Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart must fix one big thing to have any shot at winning the College Football Playoff
The Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart have still just lost three total games since the start of the 2021 college football season. All three of those losses have been to Alabama. However, this year's version of Georgia looks like they might lose to somebody besides the Crimson Tide if they don't get their act together. […]
The Georgia Bulldogs and Kirby Smart have still just lost three total games since the start of the 2021 college football season. All three of those losses have been to Alabama. However, this year's version of Georgia looks like they might lose to somebody besides the Crimson Tide if they don't get their act together. And if Georgia wants any shot at winning the expanded 12-Team College Football Playoff this year they're going to have to fix one key thing on defense: the pass rush.
Against Alabama and Jalen Milroe–a quarterback who has largely struggled with pressure and avoiding sacks throughout his career–Georgia could not get things done up front. Jalon Walker did log the team's lone sack of the game, and the pressure cranked up on a couple drives late, but overall Georgia just couldn't get to the quarterback. Surprisingly, that's been an issue all season.
Yes, they whooped up on Tennessee Tech and got home a few times this past week against Auburn, but if Georgia can't fix the pass rush that's going to bite them against teams with a pulse.
Georgia currently ranks 70th in total pass rush pressures among all FBS teams. They rank 10th in the SEC, just behind Florida. That's not going to cut it. And when we break it down player by player things look even worse.
Georgia has just two players who have logged double-digit pass rush pressures on the season in Jalon Walker and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Both of them have just 10 total pressures per Pro Football Focus. There are only 28 (mostly bad) teams in all of college football with less than two players who have 10+ pressures so far, and Georgia barely has two.
Jalon Walker and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
Jalon Walker has been the one true exception in pass rush for Georgia this year. In fact, he's been absolutely spectacular this season in almost every single facet of the game. His 10 pressures have come on barely 60 pass rush attempts, as he's posting an impressive pressure rate around 16%. And he doesn't just win in one way. Just look at all the ways he created pressure against Kentucky a few short weeks ago in the post below.
Walker can rush from off-ball linebacker, off the edge, or sprinting up the middle. It doesn't matter where Walker lines up or who he's matched up against, he can create pressure. But Georgia needs more of that from other players too.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has really stepped up over the past few weeks as he's grabbed three sacks and all 10 of his pressures since the Kentucky game. He was so good against Kentucky he actually won SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Ingram-Dawkins now ranks inside the top ten in the nation in total tackles for loss, and has gotten his pass rush pressure rate up near 10%, but he still has room for improvement as well. If a team's second best pass rusher still can't eclipse a 10% pass rush pressure rate, especially when it's Georgia we're talking about, that's a problem.
Georgia defenders who need to step up
Part of the problem with Georgia's pass rush has admittedly been related to injuries. For instance, Mykel Williams and Warren Brinson both need to get and stay fully healthy. Several other players have been dinged up along the defense front too, but the players who are healthy just have not been getting it done.
Damon Wilson Jr., Chaz Chambliss, and Gabe Harris barely have 15 pressures between them on the season as the team's three, four, and five edge rushers. Nazir Stackhouse continues to be a complete zero in getting after the passer again this season. Something has to change. Georgia's defensive front should be among the top three in the SEC and top ten in the nation, not flirting with mediocrity across the board.
Hopefully once Mykel Williams and Warren Brinson get back to 100% some of these pass rushing woes go away, but for now, Kirby Smart has to figure out ways to create pressure with the disappointing players he has. If not, the Bulldogs could be in for another disappointing loss far sooner than fans might expect.
Be looking for more Georgia Bulldogs coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
