Shaky start for Georgia’s vaunted defense
ATHENS – Georgia’s defense was without five front-line players Saturday — four suspended and one injured — and the rest of the unit didn’t seem completely into the game either.
Georgia, which ranked No. 5 in the nation in total defense last season, allowed Buffalo, No. 80 in total offense last season, first-half scoring drives of 75, 94 and 47 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown drive of 75 yards. The Bulls finished the day with 347 yards total offense, considerably more than Georgia’s defense allowed per game last season (277.2).
The absences of safety Bacarri Rambo, cornerbacks Sanders Commings and Malcolm Mitchell and linebackers Alec Ogletree and Chase Vasser undoubtedly contributed to the defensive doldrums in what nevertheless turned out to be a 45-23 Georgia victory. (Mitchell was out because of a sprained ankle, the others because of suspensions.) Even so, the defense fell well short of expectations against a Mid-American Conference team that went 3-9 last season.
“Come out with a little bit more intensity, and I think we’ll be a lot better,” Georgia defensive end Abry Jones said. “I guess everyone’s expectations were that it would be a little bit of a cakewalk, but we’ll definitely look back on this game and say the season is not going to be easy. So we’ve got to keep working.”
On Buffalo’s first scoring drive, Georgia failed to get stops on third-and-4, third-and-5 and third-and-6, enabling the Bulls to put together an 11-play march culminated by 16-yard touchdown pass with about five minutes left in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Buffalo tailback Branden Oliver launched another touchdown drive by breaking free for 36 yards on third-and-3 from the Bulls’ 13-yard line. And as the first half concluded, the Bulls moved from the Georgia 48 to the 1 before settling for a field goal that trimmed the Bulldogs’ lead to 24-16.
“There were too many inconsistencies that led to explosive plays,” Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said.
By halftime, Buffalo had 243 yards offense (147 rushing, including 89 by Oliver). In the second half, Georgia’s defense was much better, stifling the Bulls until they assembled another long touchdown drive on their final possession of the game.
“We didn’t start [well], but we came in at the half and made adjustments and played a lot better,” UGA defensive end Cornelius Washington said.
Said Jones: “We looked each other in the eyes at halftime and said, ‘This is not how we play.’”
Grantham was encouraged by the second-half adjustments and had no interest in weighing the effect of the absent players on the overall performance.
“I ain’t blaming none of that because that is what it is,” Grantham said.
THE AJC’S COMPLETE COVERAGE OF SATURDAY’S GAME
Game story: Gurley’s dynamic debut overshadows lackluster game
Jeff Schultz column: Has Georgia duped us again, or was this performance just a hiccup?
Sidebar: Shaky start for Georgia’s vaunted defense
Video: Chip Towers recaps the game
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64 comments Add your comment
Truth Be Told
September 2nd, 2012
3:29 pm
TG3 I told u
Destin Dawg
September 2nd, 2012
3:38 pm
I think ( hope ) We are saving IT for Missouri.. we’ll see !! S.C. lucky to win a squeaker over Vandy on a bad call… Spurrier looked old and tired and Cocks were out of shape, Hands on hips, etc.. Floriduh was pitiful under crazy Wll Muschamp !!
Rewinding the Georgia-Buffalo game | UGA sports blog
September 2nd, 2012
3:48 pm
[...] Sidebar: Shaky start for Georgia’s vaunted defense [...]
LouisianaDog Fan
September 2nd, 2012
3:59 pm
I hate to break the news, but Georgia does not want to play LSU and definitely not Bama. To allow Buffalo? to make 3 long drives on them. What would Michigan have done to them and look what Bama did to Michigan. Let’s face it -too many of Georgia’s best recruits are leaving the state and that cuts down on the depth. LSU gets all of Louisiana’s best players and Alabama gets most of their states. Who gets a great deal of Georgia’s best? – Clemson, S.Car., Auburn, Florida. I have been in Louisiana for 2 years and its is just readily apparant – LSU football is simply more important to folks here than UGA is to Georgia people in the main. Louisiana people will not tolerate anything less that what LSU is doing year after year.
Flat Tire on I-95 in Jacksonville
September 2nd, 2012
4:45 pm
LOL
South Carolina looks destined for glory
LOL
That was a joke performance just like UGA’s was yesterday
RMikel58
September 2nd, 2012
5:10 pm
Theres never a suprise when Bobo calls plays but the DEFENSE really! really! Our 2nd string shouldve been better than their starters. Allow a RB to gain 90yds before halftime. My man B Smith played good enough to go one on one but that tall reciever for UB caught alot of passes.
They have a very good QB and a RB who had 1600 yds last year.
Still our Defense stunk.
This wasnt just a tune up game or maybe someone shouldve told Buffalo that. Almost got smacked in your debut and infront of the home crowd. Arby Jones has got to be the best player on D and if he didnt play hard every game im not sure i could find a player on defense who would.
Flat/Flat and flat.
Kinda reminded of that Bowl Game we played with another WAC Team and lost! If it hadnt been for Gurley and some of the freshmen we’d lost. Seniors/Juniors should be ashamed of being outplayed by rookies.
Missouri isnt as worried about Georgia after watching that game with a 3-8 team. Be careful be very careful Georgia cause yiou have a long ways to even prove you belong in the top 10. Hire a game motivator to speak before each game cause Mark Richt is spending too much time looking at himself in the locker room.
Uncle Kirk
September 2nd, 2012
6:15 pm
Good god…it is the first game. You ppl act like we should just forfeit the season. Be a fan. None of us will determine whether a coach will be fired or not so just shut up about it. I am gld none of you idiots are in leadership positions. If uga beats Missouri next week the same ppl will be on here talking the staff up….except the trolls….and they are butt lickers anyway.
Bill
September 2nd, 2012
6:43 pm
UGA has the best defense in America. I just wish our sorry offense would do something. Oh, they scored 45 points. That is not good enough. We must score 60 every game. Let’s all dog cuss the players and coaches.
Maconbulldog
September 2nd, 2012
6:47 pm
BE A fan or not be fan… I mean holy crap. … nothing positive is ever said… UF didn’t look that great. FIRE BOBO,FIRE CMR, FIRE Todd….and tell me WHO SHALL they put in their place , that would take the job. You people look too deep in to stuff. Yeah BAMA beat the hell out of big 10 school. DUH we knew that was going to happen. Get a grip folks.
-Go DAWGS
‘Old-man football,’ Missouri player says of UGA | UGA sports blog
September 2nd, 2012
7:22 pm
[...] Sidebar: Shaky start for Georgia’s vaunted defense [...]
LogicalUS
September 2nd, 2012
9:11 pm
Thankfully, UGA will not need CBs this Saturday vs Missouri since I mean you know…”you can’t throw the ball on your back” right..
Somebody forgot to tell the 3-8 Buffalo QB to go to his back on every play.
Positively, at least they didn’t collapse in the 4Q this time.
harold
September 3rd, 2012
3:34 pm
UGA PLAYED NO ONE AND THE DEFENSE WAS A JOKE! WHAT HAPPENED?
GURLEY PLAYED AGAINST NO ONE. I WOULD NOT GET “ALL JACKED” UP AGAINST 100 YARDS AGAINST SUCH A “PATSY TEAM!”
PIERCE DAWG
September 3rd, 2012
9:47 pm
STINGER ONE THING FOR SURE,WE WILL BE THE CRAP OUT OF YOU YELLOW FLIES IN NOVEMBER AGAIN. WE OWN THIS STATE AND YOU GEEKS.
UGA’s next opponent at a glance: Missouri | UGA sports blog
September 4th, 2012
9:45 pm
[...] Sidebar: Shaky start for Georgia’s vaunted defense [...]