While I have virtually zero patience for the progress of our veteran offensive line's play to date, I am digging deep and hunkering down on the patience front for the defense. Consider a few stats through the first three games. (Image: Hitting Mallet - by Jim Hipple)
Scoring Defense:
- Overall: Our defense is allowing 18.3 points/game in 2010. Through the same 3 game period in 2009, we were allowing 34.0 points per game. That's an improvement of 15.7 points per game. For the season last year, our defense allowed 25.8 points/game overall and 28.0 points/game against Div I opponents.
- Vs. SEC Opponents: So far, we're allowing 24 points/game against SEC foes. Last year, against the same two opponents we surrendered an average of 39 points/game. That's an improvement of 15.0 points per game. Overall on the season, UGA allowed a staggering 31.4 points per game against SEC opponents in 2009.
Now consider those stats in light of the fact that both Arkansas and South Carolina are better offensively this year than last. Plus, Georgia is implementing a new scheme while dealing with the loss of 4 or 5 players to the NFL draft from last year's squad.
Granted the stat sample is still very small, but the overall trend line defensively in terms of year over year improvement in points allowed is trending in the right way.
I was blown away by those stats. Did they shock you at all?
PWD
12 comments:
Thank you for pointing this out. I feel like the D is moving forward. I have a glimmer of hope yet.
What makes you think Arkansas's offense is better this year than last?
Thanks Paul. No, not surprised. I watch the D. Agreed ths Oline needs to man-up
Anonymous-Uh they are better. Mallet has calmed down and is making amazing throws. No crazy feet this year.
Once again, Thanks Paul for helping me come back from the edge.
You are probably right, I guess the problem is having WRs wide open (again) or missing tackles (still). You would think more of that would have been fixed from all we heard.
It's encouraging as far as it goes, but I'm certainly not blown away by it. The sample size is so small it could be meaningless.
Fingers crossed though :)
Something that keeps coming to my mind is Saban's defense his first year at Alabama. I especially think back to the "one and done" we pulled on them in Tuscaloosa.
If we are essentially the same place (or better) defensively, that gives me some hope.
If not for ridiculous misstakes by the secondary we would be 3-0 and the Ark game wouldn't have been close.
They didn't shock me because I have been saying this all season.
Our defense is TONS better than last year, and the potential is huge.
Our offense is the one still saddled with a good-ole-boy, mediordinator (mediocre coordinator) who is hanging on thanks to Richt's obsessive to a fault loyalty.
Not shocking because the laws of physics don't allow for a worse defense than last year. Good post, though. We are definitely moving in the right direction, but the tackling non-sense hurt since that was more fundamental. This week was more the out-of-position growing pains you would expect.
Is there somewhere we can view more of Hipple's pictures? He takes great shots.
I know there are multiple ways to say this, but it seems like we are one fumble (Ealey scores against SC, i think we win) and 15 yards (needed for field goal range at the the end of the game against ARK) to be 3-0 and easily top 15.
We are so close... It seems.
"while dealing with the loss of 4 or 5 players to the NFL draft from last year's squad."
My DoD client would call this type of statement Bravo Sierra. Every school loses players to the NFL, some even lose star quarterbacks who have won the Heisman Trophy and they are still winning. This is life in college football and it is the responsibility of the HEAD COACH to ensure there is a proper pipeline of players that could step up when others leave.
This is a poor excuse for not having the personnel to play defense. It means Richt did not do his job recruiting.
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