ATHENS — Jamon Dumas-Johnson played his best game as a Georgia Bulldog.
He was not happy.
“I don’t think it kept us at Georgia level. That’s something we’ll have to work on when we get back to the lab on Monday,” Dumas-Johnson said.
Separately, it was a standout game for Dumas-Johnson filling up the stat sheet. He notched two sacks, added another tackle for a loss and tied with teammate Smael Mondon for a team-high six tackles.
However, individual dignity does not follow any member of this defense. It was the secret sauce that made last season’s defense an all-time great.
And as a team on Saturday, Georgia’s defense was far from over. After giving up 10 points in the first three games, Georgia allowed 22 points on the afternoon.
“It’s a team effort,” Dumas-Johnson said. “At the end of the day I don’t worry about the stats, I worry about the team. We didn’t do what we should have done today. Everyone knows our level.
The Golden Flashes found success on both big plays and sustained drives. Their first touchdown of the afternoon came on a 56-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. It was the longest streak the Bulldogs have given up this season.
“I’m telling you, he’s practicing really well right now. He is slowly becoming the vocal leader of the class,” Dumas-Johnson said. “He respects the way he works. The walks before the game, man, I love the way he’s maturing. He is gaining more confidence.
“He practices the right way, so it doesn’t surprise me.”
Dumas-Johnson and the Georgia defense will return to practice Monday, eager to bounce back after Saturday’s performance. Kent State had less than 281 yards of offense and the Golden Flashes turned three Georgia turnovers into 16 points. The Bulldogs were without Jalen Carter all day as he played in a very limited capacity while dealing with an ankle injury.
But Georgia’s linebackers don’t want to hear that. You know this team is better than what they showed on Saturday.
He’ll be eager to get better next Saturday against Missouri and put on a performance worthy of Georgia’s caliber.
“Sometimes we played dumb,” Mondon said. “Just clean the little things.”