Typically, Georgia's has always been as fundamentally sound a tackling team as you’re going to find in college football.

That’s especially been true since Kirby Smart’s been the head coach. So, how does the Georgia head coach feel about that aspect of his team’s play after games against UT-Martin and Ball State?

“I don’t think you can judge it on those. The tackling judgment we do is our scrimmages and our practices. We talk about lost leverage and missed tackles, chart them, and guys that have multiple, you know, become violators,” Smart said “In the games we’ve had, we haven’t had a large number of those. But the situations that they’ve been put in, in space terms, and the guys they’ve been up against, haven’t been the caliber of guys that they get to go against in practice.”

But with the Bulldogs ready to kick off SEC play against South Carolina, Smart expects to begin having a better idea very soon.

“I look at it from the standpoint of did they do what they were supposed to do. Did they do it with a sense of urgency, and did they make the play,” Smart said. “Right now, that evaluation’s easy, but it’s going to begin to be a lot harder this week.”

Smart on Lawson Luckie

Freshman tight end Lawson Luckie continues to recover from a preseason ankle injury that’s kept him off the field for Georgia’s first two games. Unfortunately, Smart said during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference that there’s no timetable for his return.

“I do know he’s dry-land running and moving around, but still, he’s still got a ways to go,” said Smart.

The Bulldogs obviously hope he’s back soon.

With no Luckie, the Bulldogs are having to navigate the early portion of the schedule with just three healthy scholarship tight ends–Brock Bowers, Oscar Delp and Pearce Spurlin III.

Luckie, who did not dress out last week but was not on crutches for last week’s game against Ball State, was beginning to open the eyes of his coaches before the injury, which resulted in tightrope surgery to make the repair.

“He came in the spring, had a good spring practice, and felt very comfortable that he was going to be able to help us in both 12 and 11 personnel,” Smart said. “When we lost him there in the scrimmage, it hurt us some from the depth standpoint. He’s working his butt off and fighting to get back out there, although I don’t have a timetable for when that will be, having that tightrope surgery.”

... Smith on the biggest physical and mental obstacles coming back from injury: “The mental part of the obstacles I was facing just made me feel like I was weak," Smith said. "I didn’t feel like I was strong enough, because I just couldn’t stay healthy. With that mental aspect, I just try to stay positive, and stay around my guys so they can keep me going.”

... Smith on the progress of RaRa Thomas: “He’s gotten much better with the play calling, by seeing single coverage and how he’s lining up," Smith said. "It’s only week three, but he’s really developed with seeing coverages, getting lined up and making plays.”

... On the progress of cornerback Daylen Everette: “He has the ability to really stay patient. A lot of guys will fall for the first move, but he’s not going to fall for the first move," Smith said. "He’s got some great catch-up speed, so those two things are what he’s been really good at.”

...Wilson on where he ha developed the most: “Definitely the mental aspect. Coming out of high school, I was a tackle. Then coming here, I moved to guard. I played a year and a half at guard, and then I started playing center a little bit. The mental part was definitely the biggest jump for me coming to Georgia.”

...Wilson on the upperclassman who has helped him the most: “I feel like our room is one of the tightest groups in the country, honestly. We’re so close, we hang out outside of the facility," Wilson said. "We do things off the field. If I have to say one guy, I’d probably say Sedrick (Van Pran). Moving to center is a lot, especially here in this offense. And when Coach Monken was here and how he ran things. Sedrick has been a great mentor to me.”

...On the key to being versatile along the offensive line: “I think one thing I have is athleticism. I think I’m pretty athletic," Wilson said. "Being able to move laterally from the left side to the right side then the middle of the line, I think my athleticism is where the versatility comes from.”