ATHENS — Quintavius Johnson remembers Georgia’s past two losses to Ole Miss, and he has the emotional scars to prove it.

“Just that feeling knowing we fell short after all the work that we put in,” Johnson said of the post-game locker room after the Rebels ended the Bulldogs season last year in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal.

“Even going back to my freshman year, playing in Mississippi, getting the field stormed, it gives us a chip (on the shoulder) as younger guys and people coming up in this program — it gives us a chip.”

The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs have a chance to avenge the Sugar Bowl loss and score what would be Kirby Smart’s first head coaching victory in Vaught Hemingway Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Johnson, who triggered the most pivotal play in Georgia’s 27-8 win over Florida with a strip-sack hit that led to Chris Cole’s 66-yard fumble return for a TD, said the defense must once again play as one.

“It’s knowing this defense is a one, 11-man job,” Johnson said. “It’s trusting my teammates to do their job while I do mine.”

Johnson said the fact UGA ranks seventh in the nation with 3.25 sacks per game (26 through eight games) after totaling 20 in 14 games last season reflects assignment football.

“It’s just all rushing as a unit and knowing that we’ve got a job in this rush,” said Johnson, tied for third on the team with three sacks.

“If that (job) is for you to get to the throwing shoulder, or the quarterbacks’ feet — just affecting the quarterback with the pass rush — we know we have guys in the secondary that can play ball.”

Here’s a look at which current Georgia players were part of the past two losses to the Rebels, 28-10 in Oxford in 2024, and 39-34 in the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl last season:

Sugar Bowl Snap Count

Offense, Special Teams (ST)

Earnest Greene lll 74 at RT

Gunner Stockton 74 at QB, 7 on ST

Dontrell Glover 64 at RG, 7 on ST

Lawson Luckie 41 at TE, 1 on ST

Juan Gaston 36 at RG, 7 on ST

London Humphreys 33 at WR, 8 on ST

Nate Frazier 28 at RB

Ethan Barbour 7 at TE

Sacovie White-Helton 4 at WR, 8 on ST

Elyiss Williams 3 at TE

Talyn Taylor 2 at WR

Jaden Redell 2 at TE, 6 on ST

Landon Roldan 1 at WR, 8 on ST

Defense, Special Teams

KJ Bolden 72 at FS, 12 on ST

Rasean Dinkins 60 at CB, 8 on ST

Quintavius Johnson 58 at ED, 16 on ST

Ellis Robinson IV 48 at CB, 3 on ST

Joseph Jonah-Ajonye 48 at DE

Chris Cole 48 at OLB, 15 on ST

Elijah Griffin 43 at DT, 5 on ST

Demello Jones 43 at CB, 4 on ST

Raylen Wilson 32 at LB

Josh Horton 17 at DT

JJ Hanne 12 at DE, 7 on ST

Zayden Walker 12 at LB, 10 on ST

Justin Williams 12 at LB, 19 on ST

Nnamdi Ogboko 10 at NT, 5 on ST

Justin Greene 6 at DE

Chase Linton 5 at LB, 7 on ST

Special Teams Only

Michael Uini 7 on ST

Jahzare Jackson 7 on ST

Bo Walker 8 on ST

Peyton Woodring, 15 on ST

Terrell Foster 12 on ST

At Ole Miss 2024 Snap Count

Offense, Special Teams

Earnest Greene lll 49 snaps at LT, 1 ST

Lawson Luckie 33 snaps at TE

Nate Frazier 28 snaps at RB

London Humphreys 23 snaps AT WR

Drew Bobo 16 snaps at RG, 6 ST

Defense, Special Teams

Raylen Wilson 29 at MLB, 1 ST

KJ Bolden 26 at FS, 2 ST

Chris Cole 20 at LB, 17 ST

Jordan Hall 5 at DT

Quintavius Johnson at ED, 11 ST

Gabe Harris Jr. at ED, 3 ST