Top Georgia Bulldog Defenders Earn Praise From UGA Football Coach
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ATHENS - After Dillon Bell’s fumble inside the five-yard line, the Georgia Bulldog defense had to make a big stop against State early in the ballgame.
The Dawgs were down 7-3 and just left six points on the board offensively. The Bulldogs in Maroon had momentum, but it wouldn’t last for long.
On a 3rd and 20 from their own 11, State quarterback Blake Shapen loses his mind and tries to scramble up the middle for minimal yards. He’s hit behind by Quintaviius Johnson, loses the football, and watches KJ Bolden jump on it.
Georgia ball.
The Dawgs would find the end-zone shortly after and take a 10-7 lead. They would not look back and eventually cruised to a comfortable 41-21 blowout victory.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart had a lot to say about both Johnson and Bolden this week after a strong game against Mississippi State.
"(Quintavius Johnson) is a much better leader”, Smart said. “He was forced into a role last year that he didn't play a lot, but he played. With the guys we've had leave at that position or go to the NFL, he's grown up a lot and he grew up quickly. I'm really proud of the way he owns his responsibility to the team and his leadership."
Johnson has made a massive impact for the Bulldog defense this year and is someone who has started to make more and more plays over time.
Then there’s KJ Bolden. The former five-star prospect is living up to the hype and lofty expectations this year and is fresh off one of his best games of his young career. The big-time safety made 10 tackles and one TFL during Georgia’s 41-21 win over Mississippi State and continues to grow as a leader in the locker room as well.
This year, I would say Bolden’s growth has been in leadership,” Smart told reporters this week. “I'd say his freshman year it was probably adding some bulk and some size and he's done a really good job of that in the offseason. He's fighting to maintain that throughout the season, because we like for him to play in that 195 range. He works really hard at that. His biggest growth this year is in being in a room where he has to step to the forefront and be a leader and communicate more. Where he relied on other guys to communicate in the past, he is the lead communicator on the back end now. And he's done a nice job of that."
Georgia’s defense is starting to really come along. They made several key stops in a row out in Starkville and are playing with a lot of confidence. They’re fast, they’re tough to run on, and they showed last week they can make plays in the secondary.
Look for Johnson and Bolden to continue making a big impact for the Bulldog defense down the stretch this season.
