ATHENS — November has arrived in the Georgia locker room, and that means freshmen can no longer play like freshmen.

Coach Kirby Smart has talked about coaching up the “bottom of the roster” for times like these, when injuries and attrition set in during the stretch run.

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs (7-1, 5-1 SEC) sit atop the SEC entering their road trip at No. 16 Ole Miss (7-2, 3-2), but such equity means nothing.

It’s fair to say Georgia opened as a 3-point favorite over the Rebels in Saturday’s ABC-televised game more on program reputation and culture than its most recent performance, a 34-20 win over Florida.

RELATED: How Georgia overcame 3 Carson Beck interceptions to beat Florida

There’s no getting around the fact that UGA made uncharacteristic mistakes and is no longer regularly dominant at the line of scrimmage.

That said, Smart’s Bulldogs teams — including this one — have found resiliency when needed.

Georgia has survived and overcome most all wake-up calls and close calls throughout this season, still getting most everyone’s best game.

It will be no different in Oxford, where Lane Kiffin knows exactly what he’s up against.

From an Xs and Os standpoint, Georgia’s weaknesses have been exposed by the nation’s fifth-most difficult schedule.

That’s where Smart is counting on internal growth and program culture to kick in, as that will ultimately decide this team’s fate.

Here’s a stock report of the Bulldogs on the rise with the season in the balance.

Stock Soaring

KJ Bolden might only be a 185-pound safety, but the true freshman is growing in value and stature each week. PFF graded Bolden highest among UGA’s defensive players, as he notably proves fierce and reliable in run support.

C.J. Allen stepped up with a game-clinching interception from his linebacker position against the Gators, another highly-graded underclassman right on schedule with a team-high 8 tackles against the Gators.

Chaz Chambliss’ leadership has been crucial behind the scenes, and he continued to fill up the box score with a team-high 2 sacks in the win over the Gators.

Jamaal Jarrett might have only gotten five defensive snaps, but the 350-pound sophomore appears to be growing into pivotal reps at nose tackle just in time.

Jared Wilson continues to grade out atop the PFF charts on the UGA offense, proving key consistency at the center position.

Tate Ratledge made an impressive return when pressed into action in Florida, missing just four games after his Sept. 17 tightrope (ankle) surgery.

Stock Rising

Freshman tailback Nate Frazier graded out second-highest on offense, carrying a 35-snap load with Trevor Etienne out. Frazier’s personal foul for celebrating was disappointing, but he did many other things well.

Mykel Willilams had a team-high three QB hurries from his defensive front position and was in on a tackle-for-loss, playing 41 snaps up front.

JaCorey Thomas was the second-highest graded cornerback in the game on his 20 snaps, per PFF.

Xzavier McLeod saw nine snaps inside at defensive tackle, valuable reps that indicate UGA’s defensive front is growing stronger.

Stock Even

Carson Beck’s sideline optics were worse than the actual performance, which included several good plays mixed in with a few bad. Beck continues to manage the team effectively at the line, winning games and making clutch throws. Beck can’t control not have the supporting cast other QBs at UGA have had, but he can control his body language.

Malaki Starks, who pulled double duty as a return man, graded out lower than any UGA defender according to PFF, which at the very least provides some insight. Starks was beat deep for a touchdown.

Joenel Aguero only played a half, but his tackling grade left much to be desired — which is not optimal for a player at the hybrid-DB position known as the “star.”

Brett Thorson, sounds crazy to say, averaged “only” 42 yards per punt. For Thorson, that’s considered less than a great day.