ATHENS, Ga. – Georgia allowing a kickoff return for a touchdown used to be a once-a-decade occurrence.
Now it’s once a game.
The Bulldogs have allowed kickoff returns for touchdowns in consecutive contests, with Florida’s Jeff Demps scoring on a 99-yard return last Saturday and Vanderbilt’s Andre Hal scoring from 96 yards out on Oct. 15. Georgia ranks 109th among the 120 Bowl Subdivision teams in kickoff coverage, allowing 25 yards a return.
“Early in the year, we were doing some things fundamentally extremely well,” Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said Tuesday. “Then it got especially sloppy in this last ballgame. Guys were just not avoiding blocks in the right direction. If everybody avoids blocks properly, then you’ve got all your gaps taken care of.
“When you have guys just kind of ad-libbing, then you get these creases.”