One stat sticks out from the rest for Georgia's defense.

The group entered Saturday ranked near the top in most major team statistical categories. In turnovers gained, however, the Bulldogs entered Saturday tied for 70th in the nation, with 10 takeaways through seven games.

Head coach Kirby Smart and his staff challenged the team's pride with that stat this week. Georgia responded on Saturday afternoon against Florida, recording three takeaways that played a huge role in the Bulldogs' 34-7 win over the Gators in Jacksonville.

Smart has been open about his team's need for turnovers throughout the season. While they dominated opponents, he said the Bulldogs were still not "elite" defensively since they were not taking the ball away from opponents.

During one of the defense's "nugget" presentations this week, a defensive coach showed a graphic. It illustrated just how the Bulldogs have been lagging behind the competition in the turnover department this season.

"That offends our guys," Smart said. "I can’t say that’s why we got turnovers. I can only tell you that was the attempt to challenge their pride. It worked out this week."

In addition to the pride challenge, outside linebacker Nolan Smith said every night the team watches highlights of NFL players creating turnovers. Sometimes it's a forced fumble, sometimes an interception, but it's always about the ball.

Smith is the one who got the turnover party started late in the first half. With Florida backed up deep in its own end, Gator quarterback Anthony Richardson powered up the middle on a quarterback keeper. As the pile surged forward, Smith yanked the ball free and fell on it at the Florida 11-yard line.

"We always say keep the guy up," Smith said. "We all get 11 hats to the ball. He may have been moving forward, but some guys are yelling, ‘Keep him up, keep him up.’ I’m just still pulling. I keep pulling, I want one. I’m not going to stop, because my teammates aren’t stopping for me, so why would I stop for them and just give up?"

Smart called Smith's play one of the most important of the game. Instead of Florida getting a first down and potentially heading into halftime down only 3-0, the Bulldogs scored on the next play to extend the lead to 10-0.

On the next drive, Smith came up big again. Richardson dropped back to pass and fired a bullet over the middle. Defensive lineman Travon Walker dove and tipped the pass, and Smith corralled it at the Florida 36-yard line.

"This is my first game having an interception," Smith said. "That was really exciting for me. I told Adam Anderson—we always talked about it all year—I said, ‘My first interception, I’m giving the ball to you.’"

It's unknown whether Smith followed through on his promise to Anderson. Smart, however, gave credit to both Walker for tipping the pass and the defensive front for creating pressure on Richardson.

It then fell to linebacker Nakobe Dean to deliver the dagger.

Florida tried to mount one last drive in the waning moments of the first half. Richardson fired a short pass out into the right flat. Dean jumped the pass, hauled in the interception, and sprinted 50 yards for the touchdown.

"Nakobe has worked really hard on his coverage out in space," Smart said. "I was glad to see him get that one."

In the final 2:35 of the first half, Georgia's defense created 21 points as a direct result of turnovers. That turned a slim 3-0 lead into a huge 24-0 advantage the Gators never recovered from.

Smart can't credit anything in particular for his defense's thievery today. The challenge to their pride certainly helped, but mistakes by the Gators did as well.

Ironically enough, Georgia also turned the ball over three times on Saturday. Florida also outgained the Bulldogs in total yards, 355-354. But the Gators paid dearly with their turnovers.

As great teams are bound to do, Georgia made sure to capitalize.