NEW ORLEANS, La. — In a season defined by marquee wins, an SEC Championship and a return to the College Football Playoff, one statistical anomaly lingered for the Georgia Bulldogs: three games in the 2025 – 26 season in which the Dawgs failed to record a single sack, including Thursday’s 39 – 34 Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss.
Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss often looked untouchable, using his scrambling ability and composure in the pocket to extend plays. Georgia’s defense struggled to bring him down, a familiar issue after the Bulldogs also went sackless in the first meeting between the two teams in Athens in October.
Georgia finished the season with zero sacks in three games: Oct. 18 against Ole Miss, Nov. 1 against Florida and again Thursday in New Orleans. The Bulldogs recorded just one sack in their 24 – 21 home loss to Alabama, and it came on wide receiver Germie Bernard during a gadget pass play, not a traditional quarterback takedown.
The absence of consistent backfield disruption highlighted a problem that surfaced throughout the season. Georgia totaled 20 sacks in 2025–26, led by linebackers Chris Cole and CJ Allen, but the inability to generate edge pressure proved costly in the biggest moments. Notably, the Bulldogs recorded 12 sacks over their final five games, including three contests with at least three quarterback takedowns, underscoring the inconsistency of the pass rush.
That inconsistency was evident again on Thursday. Chambliss had ample time to operate from the pocket or escape pressure with his legs, repeatedly extending drives and converting key third- and fourth-down situations.
Earlier in the season, Georgia’s 43 – 35 regular-season win over Ole Miss also ended without a sack, even as the Bulldogs outpaced the Rebels in an offensive shootout and made just enough defensive stops to survive. Against Florida, Georgia similarly failed to record a sack in a narrow 24 – 20 victory, a game decided more by coverage discipline and run defense than by backfield disruption.
Despite the sack issues, Georgia still finished the season ranked inside the top 25 nationally in total defense. But as the season ended in postseason heartbreak, attention inevitably shifted to what was an atypical defensive profile for a Kirby Smart-led program.
Georgia’s 20-sack total marked its lowest output in a decade, reminiscent of the 2015 team, which finished with 21 sacks. That unit, led by Leonard Floyd (4.5 sacks) and Jordan Jenkins (4), went 10 – 3 and closed the season with a TaxSlayer Bowl victory over Penn State.
As the Bulldogs enter the offseason, evaluating why the pass rush sputtered in critical moments, and at times all season, will be a focal point for the defensive staff. For Georgia to return to its customary standard of dominance, rediscovering consistent quarterback pressure will be essential.
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