Although top-ranked Georgia has had little trouble winning its last three games, the Bulldogs have not forced as many turnovers as Kirby Smart would like. Other than an interception and two forced fumbles (one recovered) two weeks ago against Tennessee, the Bulldogs didn't have one against Florida in Jacksonville or against Mississippi State last Saturday in Starkville.

“We talk about it a lot. We try to change up drills. We show NFL clips of turnovers. We show all SEC turnovers,” head coach Kirby Smart said after practice Tuesday. “We talk a lot about it. I thought we did our best job this year of trying to punch balls out and strip balls out on these guys, because they had a lot of loose plays where the balls were out in the open. We just didn't get any. We certainly need to do that to offset some of our own.”

Smart is certainly right about that.

The Bulldogs have fumbled four times (losing three) over that same span, while quarterback Stetson Bennett has thrown four of his five interceptions.

Smart twice brushed past questions asking the status of star position Javon Bullard and wide receiver AD Mitchell (ankle) for Saturday’s game at Kentucky.

A third attempt finally elicited a response.

“I’m hopeful for both of them,” Smart finally said. “Y’all keep asking, and I keep telling.”

Monday, Smart said Bullard suffered a lower leg contusion against Mississippi State, but he was expected to play. Mitchell has only practiced off to the side, and as of Monday had not begun practicing with the team.

Smart was later asked what players he felt had stepped up the most in Mitchell’s absence.

“Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint probably the most. Ladd McConkey and Marcus have played the most snaps, and Marcus has been beaten up and banged up,” Smart said. “He's been dealing with some injuries the last two weeks, and he kind of recovers during the week and then gets out there and does the best he can in the game.”

Other offensive skill players have also benefited.

“The beneficiary has been everybody. The backs have gone a little more 20 speeds; the tight ends, we've gone more 12 when you have fewer receivers, then you must use other angles,” Smart said. “Dillon Bell has played the X where he's been, but Marcus doubles as an X and a Z. So, I would say Dillon, Ladd, and Marcus probably the most.”

Stetson Bennett is one of 20 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback. After also earning semifinalist honors in 2021, Bennett is one of five players from the Southeastern Conference on this year’s list.

The next step in the process will be to select the award’s three finalists based on voting from the Davey O’Brien National Selection Committee, as well as the second round of the Fan Vote, which will take place on the award’s social media accounts.

To participate in the Davey O’Brien Fan Vote, fans must like the original Davey O’Brien Award post highlighting the quarterback. The three finalists will be tabbed on Nov. 29. The winner will be announced live on Dec. 8 on The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN.

The Bulldog offensive line is one of nine units picked to be semifinalists for the Joe Moore Award, which recognizes college football’s most outstanding offensive line units. Georgia joins Ole Miss and Tennessee from the league on the list.

The Joe Moore Award finalists will be named on Dec. 6th. The eventual winner will be recognized in the ensuing weeks during a surprise, on-campus visit to the winning unit’s school.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was tabbed a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Award.

...Don’t mention the SEC Championship to Smart, not even if winning the game is a motivational tool. If the Bulldogs are thinking about it, Smart’s not saying. “Yeah, we haven't. We haven't talked about the SEC championship game or going to the SEC championship. That's just not our conversation,” he said. “We keep our conversations relative to what's one foot in front of us. It's never been mentioned as a goal—nobody talks about that. We just talk about Kentucky.”

...Smart said finding quality walk-ons is not as difficult as you might think. “It's not hard to find the pool. There are thousands of kids wanting it. The hard part is deciphering what you're going to take, because some of the walk-ons that we get have opportunities, have scholarship offers,” Smart said. “Some of our preferred walk-ons have turned down full rides from schools, and they want to come to Georgia.” Smart gave Dan Jackson, along with former Bulldogs Aaron Davis and Prather Hudson as great examples. “They're just really good athletes,” he said. “So, we're very blessed to have the opportunity to bring in the walk-ons we have.”

…Smart said he remains pleased with his offensive line. “I had high expectations of this offensive line from the beginning, and I've been very pleased with this offensive line group,” Smart said. “I try to compare them relative to other offensive lines—not other Georgia offensive lines, but other offensive lines we face in the current year. Because collectively, I don't know that the quality of football right now is as good as it's been two, three, four years ago.”

He said there’s always room for improvement. “Could they do better? Yeah, but I've been very pleased with the depth, the use of the depth, and how hard those guys work,” Smart said. “I think Stacy's (Searels) done a tremendous job with them.”

…Georgia’s inside linebackers continue to impress. “They've done a good job. They need more depth in there. Trezmen (Marshall) and Rian (Davis) being back has been a huge help to Jamon Dumas-Johnson (Pop) and Smael (Mondon), because you can't play two inside linebackers and get through a game; you got to have three or four to rotate,” Smart said. “It's like half defensive line, half defensive backs. They got to have some rest and some recovery, and those guys have stepped up and helped them a lot. E.J. (Lightsey) is getting better, Jalon Walker is getting better. Coach Glenn Schumann does a great job with that room. He prepares them from day one. They've done well considering who they had to replace.”

…Smart wrapped up his press conference by offering condolences to the University of Virginia, where three members of the Cavalier football team were shot and killed. “We talked a little bit about it today. I didn't talk about it yesterday because I didn't know much, and I didn't know many of the details and still don't. I certainly got a lot of respect for Tony Elliot. I've known him, he's been a good friend of mine since he was at Clemson, and I recruited at Alabama,” Smart said. “We always spent time together on the road. I just cannot fathom having to make that call to someone's parents. Carla Williams (former Georgia Associate AD) is up there, who I have a lot of respect for, and she did a tremendous job here. To have to go through that with their team and what they're experiencing, our hearts and prayers go out to them.”

…Linebackers Chaz Chambliss and Smael Mondon also spoke Tuesday.

On the cold weather last week in Starkville and what’s expected Saturday at Lexington, Chambliss said: “Whatever the situation is, it's football, no matter what. The other night, it was just another game. You look past conditions, and you look past how you feel and play the next game.”

…Mondon said he’s looking forward to playing a team like Kentucky, which plays a physical brand of football like the Bulldogs. “One of the things we do to get ready for a team like this is to have physical practices,” Mondon said. “We like when a team is just trying to run downhill at us, because we’ll be able to play physically with them.”