Alabama has a very healthy respect for the Georgia football program. That much is clear after what its coaches had to say about the Bulldogs heading into Saturday’s game.
Both of Alabama’s coordinators spoke to the media on Monday, sharing their thoughts on Georgia’s personnel and schemes.
It’ll be the first time that Kirby Smart and his staff matchup against Kalen DeBoer at any level. There’s a newness to this matchup, one that for so long has been dominated by Nick Saban and Alabama.
And while new Alabama coordinators Nick Sheridan and Kane Wommack didn’t recruit a lot of the players on either side of the ball, the respective offensive and defensive coordinators had a lot to say about Georgia.
“I think their quarterback, Carson Beck, is as good as it comes in college football right now,” Wommack said. “Incredibly efficient with his decision-making. Does not take many sacks. Rarely turns the ball over. Takes care of the football. I think he does a really tremendous job in the intermediate throwing game. He has great accuracy. Really quick release, great decision-maker. Just so impressed by him the more I watch — and I’ve probably watched every game from the last couple of years here.”
Wommack was the head coach at South Alabama before joining DeBoer’s staff this offseason. The Alabama defense looks very different than the one that held Georgia to 24 points last season. Dallas Turner, Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold are all in the NFL now.
But this Alabama defense has still gotten off to a strong start, as the Crimson Tide ranks 6th in the country in scoring defense at 8.7 points per game.
Slowing the Georgia rushing attack will go a long way in making Saturday a successful day.
“These backs are really hungry. They run really had. They’re physical,” Wommack said. “They can create yards after contact and then when they get in space, they’ve got a couple of guys that can really take advantage of explosive plays in the run game. So we’ll have our work cut out for us because I think it’s not just one guy it’s a number of guys that can create explosive things for them in the run game.”
Trevor Etienne has averaged 78.5 yards per game for the Bulldogs this season. If Georgia is to win, he will likely need to exceed that.
As for the other side of the ball, Alabama is well aware of All-American safety Malaki Starks.
“I think the that stands out is his versatility as a player,” Sheridan said. “He can play close to the line of scrimmage, and he can play in the deep middle part of the field. He can cover man to man. I think he’s an excellent football player but obviously has experience in their system. They can put him in different spots and different personnel groupings, and he’s excellent in all areas.”
Starks will be a vital player on Saturday, as his athleticism gives Georgia some flexibility in terms of how they can use him. He’s played both safety spots thus far this season, in addition to the star position.
Freshman wide receiver Ryan Williams has had an explosive start to the 2024 season, catching 10 passes for 285 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first three games.
With Smart’s background being in defensive backs, Sheridan expects Georgia to have an excellent plan to slow down Jalen Milroe and the Alabama offense.
“Anytime you talk about pass defense its a combination of the rush and the coverage matching together and complimenting one another,” Sheridan said. “Certainly they do a nice job in that area. They play tight coverage, they mix up their defenses, and then they can rush and create pressure on the quarterback. I think both ends of the defense, the back and and the front end, do a nice job of complimenting one another, and making that a challenge.”
Saturday’s game will be a top 5 matchup between two national championship programs. And for all that has changed with Alabama since last year’s win over Georgia, the Bulldogs still expect Alabama to play and coach to the same elite level it did under Saban.
“I think anytime you go against a really good team that’s a powerhouse in college football, that it’s a challenge,” Smart said. “And I really look at it like this is a hell of an opportunity for our kids, our program, national stage, and we’re on the national stage a lot.”
