JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kirby Smart and his Georgia Bulldogs found their rallying cry last summer: “You’re either elite, or you’re not.”

Smart’s football team will maintain its No. 1 ranking in the polls, and most certainly the first College Football Playoff Rankings, on the heels of a 34-7 win over Florida on Saturday at TIAA Bank Field.

Holding the Gators to 7 points — the lowest of Coach Dan Mullen’s four-year tenure — qualified as elite, Smart said.

So, too, did the three turnovers Georgia (8-0, 6-0 SEC) forced in a decisive 2 1/2-minute spurt that triggered 21 points and effectively knocked out any upset hopes for the Gators (4-4, 2-4).

But the Bulldogs’ 3 turnovers on offense? Not elite.

The fact Florida actually out-gained Georgia 355-354, also, not elite.

“It was a strange game — it was a game of momentum and momentum plays,” said Smart, now 4-2 in the rivalry game with Florida. “Basically, our turnovers were not as costly as their turnovers.

“Our turnovers were not very good decisions by the quarterback and then Kenny (McIntosh had the tough one (fumble) that came out late. But they were basically like punts, (and) their turnovers were much more expensive.”

Smart went over a laundry list of things Georgia will go to work fixing soon after their chartered jet arrives back in Athens after the 340-mile flight.

“We had a back go the wrong way, we had a guy read the wrong wristband, we had a guy not block the end, we had a guy jump offsides,” Smart said.

“We had busts on defense, too. We’re just able to overcome some of that now on defense with talent and size and speed.”

But that defense also came up with the three big turnovers late in the second quarter, and that was enough to key the win.

“Coach (Dan) Lanning and us other coaches present in the defensive meetings … we had a guy stand up and show where the defense was ranked in almost every statistical category,” Smart said.

“They’re ranked top two, top three, and then turnovers, it’s like we were 68th in the country and that offends our guys.”

Smart left happy with the win, but certainly not satisfied, and not ready to classify the defensive effort as “elite” in any cumulative sense.

“No, absolutely not because we gave up 194 passing yards, 161 rushing yards,” Smart said. “That’s not elite. That’s not our standard.”