Kirby Smart reveals how Georgia can defend against 'explosive' Tennessee offense

Josh Heupel once again has the Tennessee offense rolling as the Vols are in the top-15 nationally in points per game and yards per game. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is well aware of the challenges Tennessee presents, both from a schematic and personnel standpoint.

Smart spoke on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday about how hard it is to go against the Tennessee offense and shared what Georgia will have to do to have success on the defensive side of the ball.

“Well, it’s tough, because you have to change your defense to play against them,” Kirby Smart said. “There’s plays and defenses that we haven’t called all year that we have to play against them, because they’re very different. They’re fast. They have huge splits. And everybody knows that.

“So you get to watch other people play against them, and you’re trying to get ideas of how you want to play against them. But they go so fast that they limit what you can do.”

Kirby Smart added that you have to get the call in quickly, get lined up right and then execute in order to slow down Heupel’s offense.

Tennessee is averaging 37.6 points and 471.6 yards per game, although the Vols have reached the 30-point mark only once in SEC play. Still, Smart insists Tennessee has a dangerous offense.

“You’ve got to try to beat them back to the ball, get lined up, out-execute them,” Smart said. “And this year they have been different. I mean they’re explosive. They’ve got a great quarterback and they’ve got really good wideouts. But they’ve got a back, and he trusts it. He plays behind his defense a little more.”

The running back Kirby Smart referred to is Dylan Sampson, who has already rushed for 1,129 yards and 20 touchdowns on the season.

The status of Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava for the Georgia game is in question, so the Vols could lean on Sampson even more if he is unable to go. With that said, for now, Georgia is preparing as if Iamaleava will play.

“You treat it like he’s going to play and you adjust if he doesn’t,” Smart said. “Offensively, there’s not a huge change for them when he’s not in. I do think he’s a great talent. I mean the ball comes out like a missile.

“I’ve never seen a ball – we call it a bazooka around here. It comes out and it’s really flat and fast. And the ball travels 53 yards really quickly. But he is talented. He’s got great arm talent. And he’s got great wideouts to throw it to.”