3-2-1: A Look At The Georgia Offense vs. Notre Dame

All the film has been broke down, which means its time to make three observations of the Georgia offense, two crucial matchups to watch and a key to victory for the Notre Dame defense against the Bulldogs.

Not many people seem to think Notre Dame has much of a chance, and a major reason is how the Irish stack up against the Georgia offense. The thought being that Georgia runs the ball very well and Notre Dame can't stop the run ... or so the theory goes.

The Bulldogs are a talented offense, there is no question about that. After breaking down Georgia's three openers, there are areas where Notre Dame matches up well and areas where the Fighting Irish are vulnerable.

1. Georgia has a big, physical offensive line – Much has been made of how good the Georgia offensive line is in 2019, and the hype is mostly legitimate. Not only is the unit made up of a bunch of highly ranked former recruits, those players have been developed well and are a strong, cohesive unit. Watching them fire off the ball and drive opponents off the line is a joy to watch, and it is what has fueled the Bulldog offense through the first three games.

The unit consistent gets a good push thanks to its massive size (the starting unit averages 328.6 pounds) and power. They are good with their power steps and for the most part their pad level stays good. If this is a game where Notre Dame thinks they can line up and hit Georgia right in the mouth and play power football, then it’s going to be a game where Georgia runs for a lot of yards. When this line has had its issues in the first three games, and last season, its when opponents use their quickness to their advantage. If you can get them to turn their hips, the linemen lose a lot of the power that makes them so effective.

One area where the unit hasn’t been great so far in 2019 is in pass protection. The Bulldogs have allowed 25 quarterback hurries through three contests despite playing vastly undersized defenses. In those three games the opponents have had six hits on the quarterback and a sack. If Notre Dame is going to have any chance in this game it will have to use its front four to attack and penetrate, limiting Georgia’s ability to stay square and drive off the ball. The defense will also have to be better with its gap integrity than it has the first two games.

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