Kirby Smart credits coach Glenn Schumann for CJ Allen’s big moment vs Kentucky
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is giving defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann most of the credit for linebacker C.J. Allen’s forced fumble in the team’s 35-14 win over the Kentucky Wildcats. The moment came at the beginning of the third quarter when Allen used what Schumann taught him in practice and punched the ball out […]
Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart is giving defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann most of the credit for linebacker C.J. Allen’s forced fumble in the team’s 35-14 win over the Kentucky Wildcats.
The moment came at the beginning of the third quarter when Allen used what Schumann taught him in practice and punched the ball out of Kentucky running back Seth McGowan’s arms as Kris Jones and Daylen Everette worked together to take McGowan down.
Allen also recovered the fumble, but officials ruled it as Kentucky’s ball.
That, of course, was until head coach Kirby Smart successfully challenged the call.
“Huge. Huge. I can’t tell you how hard Schumann and the defensive staff have worked,” Smart said of Allen’s forced fumble and fumble recovery. “I mean, we sacrificed 10, 20, 30 — like 30-40 practice minutes, which are like golden nuggets. I mean, to y’all 30-40 minutes is nothing, but 30-40 minutes out of a week to nothing but attempts and strip outs and targeting balls and punching balls is really big. And I didn’t see it, but it looks like he used one of the tools that we had to punch it.”
Allen’s big play marked Georgia’s first fumble recovery of the season, and they capitalized on it by scoring a touchdown five plays later to take a 35-7 lead over the Wildcats.
C.J. Allen’s Behind-the-Scenes Work Ethic Has Paid Off
It’s been an up-and-down start to the season for Georgia’s defense, but Allen has been one of the consistent bright spots. Through five games so far, Allen has recorded 30 total tackles, including 15 solo tackles, one sack, and one fumble recovery. He also leads Georgia in defensive stops with 15.
Before the season started, Smart made it a point to recognize the relentless behind-the-scenes effort that Allen had been putting in day after day.
“C.J. Allen is a rising junior and one of the best leaders we’ve had in our program at linebacker. He is from Barnesville, Georgia, right down the road, and is a tremendous leader,” Smart said.
“Quick story about C.J.: My son needed to get treatment for the last couple months, and he would come in the office every morning around 6:50, 6:55 to get treatment at 7:00 so he could make it to school by 8:00, and there wasn’t a morning that we got there that C.J. Allen was not already in the training room doing some kind of prehab, rehab, running, getting warmed up, taking care of injuries. He’s just a relentless worker and a relentless competitor, who got to play in some big games as a freshman, probably even before he was ready, and that’s paid off for us last year and this year with C.J.”
Georgia Bulldogs News
Cash Jones flexes versatile skills in Georgia’s dominating win over Kentucky
Cash Jones had a quieter start to the 2025 college football season but he made a statement in the team’s dominating win over the Kentucky.
