Notebook: Sanders Commings agrees that Georgia has ‘the best defense in country’
ATHENS — Clearly no memos or warnings were sent from Georgia’s coaches to its players in the wake of Bacarri Rambo’s comments this past weekend.
Rambo caught a lot of flak — from Alabama fans mostly — for espousing this past weekend his belief that the Bulldogs’ defense is even more talented than the Crimson Tide’s. But one of Rambo’s teammates came out and said pretty much the same thing on Monday after Georgia’s practice.
“I think we’re the best defense in the country,” senior cornerback Sanders Commings said. “I thought we were last year and we have 10 out of 11 or 12 players back who are part of the starting rotation. So there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be the top defense. Everybody on this defense thinks we are.”
Never mind that the Crimson Tide can back such a claim statistically. They enter Saturday’s SEC Championship game against Georgia ranked No. 1 in the national in total defense (233.67 yards per game) and No. 1 in points allowed (9.25 ppg).
Georgia is ranked 22nd and 16th, respectively.
But it goes deeper than that, Commings contends. It’s about how a team is playing at the moment, and he feels like no one is playing better than the Bulldogs. They’ve allowed just 8.6 points a game since the Oct. 27 Florida contest and have been forcing turnovers in bunches.
Meanwhile, Commings said he doesn’t think the Bulldogs’ confidence in themselves is providing bulletin board material for Alabama. They’re simply stating their belief.
“It’s good to play with confidence,” he said. “Confidence is just another word for swagger. We step on the field and that swagger is turned all the way up. We feel like we can shut anybody down, shut anybody out. In order to play good, you have to be confident, you have to have swagger”
Bobo a finalist for Broyles Award
Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was named one of five finalists Monday for the Frank Broyles Award, which goes to college football’s top assistant coach each year.
The Bulldogs’ have scored a 456 points on 62 touchdowns this season — both school records. With an average of 38 points per game, they’re on pace to obliterate the school record of 32.6 for a season of 12 or more games set in 2007. Georgia averaged 37.2 points in 10 games in 1946. With an average of 463.7 yards total offense per game, the Bulldogs are just off the school record pace of 466.82 in 1994, when Bobo was redshirted as a freshman quarterback at UGA.
Two of the other four Broyles finalists are also from the SEC. Texas A&M offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn join Stanford defensive coordinator Derek Mason and Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco.
Jenkins recounts flirtation with Crimson Tide
Jordan Jenkins and Geno Smith were teammates as they enjoyed some online video gaming last week.
If not for a change of heart by Jenkins, the pair might have been teammates on the football field, too. Jenkins, Georgia’s true freshman outside linebacker, had always been infatuated with Alaama as a teenager and had them listed as his top school throughout his recruitment. Alabama was also the first school to extend a scholarship offer his way, ringing him up the night before he visited the campus for the school’s “Junior Day” in 2011. But in a shocker, he committed to the Bulldogs in January, citing their need for another pass-rusher as well the relationship he had developed with defensive coordinator Todd Grantham.
However, he formed friendships with many members of Alabama’s 2012 recruiting class, including Smith, a cornerback for the Crimson Tide and a St. Pius X alumnus who was one of the top prospects in the nation at his position. With Jenkins and Smith still talking regularly, conversation has turned to the highly-anticipated clash between their teams Saturday in the SEC Championship game.
“He just said he’d seen that I was getting playing time, and I said, ‘Yeah, I see you out there, too,’” Jenkins said. “We were just congratulating each other, conceivably trying to hide that we’re both wanting to get after each other (butts) at the game.”
Jenkins’ affinity for Alabama began with what he dubbed “the Mark Ingram era,” the Heisman Trophy-winning tailback who helped lead the Crimson Tide to the national championship in 2009.
“That’s pretty much when everybody started being a bandwagon Bama fan, so they’d hop on it,” Jenkins said. “Then the next year they’d hop off.”
Spurning Alabama was “one of the hardest decisions I’ve made in my entire life,” Jenkins said. The toughest call he had to make was to the Crimson” Tide’s defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart.
“He was the coach I liked the most at Bama,” Jenkins said. “He was a cool guy. … I just had a close relationship with him. It was a hard call, because Coach Smart was like that cool guy you’re friends with.”
Jenkins has kept in touch with Smart, but said they haven’t recently. Ironically, their last contact came the week before Alabama played Texas A&M, which marked the Crimson Tide’s only defeat this season. And he can’t wait for the opportunity to give the Crimson Tide their second loss on Saturday.
“Playing Bama is something that really excites me,” Jenkins said. “I’m just ready for this game to start.”
Bulldogs glad to out of options
Commings literally sighed with relief when asked about being done with facing option offenses, which Georgia had to defend the past two weeks with Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech.
“We can go back to doing what we’re most comfortable with,” Commings said. “Playing run and pass defense against a normal offense. That’s the biggest relief about it.”
Robinson wasn’t concerned that the last two weeks defending unconventional schemes was a hindrance.
“We went against our offense every day in practice for at least four periods of just getting back to normal football for us,” the senior linebacker said. “It was intense. We did well.”
One player did strike a melancholy note, though. Jenkins didn’t mind the last two weeks of practice, since he was able to avoid contact, cut-blocking aside.
“I kind of liked practicing that way, because all I had to do was play some guy cutting me the whole time,” he said. “I didn’t have to hit anybody the whole practice.”
Etc. . . .
Georgia nose tackle Mike Thornton, who suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter of the Tech game, did not practice on Monday. The injury report listed him as “out” with a right ankle sprain. … Rambo, the senior free safety, was named the SEC’s Co-Defensive player of the week along with South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Rambo had eight tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and an interception against the Yellow Jackets.
AJC reporter Ryan Black contributed to this report.
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143 comments Add your comment
DP
November 27th, 2012
12:14 pm
KBP, if you can look at the huge gap in those team defensive stats and still say that only 2 Alabama defensive players could start for Georgia, how do you explain it? Is it coaching? Or maybe you’re overly impressed by Rambo throwing a guy on his head and don’t realize when he’s out of position and gives up a touchdown pass.
Alabama gives up less than half as many yards per game rushing as Georgia but you think that Georgia is better at 6 of the 7 positions on the front 7? Are you serious?
NCDawg
November 27th, 2012
12:20 pm
Maybe Bama’s Jones was respectful but was he asked a specific question but his Offense vs Georgia’s offense? I would say no. Did Rambo and Commings answer the question as deftly as they could have. Probably not but they did not evade the question or throw their teammates under the bus in the name “political correctness”. If Barrett Jones was asked if his Offense was better than Georgia’s he would be OBLIGATED to say at least “yes, I think so.” He won’t be asked the question so it is all hypothetical. The real question here is “what fricking difference does it make?” NONE. ZIPPO. NADDA.
baddawg
November 27th, 2012
12:23 pm
Whaaaa! Is Rambo making the Bama bubbas mad! Rambo you better hope that swagger wins the game Saturday! Smack talk is fun until you lose and then apologize like Mizzou did.
ARdawg
November 27th, 2012
12:27 pm
DP
You can pour out all the Bama stats you like and it won’t make a dimes worth of difference. None of those Bama stats are against the Georgia Bulldogs. Stats are way overrated as an indicator. Bama has impressive defensive stats, Georgia has impressive offensive stats, so what? I find comparing strengths to weaknesses a better indicator of how a game might play out. Even that is wrong 50% of the time.
Stats are historynot necessarily connected or related to the future when the teams haven’t played.
If those players truly believe what they are saying, it is their fact, whether it is the reality is yet to be determined. What I am telling you here is my facts also, yet to be proven reality
Clanton Dawg
November 27th, 2012
12:28 pm
Good grief! Can we keep the recorders out of the face of our players. Nothing wrong with confidence and swagger…..just let your actions on the field do the talking. Stay focused……go dawgs!!
DP
November 27th, 2012
12:35 pm
OK ARDawg, got it, when you believe something it becomes your “fact” but only time will tell if it is reality. That makes a lot of sense, unless you understand the meaning of the word fact.
And I haven’t been pouring out “all the Bama stats”, I poured out Bama and UGA defensive stats side by side for comparison. They just looked like Bama stats.
Fair n Balanced
November 27th, 2012
12:41 pm
This talking to reporters has got to stop. I hate to say it, but every time a GA team talks like this …..we lose. Pride goes befor destruction. I’m not encouraged by this. I fear we have inspired Bama too much. I’m not bailing on the possibility of winning, but these dumb statements just made it more difficult. This is the attitude that caused us to almost lose to KY.
NCDawg
November 27th, 2012
12:42 pm
These comments prior to the SC game would have been a problem. The team WAS playing soft defensively and they got bushwhacked. The team going to the Dome is not the same team. That is what needs to be kept in mind. Forget what may or may not come of these comments. When the ball is kicked off none of this will matter. No one will remember it.
jc_dawgs
November 27th, 2012
12:55 pm
Play the same D that was played against Fla. Now Bama will still score more than 9 pts if that happens…but if you hold them to say 21 pts….I like our chances. It’s up to Murray and co to get it done at that point.
Silence ISN'T Golden
November 27th, 2012
1:01 pm
Smack talk means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and will have NO IMPACT on the game. Bulletin board material is high school nonsense. I highly doubt Alabama needs newspaper quotes to be motivated and I’ve yet to hear of a quote by anybody that helped someone throw a block, break a tackle or complete a pass.
Lonnie
November 27th, 2012
1:06 pm
DP, Rambo and Cummings should not be talking! I agree! But that does not change the fact that our defense has greatly improved and is the individuals are top of the line! I agree that we should let our game do the talking. Saturday by 8 we will know!!!!
Wildcat 86
November 27th, 2012
1:11 pm
You guys are sounding like “high school coach for a day”. These kids are ready to play the biggest game of their lives. They get a pass for not putting it the way I would have. But I will not question their head nor their heart for believing they are better. Both of these guys are playing what could be their last in state college game. Semantics be damned at this point.
llf
November 27th, 2012
1:19 pm
Thornton was intentionally injured by the Tech left guard on an illegal chopping block. The center engaged Thornton high, and with the play going the opposite way, the thug Tech lineman buried his head gear directly into Thornton’s knee. He’s lucky to have a sprained ankle instead of a blown-out knee. Hope the ankle is not too bad.
This action continues a long list of dirty play and cheap shots by these people. I would like to know that our coaches and/or administrators are protecting our kids by making the appropriate complaints to both the SEC office and to the ACC office. I’d also like to know that the coaches, offenders, and administrators at Tech possess the integrity to apologize. Fat chance.
DP
November 27th, 2012
1:34 pm
llf, I guess you weren’t watching when Rambo and Ogeltree were suplexing Tech players and throwing them down head first.
Lonnie
November 27th, 2012
1:35 pm
Bog dawg we might lose but no one on a team is going to say they are worse than the other team!!! DP your stat comparison was spot on and I agree. Ironically, when u compare Murray’s numbers you use a disclaimer! Be consistent.
DP
November 27th, 2012
1:55 pm
Lonnie, if Alabama was giving up 3.9 yards per play and Georgia was giving up 3.91 yards per play I’d also use a disclaimer because it’s virtually statistically insignificant, as is the difference between Murray and McCarron on the pass efficiency rating.
'94 UGA Alumnus
November 27th, 2012
2:03 pm
Can these guys not shut up? Notice how the same players that got suspended are the ones running their mouths. Says wonders about their character or lack thereof. Someone (Jarvis preferably) needs to get these guys to shut the $%& up!
Bill's fan
November 27th, 2012
2:32 pm
Got to believe that these guys are living the dream and heads in the clouds.
Yes! They may be the best, but not the wisest. Seems like heard similar statements from Roddy White the week prior to the Saints loss.
Lesson #1 for elite teams: Shut up and play!
Jville Dawg
November 27th, 2012
2:39 pm
Calm down people, Rambo and Commings are not smack talking. They are simply stating that they believe in themselves and their teammates. I kind of like the fact that they aren’t intimidated by Bama.
Bama has been living off what I like to call FSUitis. Teams are so in awe of them and intimidated by them that they are 2-3 scores ahead before they even step on the field. By the time a team realizes, “Hey, we can play with these guys”, it’s too late because when they look up at the scoreboard, they’re down 21-28 pts.
It was the same thing with FSU and Miami in the 90’s. Those teams were very good, but if you go back and look at a lot of their game film, most of the damage was done in the first qtr of their games because teams thought they couldn’t play with them. 2nd and 3rd qtrs were a lot closer, but again the teams were usually mentally demoralized.
I said it yesterday, I’ll say it again today, if either of these teams needs bulletin board material to go out and play their best game, then they’re in trouble. If playing for a chance to go win a national title doesn’t get you fired up, nothing will. No bulletin board material should raise either teams level of play one way or the other. I’m sure Richt understands this and is why the players have full range. If anything, have them come in mad, it may force them to play a little too emotionally and make an early mistake or two. Just sayin…
bulldogmaniac
November 27th, 2012
2:47 pm
For the posters here saying “shut your pie hole and play…..STFU ect”………….Getting this far gives you the right to “yap”! Georgia’s D has been the best in the country over the past month. Let them have their fun and enjoy it. It is part of football! Nobody has said anything bad.
shankit
November 27th, 2012
3:06 pm
Okay, the AJC has reported a little smack talk from a couple of the Dawgs.
Do any of you listen to the Paul Finebaum show on XM radio, with his
Bama fanbase call ins? You want to talk about smack talk and ignorance,
but the Bama fan base is loaded with it. They have belittled UGA all year,
and really think they are going to blow out our “weak” division champion.
Ed
November 27th, 2012
3:16 pm
Until you’re on the field, the clock reads 0:00, and you’re celebrating our first SEC Championship since ‘05, this is just talk. Pure nonsense. I wish this stuff would go away, or the AJC would treat it like a Democrat president’s scandals and just ignore it.
Goldenrod
November 27th, 2012
3:16 pm
We let our coach do the talking on the sidelines and then he blames the players if we lose! That’s why he is a genius! Wait til next year!
Mobile Dawg
November 27th, 2012
3:26 pm
Smack talk is for the fans. Players and coaches need to show some class and respect for their opponent, heap acholades on them, like Saban’s done toward UGA, not throw fuel on the fire. Alabama will be a tough enough foe without the yapping from Rambo and Commings.
I remember how it worked out last year vs Boise St with the now famous tweet, “I dare you to punt the ball to me”, or something like that.
Red_Elephant101
November 27th, 2012
3:49 pm
It’s all good,
Nobody is ever playing in a championship game who has major issues or weaknesses, at least not in the SEC.
Is this UGA team as talented as the 2008 squad? Probably not, but they sure play better together than that bunch week in and week out.
Same could be said about Alabama this year both teams are playing quality football after earlier loses.
I just wish a venue with more than 70K seats was available in Atlanta, so tickets weren’t $1k apiece…
John
November 27th, 2012
3:55 pm
“Bama may have 2 kids that will start on our defense. Bama has certainly played better statiscallly, but a very strong case can be made that the Dawgs do have better talent on defense.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
John
November 27th, 2012
4:01 pm
Smack talk does will not have a direct impact on how the game is played. I think the Alabama players could care less what UGA players say. I do think it shows the difference in focus between the two teams. Bama’s focus is a big part of why they have been so successful over the years and UGA’s lack of focus on the actual game (talking up their team, getting hyped about uniforms) is what has made them underachieve. Commings’ comments regarding last season are down right laughable. You can say that UGA has played great on D the last few weeks but their poor performances against inferior opponents show they can have major lapses.
Sumterdawg
November 27th, 2012
4:06 pm
Sanders Commings really worries me. Has anyone seen him make a hard tackle. He will try to wrap his arms around the chest of an offensive runner but he never seems to tackle the legs or make the hard play. I have seen him in the right place at the right time and make an interception, but mostly I see him trying to look like he is doing something when another player is making the play. If I was in charge of the defense I would expect much more out of him if he wanted playing time.
llf
November 27th, 2012
4:31 pm
@ DP. Those tackles were vicious. They were good examples of hard-nosed, clean football. I’m not surprised that a but scratcher, such as yourself, would seek to justify cheap shots and late hits by complaining about UGA players hitting your people too hard.
tidog
November 27th, 2012
4:37 pm
Should Georgia not win it won’t be because of smack talk. It will be that Alabama executed better and made fewer mistakes. If Georgia executes better than Bama and make fewer mistakes they win. All the pregame talk won’t mean a thing Saturday, its about execution and having fewer penalties and turnovers than the Tide.
#1bamafan
November 27th, 2012
4:42 pm
Nothing wrong with being confident in your defense and team, but the DAWGS defense was clearly not better last year and is a closer match this year. If BAMA wins Saturday and plays for the National Championship AJ and the red shirt juniors will have a chance at a third Championship ring and another year….RTR
DP
November 27th, 2012
4:49 pm
Oh yeah llf, you whine about wanting an apology from Tech but when it’s your guys jamming guys into the ground it’s just “hard-nosed, clean football”. If you’re OK with that kind of play, quit crying like a little bit#$. And butt as in rear end is spelled with 2 t’s, you moron.
Patsy S
November 27th, 2012
4:50 pm
There is no reason to believe UGA will win this game. Mitchell jumping around like an idiot isn’t a reason. Murray’s inability to perform in big games isn’t a reason. The defense’s inconsistency isn’t a reason. Special teams isn’t a reason. Coaching and play calling isn’t a reason either. It still could happen, but for any Dawg fan to be banking on it is pretty stupid.
OldFan
November 27th, 2012
5:16 pm
Really sorry to see that swagger nonsense again. We swaggered ourselves right into some embarrassing loses in big games over the last few seasons. Let’s just play disciplined, hard-nosed football and leave the swagger in high school where it belongs.
AltamahaDawg
November 27th, 2012
5:20 pm
Well, as if on cue, an Alabama player is making a fool of those saying that “saban would NEVER let his players say bla bla bla”.
And IMO, whereas our guys were ASKED about how good they thought they were and responded, thus was an obvious attempt to insult the Georgia program,unsolicited, by a Bama player. Nobody on this side was attempting to belittle Alabama’s accomplishments with thier comments.
None of which bothers me in the least, nor would I try to read anything into it/him, as we seem to love to do with our own.
AltamahaDawg
November 27th, 2012
5:21 pm
this, (not thus)
DP
November 27th, 2012
5:56 pm
AltamahaDawg, Kenyan Drake’s tweet illustrates why Saban doesn’t let freshmen talk to the media and probably also illustrates why he’s been in Saban’s doghouse twice this year, including the recent Western Carolina game when missed a chance for plenty of carries because he wasn’t allowed to put on the uniform for the game. Georgia might want to put out feelers for him because if he keeps it up he won’t be at Alabama next year.
AltamahaDawg
November 27th, 2012
9:15 pm
Yea, I can see why. he was insulting to the opponent, and braging on his own teams accomplishments which he had very little , if anything, to do with.
AltamahaDawg
November 27th, 2012
9:17 pm
sounds like the definition of an Alabama fan.
AltamahaDawg
November 27th, 2012
9:19 pm
rob
November 28th, 2012
4:08 pm
Bobo up for a coaching award? Man this is a strange season
joe jenkins
November 28th, 2012
9:03 pm
Dawgs will prove that we do have the best defense. Tree is playing on a higher level. come on dawgs hunker down one more time
zbulldawg
November 29th, 2012
9:41 am
The DAWG’S defense feel like they have something to prove & that’s a good thing !! When they played the Gators they felt the same way !! Being called under Dogs & soft will bring out the best in a great team !! Our defense will play ” INSANE ” I just hope we keep the personal fouls down !! Bama hasn’t ever been HIT like they are going to be in this game !! This is a BIG & FAST defense with depht !! LET THE BIG DAWG EAT