travisduncan
Gator Fan
By Travis Duncan
Gator Envy writer
Georgia's weakness is its defense.
They can score no problem, ranking 30th both in passing (281.7) and rushing (205.1) in FBS and 17th in points per game 39.6.
But the Bulldog defense needs some work, particularly against the run.
Earlier this week Bulldog senior safety Shawn Williams had this to say:
"We’ve gotta stop playing soft. We’re playing too soft defensively,” Williams said, via The Macon Telegraph.
"That goes for D-line, linebackers, corners, safeties. I don’t know, we’re not playing with the same attitude we played with last year. I don’t know what it is."
Against the run the Bulldogs rank 72nd in FBS, giving up an average of 167.86 per game.. 72nd in all of FBS. And that's accounting for many non BCS powers. 72nd against the run is almost unimaginable for a team which is 7-1.
So expect that the Gator offense will continue to go through Mike Gillislee and Jeff Driskel on the ground. The classic 2012 Gator ball control strategy.
"We approach all games the same. I know no one wants to hear that but that’s the way we do it here," head coach Will Muschamp said this week.
"I think that when you consistently approach things the same way, you promote consistent performance in your players and you don’t get a lot of peaks and valleys with how they play and how they approach it."
Georgia's only loss this season came October 6th in Columbia, S.C. where they allowed five touchdowns to the Gamecocks.
As bad as the Bulldogs are against the run, and have struggled defensively, quarterback Aaron Murray could potentially pick the Gator secondary apart.
Murray passed for 427 yards and four touchdowns on 30 of 38 passes in last Saturday's win over Kentucky.
In scheming against Murray, a passer who will play on Sundays, Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will not be able to send the blitz as he has against lesser competition and lesser quarterbacks. Stopping Murray simply will be pass coverage and schemes. Blitzing and pressure will help, but Murray is an acumen on reading coverage and finding the soft spots.
"He is a hard guy to sack because he clearly knows when he feels pressure," Quinn said via the Independent Florida Alligator.
"I’ve got a lot of respect for him and how he plays at that position in terms of being able to distribute the ball to guys."
Georgia appears to be lacking confidence having trailed Kentucky three times to hold on to a 29-24 win a week ago. And despite the fact Georgia still has an opportunity to play for the SEC Championship and potentially in the National Title game or BCS, they do not sound confident group of players.
"We know we have to play an unbelievable game offensively, defensively and special teams if we want to have a chance to win that game," Murray said.