Georgia's Defense Has Grown Up - Just in Time for a Sugar Bowl Rematch with Ole Miss
When Georgia and Ole Miss met back in mid-October, it was a full-blown SEC shootout. The two teams combined for 78 points and nearly 900 yards of offense in Athens, and Georgia’s defense - normally a calling card for the Bulldogs - couldn’t buy a stop for three quarters.
Now, heading into their College Football Playoff Quarterfinal rematch in the Sugar Bowl, things feel different. And that’s not just coach-speak or confidence talking - the numbers and the tape are telling the same story: Georgia’s defense has grown up.
Let’s rewind for a second. In that first matchup, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss was dealing.
Through three quarters, he was 18-of-26 for 262 yards and a touchdown. The Rebels moved the ball at will, and Georgia’s defense looked more reactive than proactive.
But something shifted in the fourth quarter. Georgia’s offense had just marched down the field on a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive - the longest possession of the game - and that seemed to ignite the defense.
According to cornerback Daylen Everette, that was the moment the secondary started to lock in.
“We were going over adjustments at halftime, trying to figure out what we could clean up,” Everette said. “And once we started doing that, it juiced everybody up. The energy shifted.”
The results backed it up. After slicing through Georgia’s defense for three quarters, Chambliss went ice-cold - 1-of-10 passing for just one yard in the final frame.
That wasn’t a coincidence. That was a young secondary starting to find its rhythm.
Everette pointed to that fourth quarter as a turning point, especially for some of the younger players like DeMello Jones and Ellis Robinson. The group took what they learned - both the good and the bad - and used it as fuel for the rest of the season.
And it’s paid off. Over the last four games, Georgia’s defense has looked a lot more like the unit that anchored back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022.
In wins over Texas, Charlotte, Georgia Tech, and Alabama, the Bulldogs have allowed just 29 total points, two touchdowns, and an average of 225.5 yards per game. That’s not just improvement - that’s dominance.
Sophomore safety KJ Bolden credits the coaching staff for dialing in the game plans and putting players in better positions to succeed.
“We’ve come a long way,” Bolden said. “The first time we played [Ole Miss], we weren’t at our best.
But we’ve been getting better, and the coaches have been giving us plans that fit us. We’ve been executing better, and it shows.”
Bolden’s point about execution is key. This wasn’t just a matter of plugging in new talent.
Georgia’s secondary had to replace major pieces in Malaki Starks and Dan Jackson - guys who weren’t just playmakers, but also handled a lot of the pre-snap communication. That loss of leadership and experience showed early in the season.
But as the year wore on, the chemistry started to build. The communication improved.
The confidence grew. And now, the Bulldogs look like a unit that’s not just reacting, but dictating.
“Just working together, working as one,” Bolden said. “We weren’t communicating well early on, but we’ve gotten better. We know the defense better now, and we’re more comfortable.”
That comfort will be tested again in the Sugar Bowl. Ole Miss brings back a deep and dangerous receiver group.
De’Zhaun Stribling, Deuce Alexander, and Winston Watkins all had explosive plays in the first meeting, and Harrison Wallace and Cayden Lee contributed as well. This is not a group you can afford to lose track of.
“Yeah, their receiver room’s deep,” Everette said. “They can go to a lot of guys.
We’ve just got to do a great job with whatever Coach calls - whether it’s man coverage, putting hands on them, just competing. We’ve got good guys too, so we can compete.”
One name Georgia will be without this time around is Joenel Aguero, the team’s No. 2 tackler in that first matchup. He’s sidelined with an injury, which means freshman Rasean Dinkins will once again step into the starting role at the star position.
Dinkins made his first career start in the SEC Championship and has played in 12 games this season, recording nine tackles. He knows what’s coming, and he’s not shying away from it.
“They’ve got really good receivers - shifty guys,” Dinkins said. “But I feel like our scheme is built for this. I think we’ll do a really good job.”
So here we are - same teams, same stakes, but a very different Georgia defense. The Bulldogs aren’t just hoping for a better result this time around.
They’ve earned the right to expect one. And if the secondary plays like it has over the last month, they just might get it.