Kirby Smart: Defending the Option Presents a Different Challenge

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Kirby Smart: Defending the Option Presents a Different Challenge

Kirby Smart during his Monday press conference, 2017-11-20
Kirby Smart during his Monday press conference, 2017-11-20

 
 

The Bulldogs will have a new challenge in stopping Georgia Tech’s triple option and head coach Kirby Smart knows how it will take great preparation.

 

The Yellow Jackets triple-option offense is one of the more unique offenses in college football and they run it to almost perfection. Smart knows that such a stout rushing attack and the unique style of running the ball will provide his defense with a multitude of challenges as they prepare for it.
 
 

“They’re just really good at what they do. Everybody’s got what they’re good at, that’s what they’re best at is running the football,” said Smart. “And they do it on the perimeter, inside, outside, they mix it up, they wait and see what you do and they have got answers for what you do. So at the end of the day it is your job to stop it and that’s what we got to do. That’s the challenge ahead.”

 
 
One thing that the Bulldogs defensive line is having to put a large amount of preparation in is combating cut blocks, which the Yellow Jackets use often and in an effective manner. The Bulldogs have put in a lot more time preparing for these style of blocks and have taken the time out of every week to prepare for this game.
 
 

“There’s cut blocks, but there’s cut blocks in all of football,” said Smart. “So you got to do a good job of executing, playing the blocks. And we’re allowed to cut them, too.”

 
 
Although the Yellow Jackets rely heavily on their fourth-ranked rushing offense, but they also have the ability to burn teams with the deep pass. The establishment of the run can open the passing game for the Yellow Jackets and the Bulldogs will need great eye-discipline when defending both options on the offense.
 
 

“Yeah, that’s exactly what you just said, eye discipline. It’s what got us last year. You don’t have good eye discipline, you don’t have good eye transfer, they can get you,” said Smart. “When you watch them play throughout the year, they have hit bomb after bomb after bomb, people have the same problem. So it’s an eye discipline thing and you have to play really well on the back end.”

 
 
The Bulldogs clearly have a huge challenge in front of them and they will have to play one of their best defensive games to slow down the Yellow Jackets offense.
 
 

 

 
 


 
 

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Michael Pope is a Journalism student in the Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, with an emphasis in sports. He enjoys covering all sports, especially basketball, football, and baseball.