A few days after Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett shredded Georgia’s defense last month, secondary coach Scott Lakatos shouted “You gave up 380 yards!” to his defensive backs during practice.
Georgia safety Bacarri Rambo reaches for an interception while cornerback Brandon Boykin looks on in the first quarter of the Bulldogs’ 41-14 win over Tennessee.
David Manning
“Yeah, just a little reminder,” Lakatos said this week.
Georgia’s secondary is now showing encouraging signs of improvement since that 31-24 loss five weeks ago when the Bulldogs gave up season highs in points and passing yards.
The unit has undergone somewhat of a shakeup and there have been fewer busts in coverage leading to big plays.
Safety Jakar Hamilton and cornerback Vance Cuff were replaced in the starting lineup by sophomores Shawn Williams and Sanders Commings. Safety Alec Ogletree, the prize of Georgia’s 2010 recruiting class, has moved into a more prominent backup role.
“Those three guys are really buying into the scheme,” said safety Bacarri Rambo, who along with cornerback Brandon Boykin remain starters. “They’re willing to learn and give it all they’ve got, doing extra stuff at home and studying their playbook more. You don’t have to worry if this person knows what to do. I trust Shawn and Sanders, those guys pretty much know the game scheme and what the gameplan for the week is.”
The Bulldogs held Tennessee and Vanderbilt to just 14 points combined in blowout wins the past two games, but Saturday’s game at Kentucky should test the revamped secondary.
Kentucky throws the ball more than any team in the Southeastern Conference, an average of 34.1 times per game. Quarterback Mike Hartline is second in the SEC in passing yards at 255.9 per game and Randall Cobb (40 catches, 466 yards, five touchdowns) and Chris Matthews (33 catches, 482 yards, six touchdowns) are in the top five in receptions.
“I think this is going to be one of the hardest tests we’ve come across because they do so much formation-wise, moving Cobb to quarterback, running back, receiver,” Williams said.
“He’s everywhere.”
Williams began the preseason third on the depth chart, but was inserted into the starting lineup after the Colorado loss.
Commings has started four games this season, including the past three. The Augusta native played extensively against Arkansas and coaches liked what they saw, earning him more playing time.
“All of them kind of earned their way, which I think is the right way to do it,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “They’ve worked for the reps that they’ve gotten and then when they got out there, they took advantage of their opportunities and made plays, which allowed them to play even more.”
The personnel changes in the secondary came after a series of blown assignments led to explosive plays.
“You make mistakes all the time; sometimes you get away with it, sometimes you don’t,” Lakatos said. “We’re making less than we did earlier in the year. I think guys are really committing themselves to taking care of those things and eliminating big plays.”
The 6-foot-2, 212-pound Commings gives Georgia size at corner to match up with big receivers. He leads the Bulldogs with two interceptions and is fourth with 24 tackles.
Kentucky has one of those big receivers in the 6-5, 219-pound Matthews, who leads the SEC in touchdowns and had 12 catches for 177 yards in the Wildcats’ 31-28 upset of No. 10 South Carolina last Saturday.
Ogletree played about 20 snaps against Vanderbilt, a season high. With his size and physical nature, he could be the next big-hitter in the secondary.
“He’s had some plays where he knocks the pile back a little bit,” Lakatos said. “We’re excited to see what he’s going to look like when he really knows what he’s doing.”
Said Rambo: “Once he comes along and learns the game schemes, he’s going to put a lot of fear in receivers’ hearts. He already’s like 230 and 6-3 as a freshman. I’m kind of ready to see as the years go by, how big and aggressive he’ll be.”
While Georgia is up to third in the SEC in total defense, the Bulldogs still rank only ninth in the SEC and 81st nationally in pass-efficiency defense.
“We’ve been playing good the past two games, but this is going to be a great test against Kentucky,” Rambo said. “They’re really going to show if we’ve improved or what these past two games.”
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