Getting past confusing Carolina defense

ATHENS – Defensive Coordinator John Thompson brings his own vision to South Carolina’s defense.

He also brings a lot of movement and confusion.

“Usually, you can look at tape and see how a team lines up and pretty much know what they like to do. But with this defense, you spend an awful lot of time just trying to figure out who's lining up where and why,” said Georgia Head Coach Mark Richt about the Carolina defense.

Against Central Florida, the Gamecocks’ defensive linemen often did not get in a three-point stance, and their linebackers would walk around. It was confusing to watch.

“Who do you block?” asked Richt.

This week the Bulldogs' scout team numbers have been particularly important in order to identify which player is a lineman and which is a linebacker. With all Carolina's movement that can be hard to figure out.

“They’ve got a tricky defense,” said running back Thomas Brown. “They come with a lot of different sets, and move a lot of people around. If you shoot right into a hole you might run into one of their stunts.”

Brown said, however, that Georgia’s running game is key to figuring out South Carolina’s puzzling defense.

“If we are patent with the run I think we’ll have a chance to break some long runs,” Brown said. “Hopefully they will run themselves out of plays sometimes.”

On film, Georgia has seen this sort of movement before from a recent foe. Boise State’s defense moved a lot last season, but didn’t do much of it at all last Saturday. Maybe the Broncos should have moved around more – Georgia scorched them for 574 total yards in a 48-13 blowout win.