Yellow Jacked Up
Fansided

Georgia Tech vs USF Recap: Defensive Analysis

By Mitchell Green

TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Blake Barnett #11 of the South Florida Bulls rushes during a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Raymond James Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 08: Blake Barnett #11 of the South Florida Bulls rushes during a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Raymond James Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next

Defensive Line: C

Starters

  • DE – Desmond Branch
  • NT – Kyle Cerge-Henderson
  • DE – Anree Saint-Amour

Main Rotation

  • DE – Antwan Owens
  • DE/NT – Chris Martin
  • NT – Brandon Adams
  • DE – Justice Dingle
  • DE – Brentavious Glanton

Grade: C

The defensive line performance was very much a tale of two halves. In the first half, the line was able to disrupt the run game and create a few negative plays. There were two tackles for loss by Anree Saint-Amour that stood out to me as both times he was able to knife through the offensive line and make a successful tackle in the backfield. This comes after a few similar plays from him in the Alcorn State game, and he appears to be becoming a force in the run defense.

There were also the two sacks by Kyle Cerge-Henderson that were very impressive in the first half. He was quick off the ball and was able to get Barnett to the ground on a day that few others could. After ceding the starting role to Brandon Adams last week, Cerge-Henderson resumed his place at the top and appeared to solidify that position moving forward.

But what was also very evident is that this group wore down in the second half, to a point where they were stuck to a USF lineman on every play and creating no havoc in the run or pass game. The heat was certainly a leading factor in their exhaustion, but with better offensive lines upcoming, this group needs to be able to develop consistent disruptors or else they will continue to get gashed.

Standout Performer: Kyle Cerge-Henderson 

He was the most consistent disruptor throughout the game and brought an impressive amount of energy to the field. My hope is that he can use this performance as a springboard for the coming weeks.