All year, Georgia's defense has been elite on the most critical down in football.

The Bulldogs entered Saturday's tilt with Kentucky ranked sixth in the nation in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 25 percent of the time in that situation. Georgia doesn't let opponents sustain drives and, by extension, makes it really tough to score.

The Bulldogs provided the latest example against the Wildcats, holding Kentucky to just 2-for-11 on third downs.

"It’s awesome because it not only helps us, it helps the offense too—get the ball back in Carson’s (quarterback Carson Beck) hands," safety Malaki Starks said. "There’s a lot of people saying we can’t do stuff, so for us to come out here and, not prove them wrong but prove us right, is huge."

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart noted the key to third-down defense often resides in the plays before it.

Success on first and second down sets up longer third downs for the opposition. That, of course, makes it that much harder for an offense to convert.

Smart also mentioned that the defensive coaching staff reminded the defense this week just how good they've been.

"We've been proud of that group. Our guys took some blows and took some jabs after the Auburn game," Smart said. "We self-reflected and said, look guys, we’ve been better at third-down defense than we’ve ever been here. We’ve got unbelievable defenses in our history. We don’t measure ourselves against the country. We measure ourselves against ourselves.”

The third-down success also points to a defensive mindset in modern college football. Offenses are going to move the ball, especially opponents the caliber of the ones Georgia plays. No defense will totally stifle opponents for four quarters, week in and week out.

But when opportunities are presented to get off the field on third down, that's when elite defenses have to step up.

"We know no game’s going to be perfect," cornerback Kamari Lassiter said. "We play in the SEC, so teams are going to make plays on us. It’s just really about how you respond, how you put out the fire most of the time."

The Bulldogs are also growing more comfortable in the third-down package that lets players such as Xavian Sorey and Jalon Walker see the field.

"We’re all linebackers," linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson said. "We’re playing together, we’re in a room every day. We’re communicating. It’s not like we communicate to a DB. We’re all in the same room 24/7. I guess that’s the part where we feel more comfortable with the connection out there."

As it has in other games this season, Georgia's defense fell short of perfection. Kentucky generated chunk plays at times, especially in the first half.

But when they needed to make plays, the Bulldogs delivered on third down. That will be a huge part of the team's success heading into the second half of the schedule, with offenses such as those of Missouri, OIe Miss, and Tennessee looming.