'Bend but don't break': Bulldogs' defense makes statement against Oregon
'Bend but don't break': Bulldogs' defense makes statement against Oregon
ATLANTA — Georgia’s defense answered the call on Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
During their season opener, the No. 3 Bulldogs dominated No. 11 Oregon in a 49-3 rout.
In the offseason, UGA sent eight players from the nation’s top defense in 2021 to the NFL. Five of those former Bulldogs were drafted in the first round, and one was the top overall pick. So, there were some questions about the defensive side of the ball for Georgia heading into 2022, but the Bulldogs set the record straight on Saturday against the Ducks.
“We’re always trying to make a statement every time we step on the field. I just think the way we played today attests to all the work we put in, and how we wanted to execute the game plan,” Bulldog senior safety Christopher Smith said. “A lot of those guys that got drafted high (last year), they were out there cheering us on, so that helped a lot.”
Georgia limited Oregon to just 313 yards of total offense. The Bulldogs also saw a few younger players, as well as a lot of veterans, make impact plays against the Ducks in Week 1.
Malaki Starks shined in his collegiate debut. The former five-star led the Bulldogs in tackles with eight. Starks also got his first career interception off Oregon quarterback Bo Nix.
“Well, he's been probably our most productive defensive back all camp, which means he gets lots of hands-on balls,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “Batted balls; he knocked down balls; he had picks. He's a good football player. We wanted to get him in the game early, and fortunately, it was a play where he was one-on-one, and he made a really good play on the ball. He's an incredible athlete and has good speed. He's got a lot to learn and I thought he played with great composure today, and he could be talented.”
The Bulldogs wanted to be the ‘hunters’ and not the ‘hunted.’ That phrase rang true as their front seven dominated at the line of scrimmage, and the defensive backs played tight coverage. Their linebackers also clogged up running lanes and kept Nix in check for most of the game.
Nix was picked off for a second time on Oregon’s next possession following Starks’ initial interception, but this time it was Smith who came down with it. Those two costly mistakes for the Ducks led to Georgia’s offense mustering up 14 points off turnovers.
The Bulldogs also limited Oregon’s amount of big plays. They didn’t allow the Ducks any explosive plays. Oregon’s offensive unit also only had four plays go for over 10 yards, with all of them being run plays. That’s a testament to how prepared Georgia was.
“I think it just shows how hard we work and how good the coaches do with us,” Smith said. “There was a lot of talk about us being complacent, but we’re real big on not being complacent. We want to do the hunting; we’re never going to be hunted here, and that’s something coach (Kirby) Smart has pounded into our minds since the season started.”
Nix completed 21-of-37 passes for 173 yards and two interceptions. Oregon went 1-for-2 in the red zone with the field goal being its only score of the game. The Ducks had a chance to score late in the game on a 4th-and-2 situation, but the Bulldogs came up with a stop.
“One of our mottos is ‘no one in our end zone,’ and we definitely pride ourselves on that, even up until all zeroes hit on the clock,” Smith said. “The twos and threes were able to get in and get some good experience, but we wanted to hold the standard, and they did a great job of that: Bend but don't break.”
Here is Kirby Smart’s post-game press conference: