Georgia linebackers Walter Grant (84) and Natrez Patrick (6) tackle Tennessee running back Tim Jordan during Saturday’s 38-12 Georgia victory at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.ATHENS, Ga. – To a man – at least those in pads and red jerseys – Georgia’s defensive effort in Saturday’s 38-12 win over Tennessee showed marked improvement.
To Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart, though, it was still not what he expects.
Georgia limited the Volunteers to 66 rushing yards and an average of fewer than 3 yards per carry. Ty Chandler’s 17-yard run on the game’s first play was by far Tennessee’s biggest gain of the day.
Linebackers Natrez Patrick, Monty Rice and D’Andre Walker allowed few yards after contact, helping turn the Tennessee offense into something it didn’t want to be.
“I think we are getting better every week at something, and as long as we continue to do that and not become complacent, we will continue to become a great team,” said safety J.R. Reed, who led Georgia in tackles with six. “This week it was just tweaking the little things, getting the fundamentals back together, stopping the run and making them become a passing team.”
The return of Rice from a leg injury that caused him to miss the previous game at Missouri produced a noticeable difference in the linebacking play, Smart said. The sophomore had five tackles and was a big part of the physical improvement Georgia’s staff wanted to see from the defense this week.
“It was great seeing Monty back out there,” Smart said. “He gives us a tough physical presence. I don’t know that he is 100 percent, but he’s getting there. I thought we played hard and we’re getting better, though we still had some busts.”
Smart, ever the defensive perfectionist, downplayed the impressive stats.
“When we played it right, we had success, but at times we were out of position and they got yards,” he said. “We’ve got to execute at a higher clip. Am I happy with the numbers? Yes, but I look at it like this guy didn’t line up right and didn’t play with the right technique and we allowed a 9-yard run.
“But I am proud of the toughness and the striking and the ability to hold the runs within reason.”
The Bulldogs allowed 172 rushing yards to Missouri, not noted for its running game, something that obviously didn’t stick too well with Georgia coaches and players.
Rice echoed his coach’s thoughts about Saturday’s improved effort. He, too, was unhappy with two Tennessee second-half touchdown drives.
“If you let people run the ball on you, you will lose,” he said. “We had a lot of motivation during the week to improve in that area. At the end we had a few busts. We played good, but we didn’t finish as well as we could, in my opinion.”
Smart continually preaches about the “Georgia standard,” and though the exact meaning isn’t known, the Bulldogs’ defense is, if you listen to the players, getting closer to reaching it. With a tough road game looming at LSU, the annual slugfest with Florida and a date against the Southeastern Conference’s most improved team, Kentucky, getting there might be the key to defending the SEC East title.
“The run game – today is the standard against the run,” Patrick said. “We want to outrush everybody, and we want to be more physical than everybody and stop the run.
“We have to tighten up as a defense, and we have to play to a certain standard. We have to keep reminding our team that there is a certain standard at the University of Georgia, and that’s where we want to play at. We set the bar high.”
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6296. Follow him on Twitter @youngsports22.