Why TCU’s 3-3-5 defense vs. Georgia’s tight ends is such a fascinating matchup

If there’s one thing Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows it’s defense.

The former protege and defensive coordinator for Nick Saban is one of college football’s top defensive minds and heading into Monday’s national championship game vs. TCU, Smart is bullish on the Horned Frogs’ unique 3-3-5 defense.

“Coach (Joe) Gillespie does a hell of a job,” Smart said of TCU’s defensive coordinator Sunday. “It amazes me the job he does consistently even from Tulsa. We played Cincinnati a couple years ago, and Tulsa by far and away did the best job against Cincinnati. And we became enamored in that when he was doing it then.”

Gillespie has successfully transitioned TCU from Gary Patterson’s style to his own in just one year. It hasn’t been flawless, but the Horned Frogs have improved across the board in his first year leading the defense.

Gillespie said he wanted his players to master the defense back in August. As TCU prepares for game 15, he’s pleased with the progression he’s seen the unit take towards that goal.

“Well I think we’ve come as close as we can,” Gillespie said. “We can do a lot of things now from a defensive standpoint. They have so many experiences now, so many games, so many notches under their belt. It’s been a constant installation through the course of the season. Now when you start making adjustments it comes very fast to them.”

The speed of understanding adjustments in real time translates onto the field, where Smart was impressed with the quickness and tenacity the Horned Frogs play with.

“Take all the scheme part out. It’s how you play and strike people,” Smart said. “When you watch them strike blocks with hat in hands and the speed with which they play downhill and just strike people, it’s a beauty. It’s a thing of beauty to myself because I enjoy watching really good defense. And they play it. And it’s very unique.”

You could feel Smart’s energy pick up a bit during the press conference as he talked the ins and outs of TCU’s defense.

While Michigan had a relatively dismissive attitude toward the Horned Frogs’ defense due to the Big 12, Smart had a different viewpoint.

“I think the thing everybody says is everybody plays that defense in their league,” Smart said. “That’s not really true. And this is probably the most unique and, in my opinion, played the best of all those defenses in the conference.”

That’s high praise from the best defensive mind in the sport, but Georgia has their own counter to TCU’s unique defense. The Bulldogs tight end duo of Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington have skillsets that TCU hasn’t seen a lot this year.

“Most people, when they go 12 (two tight ends), they’re taking two good players off the field,” Dykes said. “And putting two average players on the field. Well, Georgia certainly is the exception to that. Their tight ends are exceptional. And they are wide receivers like Rob (Gronkowski); they’re wide receivers that are 270 pounds and can block.”

It’s not the first time Dykes has brought up his former player Gronk when discussing the Bulldogs tight ends. Bowers is the nimble 6-foot-4 hybrid receiver/tight end that can line up all over the offense.

Washington, who hopes to play against TCU, is a massive human at 6-foot-7, 270-pounds. That type of combination at the tight end spot is rare to see.

“They’re very skilled receivers, but they play a tough brand of football,” Dykes said. “And that’s what makes Georgia’s 12 different than everybody else’s. These guys are doing it with, you know, arguably two of the best tight ends in college football and some really exceptional athletes.”

TCU has confidence in cornerbacks Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and Josh Newton, but covering those two will mostly be a task for safeties like Mark Perry or Millard Bradford.

Not letting Bowers and/or Washington dominate in the middle of the field will be essential for TCU.

“(Bowers) is really special because he’s really not a tight end,” Perry said. “He lines up all over the place. They’ll line him up, use him in motion and do a lot of different things with him. They’ll throw him tunnel screens. He’s not your typical tight end. Being able to go out and compete with him and challenge him that’s going to be big.”

If Perry and the rest of TCU’s safeties can make Bowers a non-factor, it’ll be big for the Horned Frogs’ chances of being champions.