Georgia quarterback David Greene is one of the most efficient passers in the country. The junior signal caller has a career completion percentage of 59.2 percent and has not thrown an interception in his past 139 attempts.
The LSU defense is ranked No. 2 in the nation in total defense and No. 3 in defensive pass efficiency, intercepting six passes while giving up only one touchdown and allowing quarterbacks to complete only 40 percent of their passes.
In Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. Southeastern Conference match-up between the teams in Tiger Stadium, something has to give. Greene enters the game with a 68.1 percent completion percentage and has thrown three touchdowns and no interceptions, leading the Bulldogs to a 3-0 record.
Greene is the reigning SEC Championship game Most Valuable Player, 2002 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-SEC quarterback. He led the Bulldogs to a Sugar Bowl victory last year against Florida State and has not slowed down in his junior campaign. With Greene behind center, Georgia has turned the ball over only once this season.
“He may be the most consistent quarterback in our league,” said LSU coach Nick Saban. “His game management and his accuracy makes him one of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
Saban said Greene knows how to read defenses real well and makes checks and audibles at the line of scrimmage based on what the defense looks like.
“That’s what makes him a good quarterback,” Saban said. “He makes quick decisions, he has a quick release and he has great intuition. He knows where to go with the ball.”
Without the luxury of having the gifted receiver Fred Gibson, who likely won’t play this week because of a pulled hamstring, Greene will have to use all of those abilities against one of the nation’s best defenses.
Saban said the Tigers will prepare for the Georgia offense the same as if Gibson were in the lineup and will not be surprised if he runs out of the locker room with the team Saturday.
Despite Greene’s many accolades, Georgia coach Mark Richt opts to implement a two-quarterback system. When Greene comes out of the game, the athletic D.J. Shockley enters and brings a new dimension to the Bulldogs’ offense.
Saban said Shockley is an outstanding athlete, and when he enters the game they do a little more out of the backfield, like run the option or use the
quarterback sweep.
Saban said despite the outstanding play Georgia receives from the quarterback position, the offense is not pass-happy, but balanced. The Bulldogs are averaging 418.7 yards of total offense per game, 248
through the air and 170.7 on the ground.
“[Richt] has done an outstanding job,” Saban said. “They have a very well-conceived offense and the players are very well-coached, and they score a lot of points.”
Through the first three games, the LSU defense has recorded six sacks and used many zone blitzes to hurry opposing quarterbacks and lure them into making bad decisions. LSU defensive tackle Chad Lavalais has recorded one sack and two quarterback hurries thus far and said Greene is a great overall quarterback.
“He is good at running play action and finding the open guy,” Lavalais said. “He is good at calling audibles. He’s the best quarterback we’ve played against all year.”
LSU cornerback Corey Webster leads the SEC with two interceptions and would like nothing more than to end Greene’s streak of 139 passes without throwing a pick.
Webster said if the Tigers’ defensive front seven can put pressure on Greene and Shockley, it will make it much easier for the secondary to have the opportunities to make big plays.
“They have two really good quarterbacks and their offense has good athletes,” Webster said. “But we want to be one of the dominant programs in the SEC. [Greene] is surrounded by great athletes. A lot of times, that’s what makes a quarterback look good.”