This defense will allow you to be multiple in your coaches. We just plan on doing it better than they do," said Dean, who showcased his speed on a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown against Florida. He was dismissed from Clemson's team a few months after the conclusion of the 2020 season and has stepped in as Georgia's man coverage specialist. Georgia wasted no time prioritizing the defensive back position in 2021. They run so well to the football, and they get there angry. Saban makes his defenses handle an array of every type of blitz, front, or coverage stored within the vast mental rolodex of his coaching experience. Eligibility restrictions apply. The LB at the top of the line can cover the RB on a route or take him on if he stays into block. "We might not get the best matchup because a linebacker might be where a receiver is, but when you play zone and you bring pressure, it gives you a way to get a negative play without giving up big plays," Smart said. Since 2000, Georgia's 53 points allowed is the fewest through eight games. Do more with less. Safeties Lewis Cine and Latavious Brini are both taller than 6 feet and weigh more than 200 pounds. And it was by all accounts, a game of largess. But it was much more of a possession game back then, and tempo and run-pass options weren't ingrained in offenses the way they are now. and as soon as the QB gets pushed off his spot or a lane opens up, that linebacker can take off. What's not the same about this defense, according to Smart, is the way Georgia is playing more zone and not getting caught up in trying to match up all the time. When we do bring everybody, it almost panics the quarterback because there is real pressure and there is real push, says Schumann. Quarterbacks get used to seeing defenders near the line of scrimmage, but they never know who will be dropping or blitzing, and if the coverage will be man or zone. But he knows the reward. Smaller lineman can get down the line and cover screens. Those in-breaking routes are taken away. If that explanation somehow didnt scare you off, you can find me there talking Bulldog football at all hours -probably also discussing my belief in the goodness of waffles, why Atlanta sports have ruined my life, as well as frank conversations about the importance of mental health-the latter being often related to the former. And the Dawgs' defensive linemen are versatile enough to drop into coverage and tip passes that lead to interceptions, as 6-foot-5, 275-pound Travon Walker did against Florida. Defense Playbooks - Youth Football Online Georgia's defense stands not just as the class of 2021s college football season, but it also knocks on the door of historic greatness in an era of more space, yards and points than weve ever seen. Smarts defense to that point had been based on the opponents personnel. https://t.co/tMN6NCiJQZ, SEC StatCat (@SEC_StatCat) February 3, 2021. As for the Alvarez stuff I have been looking it over. Tramel Walthour (RSoph.) They succeed on a death grip, dementor, impossible level. Still, as elite and historic as it was-it was not completely shocking. National Title Contendin' Clemson. Coach Hoover thanks for linking the Oregon playbook. Briles' Arkansas offense rushed for a combined 530 yards in wins over Texas and Texas A&M and then 350 yards in a 52-51 loss to Ole Miss, but the Hogs managed just 75 yards on the ground in a 37-0 loss to Georgia. I dont pray for this or that concerning football plays I do hope UGA football has multiple dagger/daggers/knives/pocket knives/machetes/butcher knives and cannon shots for all opponents on the 2021 UGA football schedule. They ran the ball sideline to sideline in an effort to wear out the bigger Alabama defenders and negate OSUs size advantage. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Georgia Bulldogs' Defense Gets Makeover with 3-4 Scheme: A New Look In the 2018, '19 and '20 recruiting classes, Georgia signed 13 ESPN four-star prospects from seven different states who are in the defensive rotation right now, which doesn't count players like Azeez Ojulari and Campbell, who have moved on to the NFL. Five Concepts from the National Championship Game - Substack Why? Thanks for the comments guys. I think there have been faster, and outright better, defensive players at Georgia prior to 2021, but what were breaking down today is a scheme much more interested in attacking the spread than defending it. All that being said, theyre still the best program in college football.. Florida's only touchdown came in the final three minutes with Georgia leading 27-0. Become impossible. For years, Gary Patterson laid claim to the most flexible defense in the sport, Brent Venables current tenure peaked as what looked to be the Alabama antidote, Pat Narduzzis old-school Cover 4 helped build Michigan State into a contender and Bud Foster was all but guaranteed to kick dust in the eyes of an ACC championship hopeful. Of course, that line-em-up+knock-em-down philosophy worked quite well against most of Georgias defensive foes. The inside linebacker is sitting in the middle of the field. It should be closer to the offense we saw Mullen run with Nick Fitzgerald and Dak Prescott. They have to make good, smart decisions. Watch past game tape and see how that goes. They're not getting in,'" Smart recalled. Defensive Playbook - . But, for several years now, the Bulldogs have been building something special with the 2021 season a culmination of Kirby Smart and staff work thus far. When you're rushing the passer, it exhausts you. "They have bigger defensive backs with long arms who are physical and can run and tackle. "That's our mindset, the same mindset we've had since summer workouts, since our first practice, since our first game. The Dawgs are rotating four or five players for the two inside spots on the defensive line and another four or five players for two spots at the outside linebacker and end positions, according to Smart. 3. ATHENS, Ga. -- As Arkansas offensive coordinator Kendal Briles pored over tape of Georgia's defense last month leading up to their game, he couldn't help but mutter to himself. "You're going to get the same Georgia defense," he said. But the makeup is so different. The numbers 10/11 for midline and 12/13 for inside veer match CPJ's 1996 playbook. In fact, the 2017 UGA defense was made of Richt era recruited players. 3rd & 6+ is a passing down for most of college football, and 3rd & 3+ is the marker for most NFL teams. The reason that Georgias defense is so problematic is that there isnt an easy answer to a defense not made on shortcuts. 7, 8 and 9 guys aren't nearly as good as 1, 2 and 3. Execute perfectly. Better? Are we out there giving a watered down defense? This took away the wide open running lanes up the middle for quarterbacks. When a defender is coached to just defend based on what he is given on the sideline, rather than make his own decisions and adjust from what he sees on the field, all an offensive coordinator has to do is to make that defender second guess himself however briefly with an unexpected change. The B gap is the lane between the tackles and guards that naturally occurs against most four man defensive fronts. "We didn't throw things out. Until last Saturday, Clemson hadnt failed to score in the first half-since 2010. Think of the Oregon offenses of the Chip Kelly era. "We've got a lot of guys who know they could probably be starting somewhere else, possibly even starting on this team, and there are guys who left," Dean said. Civil society organizations (CSOs) are vital to the European Union's efforts in defending democracy. The spread was stressing Smarts defenses. You play soft zone, rush 4, make the tackle, and force a FG attempt. He was on the field in 2011 as Alabama's defensive coordinator when LSU beat Alabama 9-6 in overtime. His name is Dan Mullen. Tell them what to look for. See terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Year-over-year in SEC play, Georgia improved its TD Rate, 3-and-Out Rate, Explosive Play Rate, and overall Success Rate. Senior safety Dan Jackson didn't have a scholarship when he arrived in Athens. But this was Clemson. So, what to do when the offense isnt making it easy for you to tell your players how to set up? YIKES. I am known fortunately or unfortunately by my presence as the resident tweeter of the life of an exceedingly emotionally unstable, superstitious, Dawg fan. This may seem a counterintuitive way to paint the theme of our defensive success and growth. If you are looking for a deep dive into what Todd Monken was calling last season, look no further than this. This, in my eyes, stands as a direct parallel to the run-pass option and play action on the offensive side of the ball, creating a best-of-both-worlds play call. And as we will see with the way he coaches fundamentals-Kirby doesnt set his players up to fail with these demands- quite the opposite- but this defense certainly doesnt set them up to succeed by just getting by. The B gap. "We're good at what we do, number one, because we have good players. A threat is only as good as one's ability to carry it out in reality, and against Vanderbilt, that loaded-up front wasnt a decoy to bring pressure from the opposite side. A creeper, by design, is using a player at the second level (slot corner, inside or outside linebackers) to be the fourth rusher by blitzing from depth. In some designs and out of certain fronts, a traditional-looking rusher can drop out into coverage. Because at this point, I think we can all agree it will ruin many an offensive coordinators life, but what is it that makes it so lethal? "That's a tough pill to swallow because there's nothing you can call that you know is going to work.". This accounts for anything an offense can do. He has had a very detailed plan to construct a defense that is putting up generational numbers in an era of college football defined by spread and up-tempo offenses that typically get all the attention. Analysis, Opinion Analysis, Opinion Based on factual reporting, although it Incorporates the expertise of the author/producer and may offer interpretations and conclusions., Advocates for ideas and. Nearly every FBS program has zone-read run concepts and RPOs that they run off of those base packages. In these two clips, not only is the defense able to make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage, but an important piece of playing elite coverage on early downs is protected, and thats the disguise of a two-high safety shell no matter what the call. That's how it's going to be on this defense.". Hes got a ton of clips to check out, breaking down the playcalling. Using creepers on early downs against the run helps to puncture the bubbles in the defensive front (the areas defensive linemen arent occupying), but creating the impression of pressure pays just as many dividends in attacking pass protections, if not more. 04/24/2023 05:49 PM EDT. Mullen and Smart have met 13 times since Mullen became the head coach at MSU in 2009. We get seven sacks and countless pressures on a Clemson quarterback but refuse to give more than three guys to the rush. A lot of the teams you play have a great starting group, and then after that, there's a little bit of a drop-off, but not with those guys. You play your role and do your job and do it at a high level, and if you don't, there's somebody else right behind you that can. 3-4 by Bobo Majors Bobo Majors presents his version of the 3-4 defense. A look at Georgia's 2020 playbook If you are looking for a deep dive into what Todd Monken was calling last season, look no further than this. has eight different sights all over georgia SMAHS DEFENSIVE PLAY BOOK 3-5-3 - . More options to keep an offense guessing? Cody had a sloppier body, but Jordan doesn't have a lot of body fat. Playbook Exchange On the indicator that the snap is coming, the middle linebacker creeps down and blitzes through and across the centers face, and the edge defender (the Sam, in this example) would be dropping out to wall the curl area if it were a pass play. Don't let anybody kid you that it's about scheme or anything else, because with offenses being able to run it, pull it or throw it all on the same play now, you better have players who can defend all areas of the grass. Here he is as the offensive coordinator at Utah, diagraming his base run package and talking about the importance of those B gaps. Ultimately, after watching and analyzing our defense grow and transform over the past six years I have decided this defense takes about this long to fully establish, is not just about who runs out of the tunnel and is one that other programs may not have to the luxury to demand. which my good friend and DawgSports guru DawgoutWest wrote up. We need guys that can line up, play fast, be active, and run in space.. Between each of these names are a variety of schematic approaches from man-to-man to three-high zone safeties, even and odd fronts and disparate levels of talent. He wanted the biggest butts possible in the trenches. And the key to it is as simple as it is devastating: Georgias defensive superiority hinges on demanding perfect, disciplined execution of fundamental skills and elite decision making. "There's no such thing as perfect, but that's our standard -- perfection," said junior linebacker Nakobe Dean, one of three Georgia defenders ranked by ESPN's Todd McShay among the top 30 prospects for the 2022 NFL draft. Jeez, we was tied with Miss State with 10 mins left in the 4th. "They're doing this to offenses that are used to scoring," Briles said. Some Jack LBs of the past include DAndre Walker, and Azeez Ojulari. Those 13 jerseys are going to be around a long time.-- Brock Bowers, The Athletic, 1/10/23. I think, too often, we discuss offensive innovations without giving much thought to whether a philosophical counterpunch even exists on defense. "To add a plug-and-play guy like DK at corner was huge for us because we were short in the secondary," Smart said. The most impressive and dominating performance of course, was the UGA defense which allowed just two rushing yards (LOL), only 180 yards of total offense, and more pressures on a QB than an SEC starter trying to decide which chicken based fast-food restaurant to endorse. That may be part of the reason the Dawgs are performing on such a high level is not in addition-but subtraction. He filled in for Christopher Smith when he was injured in the Auburn game and led the team in tackles. With the nose tackle in zero technique and the two down lineman in a 4I technique, the guards are occupied. The contrast from these SEC coaches evaluation of the two programs is interesting. In other words, the star of this Georgia defense is the defense, one that could produce as many as five or six picks in the front seven alone in the 2022 NFL draft, one scout told Smart a few weeks ago. And then in part two Ill explain which specific defensive schemes and positions require higher execution of fundamentals to do more with less. Very few quarterbacks are beating a guy like Roquan Smith, Monty Rice or Nakobe Dean to the sideline. There probably isnt too much exceptional about Kirby Smart and UGA LBs Coach Glenn Schumann talking to a bunch of football coaches about defensive strategy in its own right, but this talk is exceptional in that it ended up on YouTube. As if its not hard enough on the oppositions quarterback, Georgia has also been very good at creating pressures by blitzing its defensive backs. This isnt dissimilar from all the picking and twisting youd see in the NFL, and college defenses need these bluff looks to buy enough time for the defensive line twists and slants to work into open areas. You have to be more disruptive whereas back then I felt like you could out-physical people.". Georgia can run Cover 2, Cover 3, and anything else they want to off of these looks. He tells a story about going to the NFL Combine when he was coaching for the Miami Dolphins under Nick Saban. The Willamette playbook is a great resource. Here to join in the community talking anything and everything CFB, but especially why every single one of our rivals is embarrassing, worthless, and worthy of our disdain. Obi-Wan and Anakin. WR Allen faces concealed weapon charge, USF RB facing charge for felony domestic battery, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal, Philly Dawgs: Eagles add Ringo to UGA draft haul, Biden salutes Air Force for fall success over rivals, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', College football Future Power Rankings: Defenses, Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023. Top recruitin Clemson. A Worthy Rival: A Complete Guide to The Kirby Smart Defense A major emphasis for any defense is 3rd down, and thats no different for Smart. Georgia's defensive players are unrivaled in their talent. If the offense spreads the field, the defense can . Well, you just make a defense that asks the players to set up on their own. With spread offenses in general and the RPO, in particular, investments in sending five defenders can be expensive. . Smart saw that as a problem. They stay with you, they read the coverage, understand their assignment, know where you are going, and often can get there first. This coach adds: When youve seen Alabama struggle in recent years, its because youre making really talented players outthink their assignments. Void in ONT. Much of Georgia's recent offensive modus operandi has functioned under the assumption it fields far better talent than its opponents. 2002 Buckeyes Ohis State 2002 multiple set offense that won them the #1 spot. While they were still ranked in the top 5 in scoring defense and rushing defense, the Tides passing defense had dropped down to 58th. A Coach Compton has posted a playbook online: Link to Website. One significant way that Kirbys less is more philosophy shows up is in his much smaller defensive playbook. In the SEC, guards are often 300 pounds or more. It's worth noting Cox is second on Florida's team in tackles for loss and Johnson leads the ACC in sacks per game. Void in ONT. Also, this. (yes I know the offense played too, but this is my post, people, I dont have to focus on the things I dont want to). The UGA defense in 2017 is significantly lighter, and that made it significantly faster than the units Smart ran in the early part of his Alabama tenure. Mixing in these creeper calls with their ability to line up in even and odd fronts and play the run straight up is a major factor in this defense recording a defensive stop on 79 of the 114 run-down snaps it faced and a top-five average depth of tackle at 3.26 yards. They have length. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. I think there have been faster, and outright better, defensive players at Georgia prior to 2021, but what were breaking down today is a scheme much more interested in, Masking safety rotation to throw some changeups in coverage behind these pressures is a great way to trap the quarterback into regrettable downfield throws. Odds and lines subject to change. "You have the same situational principles -- short-yardage, goal-line and all those things. But Kirby runs the same plays regardless of which of those personnel groupings he puts on the field. If we get the right guy in the building then he should win, says Schumann. The Bulldogs currently rank first in PFF defensive grade (94.8), pass coverage grade (94.9) and expected points allowed per play (-0.451). All things covered, at all times, in all situations. The way the staff recruited its front seven had to be changed, and the coverage concepts and the way the defense played up front needed tweaking. And yet, Davis watches from the sideline on a lot of third downs and obvious passing downs. It doesn't matter," Dean said. Like I said- Im a trenches gal. "They just keep coming and keep coming and keep coming.". With the right players in a scheme like that, you build impossible defenders, and there is no great way to shortcut a defense built this way. "It's a no-name opponent because we're playing to the standard.". AGAIN your NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GEORGIA BULLDOGS!!! Our experts answer 6 portal questions, College football reporters' NFL draft takeaways, Wisc. While defense will probably always be this teams backbone as long as Kirby Smart is in charge, this program has historically shown its on the outside looking in despite plenty of laudable seasons and standout players. I think this difference cannot be ignored, and in fact, neither do Saban and Smarts peers. Georgia's defense stands not just as the class of 2021's college football season, but it also knocks on the door of historic greatness in an era of more space, yards and points than we've ever seen. The legend of Georgia's Jordan Davis is growing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A big part of Smart's defensive design was bringing in defensive backs who were sure tacklers and could make plays in space. Sure, UGA is stacked like a brick house and Clemson was missing Trevor Lawrence, but this is not an offense of true freshmen or charity case walk-ons like Clemsons message board warriors are probably now implying. Execute consistently at a perfect level. Before Lane Kiffin came by to revolutionize the way Alabama played offense, Smart worked on the stifling Crimson Tide defenses from the beginning of Nick Sabans tenure until 2015. Recognize this guy in the photo below? This has been the case since a favorite former son returned home. Again, because the play is a designed handoff, Georgia gets the effect at the point of attack of rushing five without taking a player out of coverage, allowing the defense to play Cover 3 had it been a pass. Gambling Problem? Isnt a defense that becomes impossible one that has more schematic weapons at its disposal? Because, when they fully succeed, as we saw this past Saturday, and I think we will continue to see, they succeed on such a level that it could be nearly impossible to battle for any sustained offensive success. 2023 NFL Draft grades for all 16 NFC teams | NFL Draft | PFF At the combine he told Smart to stick with Bill Belichick. We ranked college football's top 37 spring transfers: Who tops the list? Hayes and Schembechler. And according to an anonymous coaches survey about their view of SECs programs conducted this summer by Athlon Sports, which I thought was a great read, one coach specifically notes about Georgia: Defensively they dont throw as much at you as Alabama. Take a look. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. That's where the depth comes in. Ringo is a bit stiff moving laterally, which may have caused his drop here, but at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds he . Sorry TigerNet, but this-actually wasnt the starting offense for the Dabo Swinney Rec League for Troubled Youths- Clemson has the fourth most talent rich team in the country. Alabama's 2011 defense allowed 55 through eight games and USC's 2008 defense allowed 57 through eight games. However, Saturday showed that this defense may show us a season much above business as usual- even for the high standard of a Kirby-lead defense. Those linebackers have the advantage filling around the outside lanes against the run. NFL Draft: 49ers seek more Day 3 magic that brought Purdy, Kittle The caliber of players Smart has recruited on defense, not to mention the Dawgs' recruiting reach, speaks for itself. You are not going to easily trick or confuse a UGA defense. Georgia's defensive playbook is . "Both of those offenses at the time were bully offenses, and what a good defense is made up of now is not what a good defense was made up of then," Smart said. Ppt - 2002 Georgia Military College Defensive Playbook (3-5-3 #1. Nine defensive players on Georgia's 2021 class are already enrolled. FBCP S02E11 The 2008 Georgia Military College Playbook "We're probably averaging playing nine to 10 players for four spots," Smart said. Shrinking the call sheet for an offense requires winning on mixed downs first down and second-and-normal (1-7 yards in distance) and forcing obvious passing scenarios. "They're as good as I've seen," South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. "That's where it starts, where you build any defense, in the D-line and across the front," Smart told ESPN. Lets look at Georgias defense in 2017. Projecting Georgia's 2020 depth chart on defense - Dawgs247 Dean is small compared to the Dawgs' weakside linebacker, 6-3, 235-pound junior Nolan Smith, who forced a fumble to set up Georgia's first touchdown against Florida and then intercepted a pass right before halftime to set up the Dawgs' second touchdown. In the first clip against UAB, Georgia is presenting two different worlds: an all-out blitz look (to the offensive line) and a two-deep shell (to the quarterback). PFF's exclusive metrics provide matchup previews, position rankings, grades, and snap counts. This is Smith's third year in the program, and the other starting outside linebacker, 6-foot-5, 230-pound Adam Anderson, who leads the team with five sacks, is in his fourth year. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. In which case- good freakin luck. The 3-4 Defense is great for youth football because it can easily adjust to spread formations while still staying strong against run heavy formations. In addition to numerous deep passing looks littering Georgias script, both Stetson Bennett and JT Daniels finished with the two highest average depths of target in the conference. "We know what we're looking for in a player, at every position," Smart said. Instead of heavy. Always and forever, above all else- those Damn Good Dawgs. The problem was that bringing those linebackers meant everything over the middle was open. It's important to distinguish this nickel corner and talk about what makes them special. 2019 Georgia DL Drills - Kirby Smart Playbook - YouTube Smart mentions the 2014 CFP Semifinal between Ohio State and Alabama. I have seen more and more teams using the 4-2-5 style coverage package both with and without 4-2-5 personnel. The UGA defense in 2017 is significantly lighter, and that made it significantly faster than the units Smart ran in the early part of his Alabama tenure. Heres the same scheme with a different alignment and a different linebacker dropping into the middle of the field. Georgias defensive players are unrivaled in their talent. It was a truly stunning and unbelievable championship performance from the defense. The Kirby Smart Defense-When Less Is More (Part One), Georgia Bulldogs Jackson, Podlesny Ink Free Agent Deals, Nolan Smith and the No-lose Draft Strategy, the fourth most talent rich team in the country.
