When defensive linemen Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis run on the field for the offense during goal-line plays, the collective murmur is palpable.

“Oh, you hear it in the crowd when they run out there,” tight end John FitzPatrick said. “When you hear No. 99 and No. 88, it’s exciting. Those are huge dudes who are going to open some holes.”

Indeed.

Having the 310-pound Carter lining up at fullback and the 340-pound Davis as an extra blocker certainly adds to the beef factor when it comes to paving the way for the running backs.

But it also begs the question. Could Carter and or Davis get a chance to carry the ball before the season is said and done?

Carter actually has a touchdown on his resume.

During last year’s game against Tennessee, Carter caught a 1-yard pass from Stetson Bennett as the Bulldogs went on to defeat the Volunteers 44-21.

"I defer to Coach Monken and Coach Dell (McGee). They do a good job game planning goal line and finding the best place for us. Sometimes simpler is better in terms of power and moving people. We've got a lot of weapons on the line of scrimmage and those guys are weapons in terms of moving folks,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “But they enjoy doing it. They enjoy doing it because they get out of a couple defensive plays and go down and hang with the offense. I think that's their enjoyment more than anything else."

Teammates are pushing for Davis to get his shot.

“I’d love to see it,” FitzPatrick said. “I know Jordan has mentioned it ever since Jalen got that touchdown last year against Tennessee, so Jordan has mentioned it before, like where’s my touches? We’ll have to see.”

Ditto for running back Kenny McIntosh.

“I know he can do it,” McIntosh said. “Why not? Hopefully, we can check that out before the season is done.”

Smart said left tackle Jamaree Salyer continues to recover from the foot injury he suffered last week and said there’s a chance he could play Saturday at Tennessee (3:30 p.m., CBS).

"Jamaree's (injury) is not extremely serious. It does not require surgery. He may be able to go this week. We will see how he is today. We're hoping to get him back,” Smart said. He's conditioning, running, doing everything. We're just hoping we can get him back.”

Smart also had positive words to say about redshirt freshman Broderick Jones, who made his first career start at left tackle last week against Missouri.

“I thought Broderick did a nice job stepping in. He had some things that he can work on and get better at. The great thing with Broderick is he had to step in a game at Auburn. He got to play when Jamaree's ankle was sprained. He did a nice job,” Smart said. “Broderick has gotten a quantity of reps there with the ones throughout camp, throughout the time Jamaree was a guard, throughout the time Jamaree has been banged up, and throughout every week when Jamaree goes and works his secondary position. Broderick gets to go. He has had no shortage of reps.

“I think he would be the first to tell you he could play better, but he played well. He played hard and that's what we ask our guys to do. Play with relentless effort, strain, play really physical. He did those things we asked, but he can get better at some technique things."

What started out as a way to acknowledge the contributions of nose tackle Jordan Davis, the notion of the Bulldog senior as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate suddenly does not seem so far-fetched at all.

Although the statistics are limited based on the position he plays, what Davis has meant to a record-breaking Georgia defense cannot be underscored.

"I love Jordan. What he has done for our defense is incredible. I don't think you could measure in statistics what he has done for our defense,” Smart said. “I know analysts will be deciding who gets to go for the Heisman, and who is up for it is determined by the media and the talking heads. And everybody who gets to be a part of that, they control the narrative there.”

Still, Smart would not have a problem should Davis find his way his way to New York City for the ceremony in December.

“For me, it's about our team and our team playing well. And Jordan has been a tremendous, tremendous part of that,” Smart said. “He's been a bigger bone to our defense from a confidence standpoint, in a run-stopping standpoint then probably any other measurable stat that we have for our defense."

Smart said wide receiver Dominick Blaylock (hamstring) continues to improve, but there remains no timetable for his return.

“Don repped last week with us on scout team. He came down and got work. It's not as easy as saying, 'Oh, Dom's back! Go in there!' It's kind of like Julian (Rochester) He had to go down, get his feet wet and get his confidence,” Smart said. “So, it will be a boost to us to have Dom take some reps, limited reps, as a scout receiver because of the receiving core we are facing to simulate it. Probably the biggest setback we've had all year is not having the scout team receivers that we normally have to test us, to train us, and to compete with us.”

As for Pickens, the junior continues to practice with the team. But like Blaylock, there is no timetable for when he might play.

“For the last two weeks, or last week, we've been able to get Jackson Meeks and get Dom some, and be able to grow them there,” Smart said. “That's the hope and we're still waiting to hear on George (Pickens)."

… On Julian Rochester (ACL) seeing his first action for the first time in two years: “Julian, first, I am so proud of him. He's worked really hard. He spent, I don't know how many weeks, on the scout team since he has been cleared. I'm guessing two, three weeks. He's been down there repping, and he wanted to get confidence going against our guys. So, he's taken a lot of scout team reps. Last week we thought that he had progressed to the point where he was getting quality work done with them and hold the point and move, so we were able to get him some reps with us, in terms of jumping in. He helps spell those guys, and I think he'd be the first to tell you that he's probably not 100%. But he is much better now than he was previously coming off an ACL. As far as the changes, I don't think I have a comment on that. I am so focused on playing Tennessee and getting ready for this game that I haven't even thought about the changes across the league."

… On much stock he puts into “stars.”: "Zero. I have no idea what stars are, and nor do I care. The only time I care is when the kid is crying to me about his stars, and he is worried about it, and I know he is a good player that I am worried about getting. That would be the only time I care because I am trying to massage him and say, 'It's okay, it's alright whether you are a three, four, or five.' It's not like we have that in our records. We don't put that in our names. Some places, they put what the recruiting analysts say about them. I don't care. I just care more about the player."

… On Javon Bullard, Lovasea Carroll, David Daniel, Kamari Lassiter, and Nyland Green: “They're growing, they're getting better. You know, I think three or four of those guys were here for spring. So, they got to go through spring, which has put them in a position to be backups because of our lack of depth. But they continue to progress. I mean, they get lots of reps in practice, very few reps in games… But Kamari's got to play a little more in the games we've been in and because Ameer Speed’s injury. Bullard to play — I wouldn't say quite a bit — but he rotates and plays because we have to work (Latavious) Brini at safety some, so Bullard works at star when Brini's at safety.

"He's done a good job coming along, but you know, the progress those guys make a lot of times in our defense is learning and being able to kind of make decisions and calls. And they've each gotten better at that, and you know, I tell them all the time I need more out of them on special teams because that's where you kind of cut your teeth when you first get here. What can I do on special teams? How can I help? And Kamari and Bullard have been really big assets on that, and we continue to work with those other guys."

… Georgia opponents have scored just 59 points. The nine-game tally is the lowest since 1971 when the Bulldogs allowed 53 through nine games.

… Opponents have advanced to the Bulldogs’ Red Zone just 16 times resulting in four touchdowns.

… Since 2017, Georgia is 26-2 against teams from the East.