Mark Stoops compares "dominant" Georgia defense to '85 Chicago Bears

The numbers are well-documented at this point. The Georgia Bulldogs enter their Week 7 matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense (5.50 PPG), total defense (201.2 YPG), passing yards allowed (137.0 YPG) and defensive passing efficiency. They’re also No. 1 in the SEC in rushing defense (64.2 YPG), team sacks (3.67 per game), first down defense, third down defense, red zone defense and defensive touchdowns.

To put it kindly, the Georgia defense is elite. Potentially even historic.

If you ask Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops, it’s a group comparable to the 1985 Chicago Bears, widely considered one of the greatest defensive teams in NFL history.

“I’ll take any and all advice this week,” Stoops said on his call-in radio show Monday evening. “This defense is pretty, uh — it’s like the 1985 Chicago Bears.”

Hyperbolic, sure, but the point remains: Kentucky will have its hands full down in Athens on Saturday.

Led by a defensive-minded coach in Kirby Smart, Georgia is always loaded with elite talent on the defensive side of the ball. This year, though, Stoops says they’ve found the perfect combination of veteran leaders and young superstars.

“Their defense this year is similar in structure — Kirby has been involved from day one, he’s a defensive guy,” Stoops said on his show. “The biggest difference is their overall talent and depth. They’ve been good, one of the top defenses — if not the top — the past two or three years. Top one, two or three every year. This year, they are No. 1 in the country, and they are 100 yards per game in front of No. 2 in the SEC. That’s how dominant they’ve been. They’ve given up a little over 200 yards per game, and the No. 2 defense in the country — I want to say that’s Alabama — they’re giving up like 304 or 305 yards per game. We might be third — don’t quote me on that — at like 316, 320 yards per game, somewhere in there.”

The match checks out, or at least he’s in the ballpark. Georgia allows 201.2 yards per game, followed by Alabama at 300.7 yards allowed per game and Kentucky at 305.0 yards allowed per game. All elite defenses — the top three in the SEC — but the Bulldogs are on another planet.

“They are so dominant, 100 yards better than the next-best defense in the SEC,” said Stoops. “They are playing dominant. The biggest difference is overall experience and talent. They’ve always been well-coached and talented, but this year, they’ve got some experienced guys and some young guys that are just dynamic. Their recruiting has been off the charts.”

Georgia’s defensive success isn’t solely due to the elite talent lining the roster from top to bottom. It’s also a well-coached team that designs different looks and blitzes to make the opposing offense uncomfortable.

“They put a lot of pressure on you because they’re good,” Stoops said Monday. “Lining up in their base defense and playing, they’re good, then you start mixing in any kind of pressures or different looks. The big thing for Will (Levis) will be him having some time. The protection being good, guys getting open, it will be a challenge for everybody.

“… They are playing at a ridiculous level defensively.”

For Kentucky to win this football game, the Wildcats will have to arrive in Athens with an edge and a will to win. They won’t sleepwalk their way to a win over the top-ranked team in college football, that’s for sure.

“You’re not going to beat the No. 1 team in the country by just showing up on Saturday or going through the motions,” said Stoops.

“For a large portion of the (LSU) game Saturday, we were playing good in all three phases,” Stoops added Wednesday during the SEC teleconference. “We need to keep that up. In order to have a chance to win this week we’ve got to continue to play that way for all 60 minutes. 

“There are still moments where we’re losing concentration and not playing to the best of our ability.”

Kentucky will have to provide its best effort for 60 minutes on Saturday. History is on the table, but they’ll have to take down a defensive juggernaut to make it.