ATHENS — Kirby Smart’s voice has always carried at Georgia’s practices. It was just carrying a bit more on Wednesday.

Smart spent much of the media viewing period excoriating defensive backs and scout-teamers during a drill.

“And you ask me why you don’t play!” Smart yelled in the direction of one defensive back on the second team. (The player’s identity wasn’t immediately clear to this reporter, the drill being about 50 yards away.)

Smart also eviscerated a walk-on receiver who was on scout team for not lining up right. Then he yelled again at defensive backs – again, second-teamers – for wanting to know why they don’t play, and that not knowing the plays was the reason. Starting cornerback Juwuan Briscoe also received some not-so-gentle pointers from Smart.

More quotes would be available, but audio was not permitted to be recorded during the period, and much of it would not be able to be printed anyway.

Georgia is a six-point underdog this weekend at Ole Miss, whose spread offense has caused Smart a lack of sleep and lack of time to shave.

Smart may be the head coach, and he may have a defensive coordinator in Mel Tucker. But it’s been very apparent during these media viewing periods that Smart, the former DC at Alabama, is taking a very active role with the defense, to the point he’s lining up scout-teamers.

More notes from the media viewing period:

• The only quarterbacks throwing to receivers during passing drills were starter Jacob Eason and top backup Greyson Lambert. Meanwhile, Brice Ramsey was on the other field, punting and working with the specialists. That’s a change from previous weeks, when Ramsey was at least throwing with the other quarterbacks during the viewing periods.
• While Smart was going hoarse on the defensive side, tight ends/special teams coach Shane Beamer was having a light moment with right tackle Greg Pyke. The pair joked about having Pyke return punts, which Pyke in fact did for giggles at the end of one preseason practice.
• Freshman receiver Riley Ridley, who missed the Missouri trip with a broken bone in his thumb, continues to catch balls during drills. Ridley is wearing a small cast.
• The first-team offensive line remains the same that started the first three games. Thee second time line, left to right: Kendall Baker, Dyshon Sims, Thomas Swilley, Solomon Kindley, Aulden Bynum.