Georgia understands challenge in combating 'disruptive' Simmons

As Mississippi State began to jump out to its lead over LSU, Jeffery Simmons became more disruptive up front.

The sophomore defensive tackle made things difficult for an LSU offensive line, which began to show little resistance as the game wore on. Simmons ended last Saturday’s game with seven tackles and 1.5 sacks in a 37-7 win, as he was able to apply pressure on both LSU’s rushing and passing attacks.

Simmons is someone Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows his team will have to key on, especially if the Bulldogs are able to achieve some balance offensively.

“He’s a very disruptive player,” Smart said. “He’s probably one of the best inside players in the entire SEC, if not the country. I recruited him out of high school, I remember him well. He’s a great player.”

With Simmons playing inside, Smart alluded to the fact Georgia will double team him. In pulling situations, someone else will have an assignment to block Simmons.

Smart said being fundamentally sound against a player like Simmons, who checks in at 6-foot-4 and 301 pounds, is imperative since one mistake can cause trouble in the backfield.

“The most important thing is to use technique, keep your pad level down and out-work him,” Smart said. “He’s a really good player and he’s extremely disruptive. You have to find ways to block him and find ways to get away from him.”

In addition to Simmons, Mississippi State’s defensive front has made things difficult on opposing quarterbacks. Granted that its other opponents thus far besides LSU were Charleston Southern and Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State’s defense has only allowed 105 passing yards per game – which ranks second in the SEC.

Mississippi State has also recorded seven sacks through its first three games.

Smart said the Mississippi State defensive line’s burst off the snap has played a major role for affecting the quarterback.

“They’re relentless, they play a lot of guys,” Smart said. “They get off hard. They got 20 guys on the roster from the Mississippi (junior colleges) that are really good players. They got great size, great length. They bat balls. It’s a good defensive line, man.”

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 11:43 AM with the headline "Georgia understands challenge in combating 'disruptive' Simmons ."