Jarvis Jones thinks Dogs’ defense just as good as LSU’s, ‘if not better’
Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones (L) may have inadverently threw down a challenge to LSU when he talked up the Dogs' defense on Monday. (AJC photo by Brant Sanderlin)
ATHENS – It was a simple question that was posed to Georgia’s Jarvis Jones during a teleconference call with reporters on Monday. The sophomore outside linebacker was asked if he thought the Bulldogs’ defense was somewhat overshadowed by LSU’s and how he thought the two units stacked up.
Jones answered it quickly and honestly.
“I mean, everybody praises LSU defense, but I know we’ve got a pretty good defense,” said Jones, the SEC’s leader in quarterback sacks with 13.5. “We’re not cocky at all. We’re just going to play. We do our job and get after it on the field. We like having fun. We love playing football. We’re aggressive. We play just as well as them. A lot of people don’t give us credit [for] how we play. I think we play two different styles.”
Then came the line that caught everybody’s attention.
Said Jones: “I think our defense is just as good as theirs, if not better.”
That statement, tweeted out by several reporters, reverberated all the way to Baton Rouge. LSU wide receiver Russell Shephard quickly noticed it on Twitter and forwarded it to his teammates with the message, “is this guy serious?” That was followed by more than a few “ha-ha’s” and multiple exclamation points.
Suddenly, a little interleague argument has developed between the teams about which one has the best defense. Not surprisingly, Jones’ teammates have come to his defense, so to speak.
“He said it, so I’m going to back him up,” Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo said. “I’m going to be right there with him. That’s my brother, that’s my family, so whatever he says we’re all going to back him up. . . . I also can say I believe we have one of the best defenses in the country, right up there with the LSUs. We have some very talented guys on the defensive side of the ball, too, and I can back it up when I say that.”
Said junior linebacker Christian Robinson: “Look at the numbers. We’re hanging. We’re up there in numbers, too. If we go out there and do what we’re supposed to do on this Saturday, we can end up better than they are not just in the numbers but by winning the game. You don’t want to get into word battles, but if they want to go and say things like [Shephard said], that’s the worse thing to do. There has been a lot of teams that go out there and run their mouth a lot and get beat.”
LSU is ranked slightly ahead of Georgia in every major defensive category and the Tigers have done it against a tougher overall schedule. But the Bulldogs are no slouches. They, too, rank as a Top 10 defense. Following are the latest national rankings:
LSU——-Category———Georgia
2——–Total Def.———-5
4——–Rush Def.———-6
3——-Pass Eff. D———-4
2——–Scoring D———10
6——–Passing D———11
16———Sacks————17
The one thing Georgia feels it may have going for it on Saturday is a more diversified offense. The Tigers are very much a run-first offense while the Bulldogs throw the ball a little more. Georgia feels the Tigers’ propensity for wanting to run the ball straight at opponents with their bevy of big backs and dare them to stop it actually plays into its hands.
“They’re not going to go away from their game scheme, so we’ve just got to bow up,” Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo said. “We’ve got to keep attacking and making tackles and not allow big plays. We know they’re going to run the ball, so we’ve just got to be prepared for it.”
Said Robinson: “I think we’ve shown we can hang with teams that run it. Auburn relied heavily on the run and we shut them down. LSU is not shy about their run game. That’s all they want to do and then they’ve got some receivers that can go get it. So we’ll take the challenge, not in a cocky way, but we can hang. So we’ll be ready.”
Said Jones: “It’s a challenge for us as a defense. But you always want to be challenged and you want to step up accomplish those challenges. So it’s going to be a big day for us and we’re looking forward to it.”
An intriguing matchup just got more intriguing, don’t you think?
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683 comments Add your comment
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:35 pm
Here’s an idea. Why don’t we all admit that the trolls on here, including “Thomas Brown”, are only on here to try to pick a fight? Why don’t we all admit when it comes to the game however that LSU is a great team and if UGA can pull of the win, it will be an upset of 2005 proportions?
Dawg48
November 29th, 2011
12:35 pm
DD I got a idea let’s talk uga GT some more!
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:37 pm
Great idea Dawg48!!
JK
November 29th, 2011
12:38 pm
DP @ 9:52am:
“Substitute Alabama, Arkansas, Oregon and West Virginia on Georgia’s schedule for Boise State, South Carolina, Kentucky and Vanderbilt and imagine how Georgia’s defensive stats would compare to LSU’s. Is Jarvis Jones being drug tested this week?”
It doesn’t matter what teams you substitute. If you want to dive into that then let’s take out the BSU game because two of our big three playmakers on D were out. For that matter take out the USC game also because one of the big three were out and our offense left USC in position to score multiple times with turnovers and 3 and outs.
Shut yo pie hole Boy!
November 29th, 2011
12:38 pm
Time for Burma Shave!
Delusional Dawg
November 29th, 2011
12:38 pm
Thomas Brown is just an UGA fan fed up with celebrating mediocrity.
But you’re right… He doesn’t really fit in with this crowd.
MJS
November 29th, 2011
12:38 pm
Sorry Guys but I have some bad news for you; LSU will not let down and will overwhelm your offense and wear down your defense. There is not a more focused team in the country and they play with a swagger and confidence that Ga has not seen this year. Barring turnovers by LSU this one won’t be close. If Ga turns it over it could get ugly. I predict 27-13 Tigers.
B'dawg
November 29th, 2011
12:39 pm
GT BOB, Where is your team playing saturday? Thats what I thought! Now shut your cake hole!!!!!!!!
ol dog
November 29th, 2011
12:39 pm
will someone post the dogs 2012 schedule
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:40 pm
I don’t care what the stats are and I don’t care who they played and we played. We beat 10 teams in a row and that is hard no matter who you are playing. I think we have just as much talent as they do and are now finally using it like we are suppose to. I think this is the most balanced offense LSU has played all year with the largest O-line. Bama is a one dimensional offense. It is 90% Trent Richardson. Stop him you stop Alabama. Bama was #25 in offense for the year. The only teams that ranked lower in passing yards a game in the top 25 was Air force and Georgia Tech. Two option teams. Arkansas was a passing team that did not run the ball much. Georgia has a better defense than Arkansas does. I think maybe outside of Oregon this is the best most balanced offense that LSU has played all year and has a better defense than Oregon. This is more of a challenge for LSU than the media and LSU realizes.
Alphare
November 29th, 2011
12:40 pm
TampaDawg,
“are only on here to try to pick a fight”?
you seem too slow. What are you here for? not to pick a fight? or just you Kool-Aid me and I Kool-Aid you?
ARdawg
November 29th, 2011
12:41 pm
Joey
If GT had even been close to competitive all we would be hearing now is the quality “moral” victory they have. As it is seeing how they were whipped like red headed step children, all we get now is twice the posers from other opponents.
GTBob
November 29th, 2011
12:42 pm
B’dawg, yeah, i’m real sad that my team isn’t going to get embarrassed this weekend by a team we have no business playing.
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:43 pm
ol dog
November 29th, 2011
12:39 pm
will someone post the dogs 2012 schedule
——————-
is one even available at this point considering the addition of Missouri and A&M shaking things up?
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:43 pm
GTBob, that’s because your team got embarrassed last weekend.
Dawg48
November 29th, 2011
12:43 pm
Tampa
When did it become a crime to pull for your team?
I thought that was what it was all about?
Lagunadawg
November 29th, 2011
12:43 pm
DP——- Talking about drinking the Kool Aid !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Georgia’s front three on defense are all first round picks and better than LSU and Alabama. The linebackers have two first rounders in Jones and Olgeltree. The other two are good players and possible pro’s. Cornelius Washington at 6′ 4″ 280lbs is our hybrid ouside LB / DE. He is also a pro. The defensive backs consist of Boykin a 2nd round pick, Cummings a 2nd or third round pick, Rambo a 3rd round pick ans williams a late round pick. I agree your defensive backs are better and deeper but only four will play. If you try the 6 CB package on Georgia they will gut you on the run. If you think it was hard to run on Bama wait till you see our 8 player deep dl. The smallest is around 310lbs. Your OL relies on mann to man blocking. It want happen against this front. To run you will need Tight Ends and fullbacks allowing us to box in and attack your highschool QB.
Ghost
November 29th, 2011
12:43 pm
Win or lose saturday, Georgia will give LSU all they want and more than any other team in the SEC, ACC or anywhere.
Alphare
November 29th, 2011
12:44 pm
I know UGA fans like this line the most:
“Look at the Kool-Aid falling out of the sky!! Look at the Kool-Aid falling out of the sky!!”
Mr. Monsun, rest in peace.
Football Wizard
November 29th, 2011
12:44 pm
Look at who LSU has played and who UGA has played. It is not even close. I’m afraid the Dawgs are in for a rude awakening on Saturday. I see a blowout for the Bengal Tigers.
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:44 pm
TampaDawg, I heard we were going to play Alabama there in October next year but they are changing it to Missouri because they will be in the east.
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:44 pm
Alphare
November 29th, 2011
12:40 pm
TampaDawg,
“are only on here to try to pick a fight”?
you seem too slow. What are you here for? not to pick a fight? or just you Kool-Aid me and I Kool-Aid you?
————————————–
I seem too slow? You say that then ask what I, a DAWG FAN am here for? And I seem slow? Saying stupid stuff must be your area of expertise
B'dawg
November 29th, 2011
12:45 pm
I know you are. Thats why youre on here crying like a biatch.
Really?
November 29th, 2011
12:45 pm
Where is this diverse offense? Ga. has no running game, or healthy running backs. LSU will render the Dawgs one demsional and then Murray will have to run for his life.
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:46 pm
GTBob
November 29th, 2011
12:42 pm
B’dawg, yeah, i’m real sad that my team isn’t going to get embarrassed this weekend by a team we have no business playing.
—————————–
that’s apparently one third of your schedule. So where you not sad then playing against UVA, Miami, VTech and UGA?
Les Miles came to LSU as an ACCOMPLISHED HEAD COACH 2005
November 29th, 2011
12:46 pm
Mark Richt came here 11 years ago, not recognizing that a head coach has to HIRE A STAFF, for example. His staff decisions include : Me in here telling him to HIRE CHIEF from the vols as Defensive Coordinator. Mark Richt told us all that he was KEEPING WILLIE MARTINEZ instead.
Another example is getting his team focused vs teams everyone knows is ending the season in the top 10. Les Miles has 9 such wins already since just 2005, while Mark Richt has 3 such wins in 11 years.
Les Miles has 1 NC already head-to-head with Mark Richt.
Les Miles DOES NOT PLAY WALK-ONS on Special Teams. Mark Richt does. Think it will show up Saturday night, or do we have to WAIT until Saturday night when I get off the MARTA at home to discuss that, either ?
Les Miles has FIVE (5) RUNNING BACKS who have run FIVE (5) touchdowns in against all 4 teams finishing the season in the top 25 they have played, beating all 4.
Mark Richt ran off all his Running Backs you gave him such CREDIT FOR RECRUITING HERE, and has NO RUNNING BACK better than ALL FIVE (5) Les Miles will run in touchdowns against Mark Richt with Saturday night.
Our Offense has fumbled the football and thrown interceptions all year against a FAR LESS TOUGH SCHEDULE than LSU has played, who has not fumbled the football nor thrown interceptions. Do we have to wait for me to get home from the game to see the difference in this Saturday night, either ?
Do I have to wait for us to get back from the game, to discuss what Les Miles does in the Red Zone Saturday night compared to what Mark Richt does in the Red Zone Saturday night ?
You said the same to me pre-season that couldn’t I just wait until Boise State beat us, and that we would beat South Carolina, you told me. You told me that the NCAA has NO JURISDICTION in the NCAA Drug Tests, that it was local police ONLY. You said you have special skills and knowledge in this very area. You said that slander is illegal in 50 states and said I could not say that Isaiah Crowell failed the Drug Test when the results were sent to the NCAA Drug Testing Labs; only problem with that is MARK RICHT SAID IT WAS A FAILED DRUG TEST BY ISAIAH CROWELL. You said the only losses by Mark Richt to bad teams were all in 2010 only and that was ONLY 1 SEASON, then I detailed the 17 games LOST by Mark Richt since you are too lazy and want to LIE ABOUT EVERYTHING. And, I showed you 17 teams who if they didn’t beat Mark Richt would not have finished top 25 those years and 10 of the 17 who did NOT end up top 25 EVEN WITH THEIR WIN OVER MARK RICHT over ALL 11 YEARS.
You asked me “SINCE WHEN IS THE SUGAR BOWL PLAYED IN THE GEORGIA DOME THOMAS BROWN CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN AT” ?
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:47 pm
I have heard stuff like that too Kerry, just haven’t been able to find anything official yet.
Donnie Pickle
November 29th, 2011
12:47 pm
GTBob, you’re right about one thing. GT would definitely get embarrassed by LSU if they were to play. Now the REAL team in Georgia…not so much. Dawgs will be ready to play. Watch and see!
ol dog
November 29th, 2011
12:47 pm
thank u tampa dog – you r probably right – had forgot about the additional teams
SEC_Insider
November 29th, 2011
12:48 pm
@ol dog
Here ya are:
09/01/12 Buffalo
09/08/12 South Carolina
09/22/12 Florida Atlantic
09/29/12 Tennessee
10/06/12 Missouri
10/13/12 Kentucky
10/20/12 Bye Week
10/27/12 Florida
11/03/12 Ole Miss
11/10/12 Auburn
11/17/12 Georgia Southern
11/24/12 Georgia Tech
12/01/12 Off Week
Jarvis Jones thinks Dogs’ defense just as good as LSU’s, ‘if not better’ – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | My Dogs Today
November 29th, 2011
12:49 pm
[...] webmaster@technorati.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt [...]
PAUL7
November 29th, 2011
12:49 pm
LSU WILL KILL ga! you dawg fans are delusional! you barely beat ky on your field, vandy almost upset you! the only 2 teams you played that were truly decent you lost to!BAMA/LSU D vastly superior to your team. You will be demolished COMPLETELY
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:49 pm
ol dog
9/1 Buffalo
9/8 USC
9/15 FAU
9/22 Vandy
9/29 TN
10/6 Bama (maybe changed to Missouri)
10/3 KY
10/20 Open
10/27 UF
11/3 Ole Miss
11/10 Auburn
11/17 Ga. Southern
11/24 Tech
Optimism
November 29th, 2011
12:50 pm
Like my old football coach told us in HS. “Boys, as long as the ball is shaped this way, anything can happen”. You gotta believe!!!
PAUL7
November 29th, 2011
12:50 pm
be prepared for the BEATDOWN that’s heading your way!LSU STOMPS the LIVING DAY LIGHTS out of you!
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:50 pm
Paul7, Blah Blah Blah. Already heard it a hundred times. Who cares
ARdawg
November 29th, 2011
12:50 pm
Mark Richt is a christian man with a few flawed coaching philosophies. Les Miles has the occult, red dice and a witch doctor. So what?
Alphare
November 29th, 2011
12:51 pm
Tampa,
You can be a fan and a healthy critic at the same time. I bunch of dawg fans are doing that.
I am not a dawg fan, just poke some fun and talk some trash here. Don’t take me seriously.
South GA Dawg
November 29th, 2011
12:51 pm
I believe GT would give LSU a run for their money. GT has a really good running game and a good defense. UGA played a good game against GT with the 4th and 5th string running backs. 1,2&3 will be available against LSU, I would think that all GT fans would pull for UGA to win this game because it would prove that GT is a better team than given credit. I just hope it is a good game if UGA loses then hold your head up it has been a great year for the Dawgs. If UGA wins then do it with respect, LSU is undefeated and is a great football team. UGA needs to play as a team 100% of the time to win this one. GO DAWGS GATA!!!!!!!!!!
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:52 pm
Paul7, They said the same things in 2005. What happened?
Pulpwood
November 29th, 2011
12:52 pm
UGA in order to hang around ……………needs two or THREE backs to really, really play the best game of their entire career to be close near the end.
I am hoping that Ken Malcome understands that this game IS HE TIME TO SHINE.
Goooooooooooooooooo Dogs.
WDE
November 29th, 2011
12:52 pm
@Delusional Dawg I’ll be trilled to discuss those stats because my team got to play in the game…ask the UF , UT, USC etc fans if they wouldn’t like to be part of the discussion IF their teams were getting to play..
SEC_Insider
November 29th, 2011
12:52 pm
The secret to defeating Les Miles in the Dome:
Don’t let him bring his own grass to munch on. That will exorcise his Voodoo powers.
ARdawg
November 29th, 2011
12:53 pm
There is no grass growing in side the Georgia Dome for Les to chew on: Advantage Georgia
The bottom line is
November 29th, 2011
12:53 pm
Uga is playing for the SEC crown. Do we have a chance? Damn right we do. And any team has a chance on any given day. Ask Texas Tech. Ask Baylor. Hell USC went to Oregan and waxed some butt. So yeah, UGA has a real good chance, and thats the bottom line!
JMac
November 29th, 2011
12:53 pm
Hilarious and supremely delusional comments from all you puppy fans. Keep up the good work!!! Bottom line, I cannot wait to read the comments next week after the 37-13 pounding LSU gives your team. They have not played a team anywhere near this good all season, and have built those impressive defensive and offensive stats against a bunch of bad or underachieving teams. I see where you finally got a signature win this past week… beating an 8 win team. LSU has played a much tougher schedule and has compiled better O and D stats against much better teams, and have signature wins against 3, count’em, THREE, teams currently in the top 10 BCS, and every other poll. They have scored more points(the main stat to winning games), and given up less points, than the puppy dogs, against superior competition. 37-13 will be a close game.
Kerryb
November 29th, 2011
12:53 pm
2005 they said we had no chance. LSU ranked #3 and UGA ranked #13. Final score UGA 34 LSU 14.
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:55 pm
I know Dawg48. It’s apparently not “the thing to do” .. You can’t pull for UGA on a UGA blog. You’re not allowed to forget anything. You can’t be ON the team and speak with any boldness and confidence (that’s still hysterical). But you post a year’s worth of speculation or long, mundane posts with tons of mindless, useless (by any prognosticators standards) stats, and take insults and pop shots at the team the blog is about, and all is well.
TampaDawg
November 29th, 2011
12:56 pm
Yes, Kerry that’s EXACTLY what happened in 2005. Every UGA blog had a bunch of trolls beating us on the boards before the game was ever played. That’s why they play the game though, ain’t that right JMac?
SEC_Insider
November 29th, 2011
12:57 pm
Mark Richt will put everything into winning this game. He only plans to coach two more games at Georgia. Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.