Stats: Defensive Improvement

Todd Grantham: Image by Jim Hipple
If you're looking to pinpoint the exact areas where the defense has improved the most, here are some stats to shed light on the issue:

2011 Rush Defense: 86.9 yards/game (8th nationally)
2010 Rush Defense: 148.2 yards/game (56th nationally)
In SEC games, we've gone from allowing 138 yards rushing/game to 83.3 yards/game. The defense is actually playing better in league games against the run.

2011 Rushing Yards Allowed on 3rd Down: 1.21 yds/carry
2010 Rushing Yards Allowed on 3rd Down: 2.88 yds/carry
UGA is first in the league after being 9th in the SEC last year.

2011 Completion Percent Allowed on 3rd and 10+: 33.3%
2010 Completion Percent Allowed on 3rd and 10+: 59.4%
We went from 11th in the league to 1st in the critical "3rd and Willie" category.

All of those stats lead to the Godzilla Stat of the Season so far...

2011 3rd Down Conversions Allowed: 25.7% (1st in the nation)
2010 3rd Down Conversions Allowed: 41.9% (79th in the nation)

The scoring defense is down almost two points per game overall, and it's down almost four points per game in SEC contests. Both numbers would be better if it weren't for special teams and offensive TDs. Which bring us to the bad news.

2011 Kickoff Returns Allowed: 108th in the nation
2010 Kickoff Returns Allowed: 15th in the nation

2011 Punt Returns Allowed: 109th in the nation
2010 Punt Returns Allowed: 17th in the nation

Fix the special teams, and the defense will look even better as the field gets longer for the opposition.

All stats via CFBStats.com the absolute best college football stat site on the web.

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