By philosophy and design, Kirby Smart’s defense is designed to stop the running game first and then the deep ball. It makes perfect sense in a league where the typical style is run, run, deep shot. We’ve discussed the personnel choices he’s made in terms of trading size for speed. But I wanted to look in more detail.
I’ve seen Georgia play several times this season but only payed close attention to their SEC CG appearance. No sane person is going to compare Texas to Bama today so I went back and watched some of their other games against the stronger teams on the rest of their schedule. It would be hard to argue that there is higher average talent among the group of Florida, Auburn, Kentucky, Missouri and LSU than at Texas so this seems like a reasonable comp. Most of my observations are based on those games.
Georgia’s defense usually does an excellent job shutting down the ground game between the tackles. It displays some weakness vs off tackle runs, especially cutbacks outside once the LBs step to fill inside gaps and significant weakness against run game extensions to the perimeter. In pass defense they rarely get beaten deep but often have trouble with intermediate routes, especially off play action and with covering the flats.
The 4i-0-4i front is commonly used (both Texas and Georgia do it). It puts 5 defenders (3 DL and 2 ILBs) inside the OTs. That has a distinct tendency to shut down interior running since it commits 3 guys to clog the A gaps. The inside shade on the OT does allow that man to block down on the DE to stop flow to the outside, which helps to explain the soft spot off tackle. It's risky to pull an OG against this front since the 4i DE can just follow the puller to the ball, so a good blocking TE/H-back is very valuable against this front. Against a pure running team like UK, Smart played a lot of 5 man fronts to set the edge, provide backside pursuit and contain but that will be tough to do if he goes nickel against the Horns.
Coverage emphasizes mixed looks that usually end up with cover 3 or quarters to stop vertical routes. Good design to stop big plays; not so great against teams that throw a lot of intermediate routes 10-15 yds downfield. Combine a mobile Texas QB with the worst pass rush in the SEC and those safeties are often going to spend a lot of time far downfield with LBs trying to cover the intermediate stuff. Being forced to cover longer gets every level dropping deeper, which helps to explain Georgia’s problems defending the flats. Safties covering Duvernay and CJ deep, LBs trying not to lose LJ dropping 10-12 yds off the LOS. Who does that leave when Beck, Ingram or Watson releases to the flats or a short crossing route? Even without a delayed release, UGa had trouble covering receivers out of the backfield, both RBs and motion WRs.
I’ve often been told I am extreme OCD. My sister says I really put the first 4 letters in analyst. But everyone should go with their strengths.