Patience for the Defense

While I have virtually zero patience for the progress of our veteran offensive line's play to date, I am digging deep and hunkering down on the patience front for the defense. Consider a few stats through the first three games. (Image: Hitting Mallet - by Jim Hipple)

Scoring Defense:

• Overall: Our defense is allowing 18.3 points/game in 2010. Through the same 3 game period in 2009, we were allowing 34.0 points per game. That's an improvement of 15.7 points per game. For the season last year, our defense allowed 25.8 points/game overall and 28.0 points/game against Div I opponents.

• Vs. SEC Opponents: So far, we're allowing 24 points/game against SEC foes. Last year, against the same two opponents we surrendered an average of 39 points/game. That's an improvement of 15.0 points per game. Overall on the season, UGA allowed a staggering 31.4 points per game against SEC opponents in 2009.
  

Now consider those stats in light of the fact that both Arkansas and South Carolina are better offensively this year than last. Plus, Georgia is implementing a new scheme while dealing with the loss of 4 or 5 players to the NFL draft from last year's squad.

Granted the stat sample is still very small, but the overall trend line defensively in terms of year over year improvement in points allowed is trending in the right way.

I was blown away by those stats. Did they shock you at all?

PWD