SEC Football: What we learned from Week 2 of the college football season

SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 09: Davin Bellamy
SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 09: Davin Bellamy /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 09: Georgia limited Notre Dame to 55 rushing yards on 37 carries in 20-19 win.
SOUTH BEND, IN – SEPTEMBER 09: Georgia limited Notre Dame to 55 rushing yards on 37 carries in 20-19 win. /

Georgia’s defense is elite

Georgia won a gritty 20-19 game on the road at Notre Dame on Saturday night, their first win over the Fighting Irish since the 1981 Sugar Bowl. The Bulldogs held Notre Dame to one touchdown and four field goals in the game, and if it weren’t for a turnover and 126 penalty yards, they probably wouldn’t have gotten that much on the Dawgs’ defense.

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The Fighting Irish managed just 55 rushing yards on 37 attempts, an average of 1.5 yards per carry. They also sacked Notre Dame quarterback Brandon Wimbush three times, and forced two big second half fumbles.

Lorenzo Carter, Davin Bellamy, and Roquan Smith were everywhere for the Bulldogs. The trio combined for 20 tackles, 3 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.

You don’t want to make too much out of one game, especially since Notre Dame went 4-8 last season, but Georgia looked different on Saturday night. They swarmed to the ball and got after the quarterback. They also won the battle up front with what was supposed to be a very talented Notre Dame offensive line.

It remains to be seen how good their offense can be, but Georgia looks to have one of the best front sevens in all of college football, and they’ll welcome back the return of starting cornerback Malkom Parrish in the upcoming weeks.