Houston brings pressure for Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. -- The math is really, really simple.

In Georgia's first two football games this season, when sophomore defensive end Justin Houston sat out because of a suspension, the Bulldogs tallied two sacks. With Houston back in the lineup the past three games, Georgia has amassed nine sacks.

An average of a sack a game without Houston. An average of three sacks a game with him.

"When he was allowed to play, you could see the confidence level go up from the defensive line perspective, the linebackers and the secondary," defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said. "They were like, 'Hey, we're going to get some pressure on the quarterback.' Any time you have success, it breeds confidence, and that's happened in the last couple of weeks."

While the Bulldogs aren't evoking the days of Bill Stanfill, Ben Zambiasi and David Pollack defensively entering Saturday's game at Tennessee, they are playing better than last year or even last month. They held Arizona State to 204 total yards two weeks ago and held LSU to two field goals in 57 minutes last Saturday before the Tigers erupted late.

Georgia will arrive at Neyland Stadium coming off a six-sack performance and having allowed just one touchdown drive of more than 40 yards in nine quarters.

"Coach Martinez has been telling us to pin our ears back and go," Houston said. "For us to have a great defense, we've got to provide pressure on the quarterback. I feel like I've helped, but I feel like I've got a ways to go before making this team even better."

Said Vols coach Lane Kiffin: "That No. 42 is a great speed-rusher, and we're going to have our hands full."

A 6-foot-3, 259-pound redshirt sophomore from Statesboro, Ga., Houston was Georgia's most dominant defensive end this spring, tallying three sacks at the G-Day game. He returned for the 52-41 win at Arkansas and wasn't in game shape according to Martinez, but he still finished second on the team with seven tackles.

Houston had four tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack in the 20-17 win over ASU and had six tackles, including two sacks, last Saturday. Georgia's defense opened the third quarter last week with three consecutive lost-yardage stops, including a sack by Kade Weston and a sack by Houston and Jeff Owens that backed the Tigers from their 19-yard line to their 2.

Weston had the most productive performance of his career with five tackles and a sack against LSU, and he gives a lot of the credit to Houston.

"He's been doing a great job of coming off the edge, he and Demarcus Dobbs both," Weston said. "That helps a lot, because they've got to worry about the ends coming off the edge. If the quarterback steps up, inside guys can get the sacks, so I think we've been doing a good job working together in the pass rush."

Georgia's improved pressure comes at a needed time, as the Bulldogs have struggled in getting to Tennessee quarterbacks. In the past three series meetings, Georgia has amassed three total sacks and didn't have any in its 35-14 loss two years ago.

The Bulldogs had their worst productivity of the decade at defensive end last year, but continued struggles earlier this season have been reversed by Houston.

"Whenever you get pressure on a quarterback without blitzing, you've got a chance to play pretty good, consistent defense," Martinez said. "Justin has been able to do that for us."

ODDS AND ENDS

Georgia's top two backup linebackers, Akeem Dent (hamstring) and Marcus Dowtin (finger), will not make the trip to Knoxville according to Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt. ... Richt said starting split end Tavarres King suffered a concussion along with backup tailback Caleb King against LSU and that neither was likely to travel. ... The Nov. 7 home game against Tennessee Tech will be Georgia's one pay-per-view contest and will kick off at 1 p.m. ... Richt did not comment Wednesday on Atlanta Sports Council president Gary Stokan's desire for Georgia and Georgia Tech to open the 2011 season in the Georgia Dome.