Nobody has been able to run much on Georgia this season.
Throwing against the Bulldogs hasn't been easy, either.
Their defense was dominant throughout five September victories, and that includes a secondary often overshadowed by a veteran linebacking corps and the talents of Trenton Thompson and several super sophomores up front. The Bulldogs were the last Southeastern Conference team to record an interception this season but have made up for that with two picks in each of their past two blowouts of Mississippi State and Tennessee.
"This is a great feeling for the DBs," safety J.R. Reed said after Saturday's 41-0 vanquishing of the Volunteers. "I believe that we're DB U. and that we've got the guys to do it. We're starting to see the results, and it makes us want to work harder and keep believing."
Tennessee wide receiver Josh Smith (25) and Georgia defensive back Tyrique McGhee (26) reach for a pass during an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017, in Knoxville, Tenn. (Michael Patrick/Knoxville News Sentinel via AP)
The Bulldogs, who climbed to No. 5 in The Associated Press poll released Sunday, will face Vanderbilt at noon Eastern this Saturday in Nashville. The game will be televised by ESPN.
Georgia has jumped out to double-digit leads during the first quarter of its past three games, which includes the 42-14 pasting of Samford, thus forcing foes to start throwing sooner than they would like. One would never notice that's the case statistically, however, as the Bulldogs have allowed an average of just 153.6 passing yards per game to rank 10th in the nation.
The Bulldogs are seventh nationally in pass-efficiency defense.
"The talent and depth we have on our defense shows that we can lock down inside and play to our strengths," cornerback Tyrique McGhee said.
McGhee and Reed had interceptions in Knoxville, with McGhee picking off Quinten Dormady on the first play from scrimmage. Deandre Baker and Dominick Sanders collected interceptions in the 31-3 rout of Mississippi State on Sept. 23 in Athens.
Tennessee had one play longer than 10 yards Saturday, and the 44-yard pass from Dormady to running back John Kelly early in the third quarter ended with Bulldogs defensive back Aaron Davis stripping the ball and Reed falling on it.
Georgia's defense overall is allowing just 244.0 yards per game, which leads the SEC and ranks third nationally. The Bulldogs entered this season with 14 of their top 15 tacklers back from a year ago and have added Reed, who began his college career at Tulsa, and promising freshmen such as linebacker Walter Grant and safety Richard LeCounte III.
Second-year Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart knows his defense and his team are much better from a year ago, when a 3-2 start included a 45-14 loss at Ole Miss, but he has been cautious in his praise.
"We're improving our depth through recruiting, and we're improving our team through developing at practice," he said. "We've got more good players out there, so they're able to practice against each other and compete. The culture at practice is what creates games like today.
"We've got another big challenge this next week, because Vandy's got a good team. You can say all you want about their game against Alabama, but I know they have a good coaching staff and a good team - case in point, last year."
Georgia may have a great team and a great secondary. Case in point, last month.
"We just had to keep working," Reed said. "We knew we couldn't get away from the process. Everyone is flying to the ball, and when you do that, good things happen. If we were relaxing and not going to the ball, we wouldn't get those turnovers."
Odds and ends
Georgia is 19-for-19 in red-zone opportunities this season with 14 touchdowns. ... The Bulldogs rank second nationally behind Alabama in scoring defense, having yielded an average of just 9.2 points per game. ... The Bulldogs have opened as 15.5-point favorites over the Commodores.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.
