There’s been a lot of finger-pointing by fans when it comes to the play of linebacker Natrez Patrick.

Missed tackles in Saturday’s 36-17 win over Florida resulted in the senior earning a rating of just 39.1 by Pro Football Focus.

However, when asked about the play of his senior, head coach Kirby Smart wasn’t as down on Patrick's play as one might think.

“He's been up and down,” Smart said. “I think Natrez is a guy who will tell you he hasn’t played sometimes as good as he has at others, but that’s part of football. I’m not one to sit here and be critical. Natrez has given us everything he has in practice. He leads our team, he’s smart, he understands our defense.”

Smart said Patrick continues to work hard to correct the mistakes he’s been making.

“He’s missed some tackles, but it’s not that he doesn’t work at it. He works every day to get better. He does extra cardio; Natrez is one of our leaders,” Smart said. “He leads by example with the way he practices, and he leads by giving great effort.”

Assuming Patrick, who enters Saturday’s game against Kentucky with 26 tackles, continues to practice well, his time on the field apparently won’t be affected.

“If you show me what you do in practice, I’ll see you do it in a game," Smart said.

Redshirt freshman Netori Johnson continues to practice with the defensive line, something Smart is likely to continue.

“Netori, we’ve been trying him over there to get a look, to see if he can help us because we are so short of depth on the D-line,” Smart said. “He’s come over and taken some reps, but he’s still working O-line as well as D-line. We’re trying to see if he can help us.”

Also: Backup defensive lineman Michail Carter has been “dinged up” according to Smart. “We hope to get him back soon,” he said.

. . . Ben Cleveland is practicing as the second team right guard, but Smart remains unsure about his status for Saturday. “I don’t know yet. He’s been sore, because he hasn’t done the weight bearing, the running, the hitting, the pads,” Smart said. “What’s happening is he’s out there, he’s able to practice, but he gets sore and the next day and it’s like starting over again. We think he’ll be able to help us but I don’t know if he’ll be out there starting. He may end up being in a supplemental role.”

. . . There's still no sign of defensive end David Marshall (foot) or defensive tackle DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle. Defensive back Ameer Speed (undisclosed injury) was also absent.

Kentucky pundits are building Saturday’s game as the Wildcats’ biggest since 1951 when it beat Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl.

Georgia, which beat Auburn in the SEC title game, Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl, and played Alabama for the national title, knows what big games are all about.

However, as far that experience paying off in Commonwealth Stadium, Smart isn’t too sure.

"I don't know. I think big-game experience is valuable but I also think they've played in big games. They've had a good team now for two or three years. They've been in the hunt. I feel like the game we played up there two years ago was a really big game for them. They had a great atmosphere and a really good crowd,” Smart said. “They've got a lot of experience. Every game is relative to what you think of it, so every time they play an SEC opponent and we play an SEC opponent, it's a big game. We've got seniors who have played in a lot more games than our younger players."

Smart’s more concerned about his team maintaining an emotional edge after last week’s win over Florida.

"It's a big stage every week. I look at Kentucky and the emotion that went into their game and the way they won the game,” Smart said. “That's for you guys to talk about and the fans, but we're next man up. We're going through the same process we go through every week. When you change the process, it makes them think that some games aren't as important as others, and they're all just as important."

At 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds, Tyrique McGhee is not the biggest player you’ll see playing the star position in the SEC.

However, he makes up for this with his physicality. It’s also a reason fans probably won’t see a change at the position the rest of the year.

"He's physical. He strikes, he tackles, he plays bigger than he is,” Smart said. “He's not afraid of contact. He's tough. He's a kid, I know the culture that he's from at Peach County. They grow them tough down there.

“I've always said I've seen some of the most physical practices I've ever seen in my time recruiting at Peach County, and that's where he's from. He may not weigh much, but he'll hit you. He'll strike you. He loves football, and he understands our defense, which helps him. A big part of it is knowing where his help is, and he's been using that."