ATHENS — Kirby Smart was predictability ambitious discussing his No. 1-ranked team and how it is moving forward with All-American Brock Bowers out indefinitely after undergoing ankle surgery.

Georgia football is indeed on the clock, looking to make the most of its bye week before the annual showdown in Florida on Oct. 28 against the rival Gators.

“The obvious areas we can improve in, defensive, the red area is a key area and forcing more turnovers is a huge area,” Smart said, his Bulldogs ranked 61st in the nation in turnover differential having made nine interceptions while still looking for its first fumble recovery.

“Offensively, the ability to run the ball and be explosive running the ball,” Smart said. “We want to continue to do that, and improving in the red area.”

Georgia has scored 36 times on 40 trips into the Red Zone, but Smart is dissatisfied with the touchdown ratio, as 11 of those scores have been field goals.

“We want to be a 70 percent touchdown team,” Smart said after the 37-20 win at Vanderbilt. “What happens is, you get ranked high in red zone but it’s because you kick field goals and get points. We don’t even evaluate that stat.

“It does us no good to go down there and kick field goals. It’s a win for the defense.”

Here are three other things Smart said at his Tuesday bye week press conference worth noting:

Cleaning up Carson

Smart has said Carson Beck makes two or three plays each game that he’d like to have back, and that continued against Vanderbilt with Beck’s strip-sack fumble, botched snap and near-Pick 6.

“He plays very consistent, winning football when he plays within the system,” Smart said. “I think sometimes when he tries too much, he gets himself in trouble. But he’s played at a really high level to me. Like a 90-percent success rate and keeping a 10-percent from being catastrophic is critical.

“That’s the ones you want to get back. If you can take that 10-percents and throw them away to keep his 90-percent and his accuracy, we’re going to be good offensively when he’s good.”

Healthier Ladd

Georgia’s most explosive player had a good day of practice on Tuesday after his most productive game of the season at Vanderbilt.

“He practiced today and probably did more today than what he’s done on the Tuesdays in the past,” Smart said of receiver Ladd McConkey, “but he also had Monday and Sunday off. I feel good about where he’s at, but also he’s day-to-day.”

Indeed, but these days are better than the previous weeks after McConkey missed the first four games of the season.

McConkey’s health and availability will be critical to Mike Bobo’s plan of attack.

Superman is gone

Bowers was the equivalent of Georgia’s Super Man with his ability to take over games and attack offenses from all over the field as a runner, pass catcher and blocker.

Smart made it clear it will take a collective effort to compensate for Bowers’ absence, as it’s not as simple as someone filling Bowers’ role or taking over plays previously called for him.

“If they think that one guy’s going to replace Brock Bowers, they’re wrong, and if anybody thinks they’ve got to be Superman, they don’t need to be on our team because they’ll be disappointed,” Smart said.

“There’s no player that we’re asking to step up and do more than you can. As a collective effort, every player’s going to do more.”

Smart included the Bulldogs’ defense in that equation of players needing to step up, as it has seen drop off in its defensive front and Red Zone defense.

“That includes defense getting turnovers, special teams getting better field position,” Smart said, “(and) other guys getting opportunities to touch the ball, and make the most of it.”