Kirby Smart reveals how Georgia is preparing for LSU defender Harold Perkins
Stopping or slowing LSU freshman linebacker Harold Perkins is going to be one of the biggest tasks on hand for Georgia in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday. As head coach Kirby Smart explained it, the recipe for doing so is terribly complex, but it’ll require constant attention.
Perkins, a true freshman, is one of the most talented players LSU has and he gets deployed from any number of spots on the field. He’s played as a stack linebacker, in coverage and rushing the passer.
“You know where he’s at when he’s out there, right?” Smart said. “They’re going to use him in different ways. They’ve changed up the way they’ve used him throughout the year. That’s what good defensive coordinators do. They try to find different ways to put him in, maybe a mismatch, and utilize him.”
In 12 games in his freshman season, Perkins has an interception, two passes defensed, a pair of forced fumbles, 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
His coming out party came in Week 11 against Arkansas, when the freshman almost single-handedly stymied the Hogs offense. Perkins had three sacks and both his forced fumbles in that contest, which LSU won, 13-10.
Knowing Perkins has the ability to swing a game himself if given the opportunity, Smart will make sure Georgia is hyperaware of where Perkins is at all times. It’s a task Georgia is likely capable handling, too.
The Bulldogs are tied for second nationally in sacks allowed, giving up just seven all season long. The Bulldogs also rarely allow tackles for loss — second in the country giving up fewer than 3.5 a game. There’s just not much that makes this Georgia offense go backwards and Smart knows keeping track of Perkins will keep it that way.
“You have to know where he is. And know where he is at all times because he’s really athletic. He’s very disruptive. And make your team aware of it,” Smart said.