ATHENS — Georgia football is in no danger of losing to Sanford on Saturday, and probably not until November, for that matter.
But Kirby Smart is all about his players performing to a standard, to the extent changes are expected on the depth chart for the 4 p.m. game on Saturday.
When Smart said his No. 2-ranked team made “glaring” mistakes in its 49-3 win over Oregon, he meant it.
In broad terms, the offensive line was underwhelming, the defensive line did indeed show the drop off most everyone expected after losing three first-round picks and the linebacker play was at times sloppy.
Georgia fans can point to the scoreboard all they want, but the head coach will point to the film and insist this team get better.
Did the Bulldogs have a great win that included tremendous performances?
Absolutely, Stetson Bennett, Kenny McIntosh, Christopher Smith and Malaki Starks can take a bow.
But what makes Smart one of the best collegiate coaches in the game — some could argue THE best after toppling Alabama last season — is his quest for greatness and attention to detail.
It’s a sure bet Smart took note that:
• Oregon didn’t have a three-and-out on offense until the fourth quarter
• Georgia not only did not have a QB sack, but it also did not have a quarterback hurry
• Georgia was out-rushed for the first time since the SEC title game, and only the second time in 18 games
Here are some key takeaways from Smart’s comments this week:
Christopher Smith
Arguably the most indispensable player on the football team sank to the turf after a brutal open-field collision in the Oregon game.
Smith called it a “stinger” after the game, and Smart said on Tuesday that his senior team captain and safety was fine.
But to what degree Smith is “fine” won’t truly be known until the next open-field hitting opportunity, making this worth keeping an eye on.
RELATED: Christopher Smith leads 6 most indispensable players list
Trench warfare
There’s an assumption that just because Georgia dominated on the scoreboard it owned the trenches, but that’s not necessarily the case.
The Bulldogs did most of their work on the perimeter and after quick, high-percentage passes, a credit to Todd Monken and Bennett.
“It’s something we’ve actually harped on this week, is how we play the run better how we run the ball better,” Smart said. “I still don’t think we’re at our best there.”
Fine Young Ladd
Third-year receiver Ladd McConkey has risen from relative anonymity on the national map to great prominence on the No. 2 team in the nation.
Smart doesn’t often gush about players, but McConkey has earned his coach’s praise and the value UGA puts on him.
“I think the biggest thing with Ladd is not overusing him — he can run himself into the ground, and he’ll go as hard as he possibly can every day,” Smart said.
Smart said there are “other guys who can help in a similar way he does, but we just have to get them caught up to speed and get healthy.”
McConkey is also the most dynamic return man on the team, so it will be interesting to see if Smart keeps him back deep, considering the lack of depth.
Bear Alexander effort
There might not have been a more hyped-up recruit than defensive tackle Bear Alexander, but the true freshman has a ways to go in his return from shoulder surgery.
“You know he flashes but then he has a play where he doesn’t give great effort,” Smart said. “He’s very similar to every freshman so every freshman is in a different situation because of our depth chart but they’re all similar, they’re very inconsistent.”
RELATED: Sentell’s Intel: Bear Alexander even better than Jordan Davis
Nickleback
West Virginia All-American transfer Tykee Smith remains on the mend, but in the meantime, Javon Bullard and William Poole are holding it down.
Smart said Tykee Smith hit his highest speed yet on the GPS in his return from last season’s knee injury.
RELATED: Tykee Smith’s tale of leaving West Virginia, starting new at UGA
“Each one of those guys is kind of a different nickel, and they have different attributes,” Smart said. “You try to use the guy that can do the best with the attributes that you need.”
