CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- JT Daniels pretty perfectly summed up how easy the Georgia defense made things tonight.
While it was far from a perfect game from the Georgia offense, the Bulldogs defense made things miserable for Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei.
“If the defense does that every game, we don’t need to score more than 4 points,” Daniels said, before diving into the bigger issues surrounding the Georgia offense.
In a 10-3 win over the No. 3 Clemson Tigers, the Georgia defense actually outscored the Georgia offense thanks to Chris Smith’s 74-yard interception that he returned for a touchdown.
That was the worst throw Uiagalelei made all night. But for much of the game, he was under constant pressure.
Georgia racked up 7.0 sacks in the game and the pressure came from all over. Nakobe Dean added 2.0, after having just 1.5 in first two seasons on campus.
Ever the leader, he was still more peeved about the tackles he missed rather than the sacks he made.
“I knew during the offseason, there was one thing I wanted to get better at and that was pass rushing,” Dean said. “I feel like I missed a tackle that’s going to eat me up. I had honestly forgotten about the two sacks.”
Six players finished with a sack in this game. Five of them — Dean, Nolan Smith, Travon Walker, Jalen Carter and Adam Anderson — were former 5-star recruits. Smith, Walker and Anderson were finally thrust into starting roles after patiently waiting to take over.
Uiagalelei’s final line was a grizzly 19-of-37 for 178 yards, with no touchdowns. The seven sacks by Georgia resulted in 48 lost yards for the Clemson quarterback.
The Bulldogs did it in a variety of ways. They brought Dean on blitzes. They got pressure up the middle with Davis and Jalen Carter. Travon Walker and Adam Anderson won one-on-one matchups.
Nolan Smith got the first sack of the game on a three-man rush on Clemson’s opening drive . The Bulldogs didn’t let up on the Clemson offense, with Uiagalelei starting his third career game.
The three points were the fewest of the Dabo Swinney era. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart could tell the pressure was very clearly getting to the Clemson quarterback.
“I knew we’d be pretty good and we’re pretty deep,” Smart said. “It seems we’re more athletic up there than in the past.”
“I think we frustrated them and confused them.”
The Georgia front seven wasn’t just dominant against the pass, as it held Clemson running backs to 24 rushing yards on nine carries. For the game, Clemson had 23 carries for a total of two yards.
It’s the second straight game against a top-10 opponent where Georgia had at least 7.0 sacks, as the Bulldogs nearly equaled the 8.0 sacks Georgia had against Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl win to end the 2020 season.
College football has been defined in recent years by offense, and still likely will be in the 2021 season. Oklahoma, Ohio State and Alabama all scored over 40 points in their week 1 victories.
Smart, ever hesitant to give out praise, wasn’t sure if he’d call Georgia’s pass rush great at this point. But he knows he’s got a ferocious pass rush that can swing a game against a top-5 opponent.
“Can we affect quarterbacks? Absolutely.”
