How might an offense go about blocking South Carolina star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney?
Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray delved into the answers as the Bulldogs' fall camp opened Thursday, and this note from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution made it clear Murray had given it plenty of thought.
So what's the secret? The way Murray put it, you pretty much have to try everything.
"You've got to chip him; you've got to slide-protect to his side; you've got to hit him every time you can," he said. "You've got to get two bodies on him, knock him around a little bit, run at him."
The Bulldogs can't look ahead of Clemson, their season-opening opponent, to a Sept. 7 home game against the Gamecocks. But the players are well aware that it's the South Carolina game that sets an early tone in the SEC East, and as such, the Gamecocks are never out of mind in the preseason. Last year, South Carolina hammered Georgia 35-7 in Columbia, S.C., and the Bulldogs had to run the regular-season table thereafter to win the division.
Murray knows Georgia can ill-afford that kind of setback at home this year. And neutralizing Clowney will be a crucial factor for Georgia to get off to a 1-0 SEC start against its division rival. Murray added:
"We know when that time comes we'll game plan for him. I know (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks) Coach Bobo will have us set and ready to go. But that's the problem. You've got to put so much focus on (Clowney), but you've got to also prepare for 10 other players on the field. So it's kind of tough when you have an athlete like that out there on one side of the defense. Everybody wants to focus on him but, as a whole, they're a solid defense."
*Follow Chase Goodbread on twitter @ChaseGoodbread
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