Kirby Smart’s relationship with Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin has been well-documented.

The two coached with each other while at Alabama, before meeting as head coaches when the Bulldogs and Rebels met during last year’s game in Athens.

So, if anyone knows what it’s like to match wits with Kiffin it’s Smart, whose battles against each other during practice and scrimmages with the Crimson Tide were reportedly legendary.

So, what makes Kiffin such an effective offensive strategist?

“He knows scheme. Lane's been around a lot of football. His dad (Monte Kiffin) was one of the greatest defensive minds there ever was,” Smart said. “When you start talking about Lane being around him, talking ball, being with him, he knows how to attack defenses, probably at a higher rate than most offensive coordinators. He just experienced with that. He knows the difficulties that come with it.”

After setting a school record for most points in an SEC game with 63 against Arkansas, Ole Miss sits atop the SEC in scoring offense at 42.21 points and total yards at 555.44.

Not surprisingly, quarterback Jaxson Dart also leads the SEC in total offense with 3,464 yards.

So, what’s the key to Georgia’s defense being successful?

“You’ve got to make it about, do I play harder than the guy across from me? Do I play smarter than the other guy across from me? Do I play more physically than the other guy?” Smart said. “It still comes down to blocking and tackling a lot of times, and both teams do that well.”

Georgia fans will get the conference night game they’ve been craving as the SEC announced that next week’s game against Tennessee will kick off at 7:30.

Chaz Chambliss earned co-SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors thanks to his performance in Georgia’s 34-20 win over Florida.

• Had six tackles, including four solo stops, during Georgia’s 34-20 beatdown of Florida in Jacksonville.

• Finished with 2.5 tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks.

• With the Bulldogs up 20-13 in the third period, Chambliss sacked Florida’s QB for a loss of three yards and forced a 3rd-and-14 situation that led to a punt.

•His second sack came in the Gators’ final possession in the fourth quarter and put Florida in a 3rd-and-17 spot.

“I'm definitely excited for Chad,” Bulldog linebacker CJ Allen said. “Man, Chad's worked so hard. You know, he's one of those guys that don't say too much. When he says something, you know it means something.”

… Linebacker Jalon Walker was named a semifinalist for the Butkus Award on Monday.

• Smart acknowledges that the Ole Miss receiver quartet of Tre Harris (59-987), Cayden Lee (36-615), Jordan Watkins (25-549), and former South Carolina player Antwane Wells Jr. (23-469) may be the best group on one team in the SEC.

With Dart pulling the trigger, the Rebels have one of the country’s more prolific passing attacks.

But do they remind Smart of the group he saw at LSU when Joe Burrow and the Tigers defeated Georgia in the 2019 SEC Championship?

“It was a different offense, I think, very different offense in terms of that. Certainly, the talents there, I mean, they've got several draft pick receivers that are good players, got good tight ends. They got a really good scheme,” Smart said. “I think LSU had the same thing, but a different scheme, those two were not the exact same. LSU could go a whole game without trying to run the ball, Ole Miss will run the ball. They commit to the run, and they create shots and RPOs off of their run game. That wasn't really the LSU mode.”

…Smart said it’s no accident that tight end Ben Yurosek is starting to look more comfortable in Georgia’s offense.

“I think he's learned the speed and the way to approach practice here,” Smart said. “I think sometimes that takes guys, it takes freshmen a long time. But it takes transfers sometimes. They'll say, ‘Golly, I didn't really know what it was gonna be like.’ Usually, it’s younger guys that come in, transfers, not necessarily older guys. But his ability to practice well has got better with every week. And it's translated to what he puts on the field. He plays more physically and he practices more physically. He bought into the idea that, if I actually practice like a game, I'll play better in the game. That's helped him, it's helped us.”

…Smart did not offer any specifics regarding the recovery of Anthony Evans III (hamstring), linebacker Smael Mondon (lower-body injury), or running back Branson Robinson (knee).

“Yeah, again, we're hopeful to get those guys back. It's the biggest thing,” Smart said. “I mean, I don't know at what point it’s going to happen. But each one of those guys rehabbing, working their butts off. We’re hoping to get back to help the team soon.”

…Smart was asked about last week’s edict by SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and his strongly-worded email on feigning injuries. It wasn’t something he felt the need to address with his team.

“Yeah, I mean, I respect Commissioner Sankey and what he sends out. We don't condone that on our team or within our program,” Smart said. “So, we don't have to address it. We just keep telling them that if you're injured, you stay down. If you're not, you get up and go play. That's our philosophy.”