Georgia.

That said, the Tennessee game did expose some weaknesses in tackling and technique. If there is an area of improvement that needs to be made it's in the mental aspects of our linebacker play. They have to be more focused on every play, know when to stay home, and when to pursue.

Moving forward, consistency and focus will be key.

Linebacker Grade: B+

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