Kamari Lassiter to be tested again

After shutting down Tennessee’s touted offense last week at Sanford Stadium, top-ranked Georgia’s defense faces Mississippi State under a head coach in Mike Leach who also likes to throw the football around.

Quarterback Will Rogers has the stats to prove it, as he comes into the game (7 p.m., ESPN) as the leading passer in the SEC.

Rogers has completed 300 of 439 passes for 2,912 yards and 26 touchdowns. He’s also a record holder.

Last week, Rogers broke the SEC career record for completions, besting Aaron Murray’s old mark of 921.

For cornerback Kamari Lassiter, it’s just another challenge.

“If you don’t get excited, then something is wrong,” said Lassiter, who was part of a Bulldog defense that completely discombobulated Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker.

“We prepared very hard for that game,” Lassiter said. “We prepared as hard as we do for any other game. We locked in on the plan and I think we executed it well.”

That includes Lassiter.

In his first year as a starter, Lassiter admittingly struggled at times during the early part of the seasons.

Some untimely penalties and misplays hurt the Bulldogs on occasion.

But like the rest of the defense, Lassiter’s game has improved.

“I’ve tried to progress every game. I make mistakes every game, obviously, but I’m just trying to hone in on those mistakes during the week and make sure I don’t make that same mistake the next game,” Lassiter said. “I’ve tried to work on my leadership skills, and tried to be more of a vocal guy in our room and for the team in general.”

A native of Savannah, Lassiter moved to Alabama with his family and actually played his high school ball in Tuscaloosa, some 80 miles away from Starkville, home to Saturday’s opponent Mississippi State.

"He's a tough kid. Really physical, really prideful. A kid from Tuscaloosa. He's from right over there near Starkville, and he's a really hard worker,” Smart said. “I've known him since he was a ninth or tenth grader, and he loves football. I think he's improved a lot."

However, Smart said Lassiter and the rest of Georgia’s defense would do well to realize that just because it was able to control Tennessee’s passing game better than most expected, don't assume it will be the same against Mississippi State.

For one, Leach’s Air Raid offense goes about its business much differently than the Vols regarding its concepts and how they attempt to go downfield with Rogers pulling the triggers.

The key? Lassiter said to just continue to play smart, defending each pass as physically as possible.

“Being in the SEC, you have to be physical at every position, from the front line to the back end. That’s something we work on in practice daily, just being physical in the perimeter. It’s just as important as the line of scrimmage,” Lassiter said. “We know a lot of teams are going to try and attack us out there, so being able to be physical is very important.”