When Notre Dame tried to run to the perimeter during last Saturday night's 20-19 loss to visiting Georgia, the Fighting Irish were greeted by Bulldogs outside linebackers Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter.
When the Irish tried to turn things back up the field, Georgia's inside duo of Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick were waiting.
It's a challenge Samford will have to face Saturday night inside Sanford Stadium, and it's a task awaiting Southeastern Conference foes down the road. Notre Dame entered last weekend having rushed for 422 yards in an opening rout of Temple, but quarterback Brandon Wimbush and the Irish were held to 55 on the ground against the Bulldogs.
"We played lights out," Smith told reporters after the game. "We do what we have to do and play within the system. Coming into the game, we had to keep him in the pocket and force him to beat us in the pocket. He did a lot of scrambling against Temple, so we wanted him to beat us from the pocket."
Bellamy caused the Wimbush fumble in the final 90 seconds that sealed Georgia's victory, and Carter was rewarded as the SEC defensive player of the week for his performance in South Bend, but Smith was impressive as well. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior from Montezuma, Ga., made six tackles, including a 3-yard sack.
Late in the first quarter, the Irish went three-and-out with Smith collecting all three stops.
"Roquan is a special player," Bulldogs second- year coach Kirby Smart said this week. "I knew in high school he was going to be a talented player. Everybody in the country saw that, and it's why he was so highly recruited. He does it the right way. What you see on Saturday, we see every day in practice.
"When you go into a game, you don't have to worry about Roquan."
Smart's sentiments are echoed by the players, especially Bellamy and Carter, who chose last December to come back for their senior seasons.
"You just come to expect great things from him Roquan," Carter said. "He is the leader and heart and soul of our defense at inside linebacker. He makes everything work. I'm proud to have a guy like that on the inside when I look to my left.''
Smith is no overnight success, of course, having led the team in tackles last year with 95. He also tallied five tackles for loss, five quarterback pressures and two forced fumbles.
Through two games this season, Smith has 13 stops and the sack.
"He's raised his game from the time I've been here," Smart said. "He's really been intense, and he's been very consistent. He doesn't have many up-and-down practices and gives you his best effort every day, and he does the same in games. Some of the plays they were running last week centered around him, and he was able to make plays.
"I think he's playing with more confidence this year. I think he understands the defense a little better. Who wouldn't with another year under their belt? That has allowed him to play with a little more quickness and react to things a little quicker. We're excited about where he's at, and he's been really consistent."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.