Grade Report: Georgia's Defense Overwhelms Florida

The defensive grades are in for Georgia's win against the Florida Gators.

Author:
Jonathan Williams
Oct 31, 2022 9:47 AM EDT

Georgia's offense put up 42 points while the defense allowed just 20 in their win against the Florida Gators to move to 8-0 on the season. The Bulldogs experienced some bumps on their road to a win but managed to find a way.

Offensive miscues in the third quarter allowed the Gators to climb back into the game but the Bulldogs closed out strong and finished with a solid day. So how did the defense grade out in their win against the Gators?

Defensive Line: A

Georgia's defensive line got after it for all four quarters. They may only have two sacks to show for it but they were in Anthony Richardson's face for the majority of the game. Florida was also one of the nation's best rushing offenses coming into today but only gained 100 total yards on the ground against Georgia.

The defensive line created havoc in the pocket, put relentless pressure on Richardson, and kept the Gators' run game in check. Georgia's defensive line has been a unit that has shown gradual improvement throughout the season and they looked the part against Florida.

Linebackers: A

When going up against a quarterback who can run like Richardson, linebackers hold a lot of responsibility and the task wasn't too big for Georgia's group. Jamon Dumas-Johnson led the group in tackles and slipped in a tackle for loss on the stat sheet as well. The Bulldogs' second line of defense helped contain Richardson and pitched in on stopping the run as well.

It wasn't a perfect showing from the linebackers on Saturday but they did what was needed of them to solidify a win and continue yet another dominant defensive season.

Secondary: B+

It was a day of highs and lows for Georgia's secondary. For the most part, they covered well and made some plays behind the line of scrimmage but they also allowed gave up some explosives. One of them resulted in a 78-yard touchdown pass to bring the game within eight points. Freshman safety Malaki Starks attempted to make a play on the football, and seemingly took a poor angle, leaving no one behind him. On another play, Kelee Ringo was in a good position coverage-wise but miss-timed his jump and the receiver was able to come down with the ball for a big play.

Up to this point, Georgia's secondary has been one of the more consistent units. They came into today leading the SEC in passing yards allowed but had some bad moments against Florida. They'll need to clean those things up before they face Tennessee's game-breaking offense or else the result will not be pretty.