On a crucial third down early in the first quarter, Alexander attempted a jet sweep.
Before the ball carrier could gain any momentum, a swarm of Bulldog defenders wrestled him to the ground, forcing a three-and-out. The tone was set defensively by the Athens defensive line.
“It’s the strength of our football team,” coach Ryan Adams said.
The Bulldogs have now held opponents scoreless for the last two games, and the defensive line has been one of the main reasons why.
The defense, led by senior captain Tanner Tritipo, wore down the Alexander offense.
Certainly, the endurance of the defense was evident in the •nine sacks by the Bulldog defense. Tritipo led the way with a multi-sack effort.
“Tritipo is the life-blood of our defense,” Adams said.
Tritipo suffered a broken wrist near the end of last season. The injury has lingered, resulting in him wearing a cast Friday nights. It also has limited Tritipo’s weight room presence.
However, it has not limited his performance on Friday nights.
“Our staff is proud of him, our team is proud of him, they voted him captain for a reason,” Adams added.
Evan Steenrod was no stranger to success against Alexander either. Along with Tritipo, Steenrod was able to produce a multi-sack effort.
The game started and ended with the Bulldogs’ defensive line acting as bullies. The unit will need to continue to act that way as conference play continues next week.
