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ATHENS - “We have to run the ball when we need too and we have to stop the run when we need too.”
That’s something we’ve heard time and time again now from the Georgia Bulldog staff this off-season.
The Dawgs took a step backwards in both areas last year and have made it a big emphasis in fall camp. Defensively, Georgia Bulldog defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann knows they have to improve in one big area if they want to stop the run better this fall.
“The number one thing we need to do better in run defense is tackle better”, Schumann told reporters last week. “In fact, we did not tackle to our standard last year. If you tackle better, you eliminate yards after contact, and we need to leverage football better, specifically, on the perimeter, where the ball bounced out too much. That goes back to trust and playing together as a unit. So one thing we’ve just been really harping on is the right way to tackle. That's not like this is some unique thing, but our guys are very aware of where we need to improve. They know to play Georgia football on both sides of the ball, we need to run the ball and stop the run.”
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Georgia's defense allowed 129.6 rushing yards per game last season. That ranked 37th in the country. You’re either elite or you’re not, and Georgia’s run defense was far from elite last year.
Now, they have to replace three first-round picks, another playmaking safety, and several more defensive linemen. It won’t be easy, but the staff has 100% made it a priority to get back to playing to the Georgia standard.
“I don’t think we were consistent enough to meet the standard,” Schumann added. “That's just the reality. You can't have games against five playoff opponents, teams that made the 12 team playoff, and play really well there, and then have four other games where you give up 28 points more, point blank period. We know that it has to be better, and you can't be up and down. Consistency is a mark of great defense. Everybody in that room knows that when they came to Georgia, they came to Georgia to play championship level defense, coaches, players included, and so anything short of that isn't the standard.”
In order to get back to the standard, Schumann will need his two talented inside linebackers to continue stepping up and playing well. CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson are two of the best across the SEC and will hope to lead the Bulldog defense to a giant season this fall.
“Their maturity level has always been high. I think their outward confidence, their leadership, how vocal they are and how that translates to them playing the game. They're playing faster, they're communicating faster. They’re anticipating, not not reacting.”
The focus right now is tackling. They need guys to step up in all areas, but it’s clear for them to improve, the tackling has to get significantly better.
