NEW ORLEANS — Arian Smith isn’t going to let a few dropped passes slow him down.

Not after all the Georgia senior receiver has been through in his career, and certainly not with the Bulldogs season on the line.

Smith has persevered through an injury-plagued career, from the time he arrived with an injured wrist as a freshman, to suffering a meniscus (knee) injury, a broken fibula and a broken ankle.

“You could consider me a resilient guy,” said Smith, who with 750 yards is still within range of a 1,000-yard season, depending on how far Georgia goes into the College Football Playoffs.

“Drops, they’re not what you want, but they happen. It’s how you respond to those, and as long as I keep a clear head throughout the game, I’ll be ready when the ball comes to me the next go ‘round.”

Smith figures to be key when Georgia plays Notre Dame at 8:45 p.m. on Saturday in the Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal at Caesars Superdome on Wednesday.

The Irish figure to stack the box and challenge the Bulldogs’ pass game, fully aware Gunner Stockton will be making his first start at quarterback after Carson Beck’s season-ending injury on the final play of the SEC Championship Game.

“Gunner is going to play good, but us around him will make him play better,” Smith said. “We have to play confident and do things throughout the game, so he plays up to the standard of our team.”

Smith has done his part on the practice field and working against defensive backs, finding his way open and into position to make plays for the Bulldogs.

“Everything he does is full speed,” UGA offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “And there’s a reason he gets thrown a lot of balls, he’s open. He’s the fastest guy on the field, and when he gets on the field, people know he’s on the field.”

Smith might prove to be the fastest man at the NFL combine, as his 40-yard dash time is expected to be in the 4.2-second range.

Speed travels, and Smith has worked hard to improve his route-running every season at Georgia after overcoming his injuries.

Confidence, as much as anything, will be key as Smith looks to help the UGA receivers snap out of their collective funk.

It has been well-documented that the Bulldogs are among the nation’s leaders in dropped passes this season, even as they have also come up with big catches.

First things first, Smith takes responsibility for his mistakes, even if not all the passes have been on target.

“I take accountability for all my drops, I try to not make excuses,” Smith said. “A drop is a drop, my job is to catch the ball, regardless of how it’s thrown … "

That has meant extra work for Smith and the receiving corps, spending time after practice talking with Stockton about the nuances of the pass game.

Now, it’s just about playing football.

“Trust ourselves, trust the quarterback, trust the process,” Smith said. “Just go out there and be confident, and don’t overthink when the ball comes our way.”

Notre Dame, meanwhile, will have to conjure up ways to stop the Georgia run game — suddenly more diverse with Stockton’s mobility — while also making sure Smith doesn’t get behind the secondary on a deep route.

“I know we want to catch every one of them,” Bobo said, “but sometimes when you put that pressure on the defense that, here’s number 11 (Smith) in the game and you’re throwing that ball deep, it has an impact on them whether you’re catching it or not.”

Smith knows that, from here on out, his next game could be his last in a Georgia uniform.

“This is different because it’s like a business trip, Coach calls it,” Smith said. “We’re not there to have fun. We’re there to go win and make sure we advance because it’s win or die.”