Georgia Defensive Line Wreaked Havoc Against Clemson
Ahead of kickoff against Clemson, the Georgia coaching staff knew that they needed a position group to step up against this talented Tiger offense. The defense line did just that and consistently showed up in key spots.
During Clemson's first offensive series, it was apparent that their offensive line would have a tough night against the Bulldog defensive line. Georgia had many established talents returning on their line, and the experience mismatch proved too much.
Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei could not find a rhythm as the game progressed because the front-four continued to find ways to collapse the pocket. He had to rush through progressions and was forced into multiple inaccurate passes when under duress.
Georgia tallied seven sacks on the night, many of which came on pivotal third downs. The fun started when edge rusher Nolan Smith beat his assignment on third-down to end Clemson's first drive. The play was an omen of things to come, and the Bulldogs did not slow down as the game progressed.
They were able to create pressure both on the edge and on the interior. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis was dominant, allowing the edge rushers to take advantage of one-on-one situations outside.
The most impressive thing about the defensive lines' night was how many players contributed to the effort. Here is the entire list of Bulldog defensive linemen that had a sack on Saturday.
- Jordan Davis, DT
- Jalen Carter, DT
- Adam Anderson, EDGE
- Travon Walker, EDGE
- Nolan Smith II, EDGE
Inside linebacker Nakobe Dean also chipped in with two sacks and several pressures. Uiagalelei was never able to settle into the football game, and as a result, the Clemson offense routinely stalled out.
The defensive line made their best plays at the biggest moments. On a key fourth down and five in the fourth quarter, Clemson had a chance to get a first down and extend the drive.
The Bulldogs brought extra defenders and quickly broke through into the backfield. Uiagalelei was immediately forced off his spot and threw an errant pass that fell to the turf incomplete.
The Clemson front-four drew all of the attention coming into the game, but it turned out to be Georgia's front that stole the show. Defensive coordinator Dan Lanning threw several schemes at the Tiger offense to confuse them and allowed his edge rushers to get upfield and take down the quarterback.
Lanning spoke earlier in the offseason about how special this front-four is. He traditionally runs a team-oriented pass rush where edge rushers have to play contain, and the defense gets pressure without having a dominant player.
That is not going to be the case this season. He has multiple players along the defensive line who can change a game, and he indicated that he plans to use them accordingly.
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