Offensive explosiveness and JT Daniels were two topics of conversation for head coach Kirby Smart during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference.

The lack of explosive plays has been a big problem for Georgia this fall, and Smart was asked to comment on why he felt a correction of that aspect should not be expected to happen overnight.

There was just one problem.

“In terms of becoming explosive, I’m not sure I said it doesn’t happen overnight. It happens by execution, picking up blitzes, and hitting open receivers. It happens by blocking downfield and making explosive runs,” Smart said. “We finally had an explosive run (Zamir White’s 75-yard run against Florida) where it was like we got on the perimeter and made some things happen. Explosive plays can happen by a lack of execution by the other team and proper execution by your team, but we have been really close on some that we've just missed or dropped. Those are things you've got to hit. You've got to be accurate to do that.”

All of which brings us to Daniels.

Although Smart doesn't plan on announcing his starter for Saturday night’s game against Mississippi State (7:30 p.m., ESPN), it appears that Daniels could finally get his shot, with Stetson Bennett still recovering with a right AC joint sprain.

“In terms of JT, since he's been here, he’s done some nice things. He's a guy who works really hard, just as Stetson, D’Wan (Mathis), and Carson have done,” Smart said. “I’m pleased with the way he’s worked, I’m pleased with the way he’s rehabbed his knee, improved his knee, his learning of our offense. And the leadership he's shown since he’s arrived has been very good. When you're in a room with guys who don't have a lot of experience, he’s a guy who has a lot of experience.”

Smart knows it's not been easy for senior linebacker Monty Rice, who's been plagued by a nagging foot injury now for almost a month.

Still, despite the fact that Rice has missed some practices, when it comes to game time, the Alabama native continues to be ready.

"The hardest thing is he's injured, he's hurting, but he’s able to go on game days. That's probably the most important thing—that he's been able to function,” Smart said. “If we didn’t think he could play on game days, he wouldn’t be out there.”

With more and more players opting out, it would be easy for Rice to ditch the rest of the year to start preparing for the NFL Draft.

Fortunately for the Bulldogs, that’s apparently the furthest thought from his mind. According to Smart, by doing so, Rice is helping his NFL chances even more

“This guy, he’s improving his opportunity to go in the NFL, because they have guys every week in the NFL who are 90 percent or 85 percent. You see it every week; a guy goes out there and gives them what he can. He goes, because they’ve got a 53-man roster, and he might be the best player,” Smart said. “For those guys, they’re going to think extremely highly—at least the guys I’ve talked to in the NFL—of the players who are willing to push themselves and play hurt, as long as he can’t injure himself worse, which can’t happen right now based on his injury. It's not going to get worse. It’s a matter of what he can play with, and he’s a really tough guy."

MSU running back Jo’quavious Marks has certainly made an impression on Smart.

A native of Atlanta, where he played for Carver High School, Marks has started four of Mississippi State’s six games this year.

“He’s a kid who was on our board, a really good athlete and really good at catching the ball out of the backfield. He’s extremely quick. I’ve always been impressed with him,” Smart said. “He’s one of those kids you wish you could have on your roster, but you have so many spots, and there are so many good players in Georgia, so many people in Georgia. Georgia supplies a lot of programs with really good players, and he’s one of them.”

At 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, Marks has rushed 37 times for 131 yards, but has been even more impressive as a receiver, with 38 catches so far (161 yards).

“He plays well in their system, receiving the ball out of the backfield and with the runs they get,” Smart said. “Sometimes they (opposing defenses) don’t get as many in the box as most people traditionally do, so if you make one guy miss, he can turn a three- or four-yard run into a nine- or 10-yard run when they use him. But he’s obviously a very good weapon out of the backfield.”

With more and more players opting out before their respective regular seasons are complete, Richard LeCounte’s comments on Twitter Tuesday night were a breath of fresh air.

“Man, if that doesn’t get you fired up, I don’t know what does,” punter Jake Camarda said. “Richard coming out and saying he wants to continue this season, his journey being a Dawg—that’s awesome. It gets everyone fired up. Richard’s a great guy. It really fires us up when he says that, and that he feels that way about it.”

LeCounte, who recently was hit by two cars while riding a motorbike, is currently rehabbing from his injuries, but still hopes to return, even if it’s just for a bowl.

“To see him say that, it means a lot to us guys,” center Trey Hill said. “It helps us go harder each and every day.”

“Our kids are excited to get back to Sanford Stadium and get a home game at night. We’re looking forward to that. I know our guys have kind of been on the road for a while, and also been off for a while, with the postponement of last week’s game.

"We’re still dinged up, we've got some guys who won’t play, but Ron (Courson) and his staff have done a good job of helping us out with Covid precautions, so we’ve avoided a lot of those issues. Our guys are excited to get back on the field.” – Kirby Smart on his Bulldogs.

• Georgia (4-2) welcomes Mississippi State (2-4 ) on Saturday to Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. Georgia leads the all-time series 18-6, including 11-2 in Athens. This will be MSU’s first visit to Sanford Stadium since 2017. That year, the host Bulldogs registered a 31-3 victory for their 11th win in the last 12 meetings in the series. Georgia has won the last 10 contests over MSU in Athens. MSU’s last victory over the Bulldogs here came in 1956 (19-7). MSU last beat Georgia in 2010 (24-12), and that game was in Starkville.

• Redshirt sophomore Zamir White leads the running game with a team-high 97 carries for 509 yards and seven touchdowns. He left Jacksonville, Fla., with his second straight 100-yard rushing game after going for 107 yards on seven carries versus the No. 8 Gators, highlighted by his 75-yard touchdown run on the first play of the game.

• Junior punter Jake Camarda’s 48.4 average ranks third in the country, and the Bulldogs' 45.8 average in net punting is second nationally. He's punted 24 times, placed 15 inside the 20, and has had 11 that have traveled 50-plus yards.

• State has recorded a takeaway in 32 of its last 35 games, and is currently on a streak of nine straight games with either an interception or a fumble recovery. In that nine-game stretch, MSU has 18 takeaways (9 FR, 9 INT).

• MSU has held five of its six opponents below their season average for total offense this season. In two games, at Kentucky and against Texas A&M, State held the opponent to more than 100 yards fewer than its season average.

• The MSU defense has been especially stout following turnovers this season. When the ball is taken away by an interception or fumble, State has allowed just 199 yards over 12 opposing possessions, while forcing seven punts with four three-and-outs.