The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
High marks for Dogs’ defensive coordinator
ATHENS — One of the bigger question marks facing Georgia heading into the season was how its defense would perform under new leadership.
Nine games in, it’s safe to say, really well.
That notion was further underscored Wednesday when Dan Lanning, the Bulldogs’ first-year defensive coordinator, was nominated for the Frank Broyles Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top assistant coach. If the Bulldogs can sustain their current defensive pace, Lanning might be a shoo-in.
As No. 4 Georgia prepares
Dan Lanning, UGA’s first-year defensive coordinator, was nominated for the Frank Broyles Award, which goes annually to the nation’s top assistant.
for Saturday’s trip to No. 12 Auburn, the Bulldogs are fielding the SEC’s most dominant defense, and one of the school’s best of all time. There are plenty of caveats and asterisks that can be included with regard to that distinction, but the statisti- cal evidence is impressive: The Bulldogs lead the league and are ranked among the top five nationally in scor- ing defense (10.1), rushing defense (74.6), total defense (260.3), opponents’ thirddown percentage (29.6), opposing quarterback rat- ing (103.6), red-zone defense (57.1) and touchdowns allowed (10). On those last two counts, it should be noted the Bulldogs are the only team in college football that has not allowed a rushing touchdown this season.
Ultimately, Smart credits Lanning and his co-coordinator Glenn Schumann for making it happen. “It’s the buy-in on that side of the ball,” said Smart, who won the Broyles Award as Alabama’s defensive coordina- tor in 2009 and was named the AFCA assistant of the year in 2012. “We’ve been playing a lot of players, the camaraderie, the defensive staff. Dan and his staff have done a great job of putting plans together, and the kids have executed them.”
Lanning certainly is not getting it done on star power. Only senior safety J.R. Reed got anything in the way of preseason accolades. And while the Bulldogs have their fair share of 5-star talent on defense, much of the good work on the field has been logged by former 3-star and 4-star players.
Reed, a transfer from Tulsa; cornerback Eric Stokes; nose guard Jordan Davis; and linebacker Monty Rice are among the former 3-star recruits getting it done for the Bulldogs.
“We don’t necessarily have to have superstars. I’d rather have 10, 11 really good dudes than one superstar,” said Rice, a junior from Madison, Ala., who leads Georgia with 56 tackles. “But that’s kudos to our coaches and how they recruit.”
Lanning, 33, definitely is inclusive. He likes to substi- tute. A lot.
Lanning has established specialized roles at almost every position besides cornerback and safety. He has short-yardage and long-yardage linemen, third-down specialists at inside and outside linebacker and somebody for something everywhere in between. Lanning said at the outset of the season he hoped to play as many players as possible. He appears to have accomplished that goal, with 44 players recording defensive stats in the first nine games, and more than that getting on the field. “We’re reaping the benefits of all those kids playing,” Smart said.
To be sure, Georgia’s defense has gotten some breaks. Since the Notre Dame game in Week 4, the Bulldogs have not faced any team’s established starter at quar- terback. That won’t be the case Saturday when they meet Auburn’s Bo Nix, who earned the starting nod as a freshman and has played like it at times.
Smart gets a little defensive about the opposing quarterback caveat. “We don’t control who they put out in front of us,” he said after the Bull- dogs missed Missouri’s Kelly Bryant on Saturday. “Our kids go out and play really tough and physical. That’s all we ask them to do.”
It certainly has produced impressive results. Even in the loss to South Carolina, the Bulldogs gave up only one passing touchdown and 297 total yards. All those shiny stats will be put the test Saturday.
While this is not the most explosive offense Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has put together in his seven seasons, it still has plenty of explosive elements. The Tigers, led by running back JaTarvious Whitlow, average more rushing yards per game (219.3) than Georgia (216.1). But their real explosiveness comes from sophomore receivers Anthony Schwartz and Seth Williams. Auburn finds many creative ways to get them the ball in open space and are particularly effective with the jet sweep.
Schwartz, a national track star from Pembroke Pines, Fla., is considered the fastest player in college football. “Good thing we’re not going to race him on the track,” Smart said. But containing Schwartz and the Tigers speed on the edge will be a priority Saturday.
“You just have to get peo- ple to the ball,” Reed said. “When he’s in open space, we have to tackle him, we can’t let him break loose. We have, I think, three legit track guys on our team, too, on defense, so we’ll be fine.”