Georgia Football: Defense Turns in Best Performance in Years

By Brandon Daniel @Brandon_Rant on October 11, 2014

All the talk in the latter half of this week was on one person: Todd Gurley. And then the Gurley questions were if Nick Chubb could carry the load and whether or not Hutson Mason could carry the team.

No one really brought up the defense. Even under much-hyped defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, the defense in Athens has been an afterthought. That was not the case against the Missouri Tigers, however.

The Georgia Bulldogs‘ defense was the backbone to a big victory in Columbia. Sure, Chubb looked Gurley-esque and Mason was incredibly efficient, but it was the defense that stood tall and carried the day. It was a performance not seen from a Georgia team in years.

Pruitt’s unit shut down an offense averaging 34 points and 400 yards of total offense per game. They also did it on the road. There wasn’t one area or unit that looked weak throughout the day.

The front seven, led by Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins, harassed Mizzou quarterback all afternoon. The most surprising thing, however, was that those guys weren’t just blowing up offensive lineman. The secondary deserves a lot of credit.

Receivers were rarely wide-open and defensive backs held coverage long enough for the pass rushers to get in Maty Mauk’s face. Brendan Langley especially stood out, starting his first game since being moved from the offense last week. The results were bad throws, which gave a huge advantage in turnover margin for the Bulldogs.

Not since the Sugar Bowl victory of 2008 against the University of Hawaii have we seen a Bulldog defense play so well together and dominate a football game from start to finish. This could be a promising sign for the Bulldogs’ future.

If this defense has turned a corner, the Bulldogs have the look of a complete team. If Gurley is allowed to play again this season, the offense is just that much better, but they proved they can still score 30-plus without him. And the running back depth will return in the coming weeks when Keith Marshall and Sony Michel make it back from injury.

The special teams have looked great through the first seven weeks as well. Marshall Morgan is still reliable, the punters are getting it done and Isaiah McKenzie is special in the return game. The defense has been the only thing holding the Bulldogs back.

After this performance against Mizzou, the Bulldogs look primed to come on strong at the end of season and run away with the East. If they can just get into the Georgia Dome, anything can happen.