Auburn Football: Scouting the Georgia Bulldogs Defense and Special Teams
Oct 11, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Maty Mauk (7) is sacked by Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Jordan Jenkins (59) and linebacker Leonard Floyd (84) during the first half at Faurot Field. Georgia won 34-0. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Much like with the Auburn football team, the Georgia offense has received the bulk of the attention this season – and for good reason. The Bulldogs and Tigers each have one of the nation’s best collections of offensive talent, and the units have played very well. Additionally, both defenses have struggled at times.
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However, the Georgia D has its fair share of bright spots, beginning with new defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Pruitt came to Athens following a stint as the DC at Florida State, which of course beat Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game last season. Prior to that, Pruitt was an assistant coach at Alabama, where he was part of the staff that led the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national titles following the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He’s had mega success, and he’s had success against Auburn.
Pruitt’s 2014 Georgia defense currently ranks seventh in the SEC with a 23.2 points per game allowed average. The Bulldogs do have two shutouts this season – a 66-0 win over Troy and a 34-0 victory over Missouri in Columbia – but they allowed 38 points in losses to South Carolina and Florida as well as 32 points to Tennessee and Arkansas and 31 to Kentucky last week.
Overall, the defense has surrendered 152 rushing yards per game and 186 though the air for a respectable but far from dominant 338 total yards per game. The Bulldogs have a ton of talent on defense, but Auburn can gain chunks of yardage and put points on the scoreboard.
Next: Scouting the Georgia Defensive Line