ATHENS — For the most part, Kirby Smart likes to give long, flowy answers to questions.

But when the subject of Georgia’s pass rush — particularly against Alabama — came up this week, Smart was short and to the point.

“Finish on the quarterback. We had multiple opportunities. Their guy was better than the guy that had him, but we had guys back there,” Smart said. “But you’ve got to finish on the quarterback.”

The player Smart alluded to is former Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe. The now Seattle Seahawk cooked Georgia’s defense last season, finishing with 374 passing yards, 117 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.

Georgia couldn’t touch Milroe. For the only time all season, Georgia finished with 0.0 sacks. And that was a defensive front seven that featured seven players who made opening day NFL rosters this year.

Milroe is similarly in the NFL. Alabama now has Ty Simpson at quarterback, who Smart raved about earlier this week.

The challenge for Georgia’s defense entering this game is to do a much, much better job of impacting Simpson than it did Milroe last season.

“Pass rush is a big thing at home in a game like this. What have you seen out of that group going into this? They’re hungry,” Smart said. “They’re ready to get after it. They want to challenge.”

Through Georgia’s first three games, the Bulldogs have only 4.0 sacks. None have come from the defensive line but that isn’t out of character with how Georgia likes to play defensively.

Sacks aren’t always the best indicator of how a pass rush is doing. Smart pointed to limited snaps against Marshall and Austin Peay as to why the number seems small this year. Add in that Georgia trailed for much of the first half against Tennessee and Georgia has rarely had the opportunity to pin their eyes back and tee off on an opposing quarterback.

Stopping the run is the utmost priority for Georgia’s defense. Considering Alabama ranks 83rd in the country in yards per carry, the Crimson Tide have not been dominant in that regard. Alabama expects to get running back Jam Miller back, who has not yet played this season as he recovers from a collarbone injury.

The main priority for Georgia, as is the case every week, centers around stopping the run and limiting explosive plays.

Still, much of the external focus going into this game centers around Georgia’s lack of pass rush.

“I saw something that I think is a big concern that we’re going to be talking about after the Alabama game and for the Georgia season,” David Pollack said on an appearance with Greg McElroy on the Always College Football podcast. “Who can rush the passer, Greg? As much as we want to talk about Alabama, like I saw a bunch of guys that couldn’t win.”

Pollack is not the only former Georgia pass rusher who has been outspoken about what this team has not been able to do against Alabama in the past or this season.

“You have to hold up your end of the bargain,” Davin Bellamy said on an appearance on DawgNation Daily. “You know, the front seven job, those big guys, they eat up, you know, double teams and they stop the run. The edges, go get the quarterback and affect the quarterback and make your DB(’s) job way, way, you know, easier.”

Georgia gave up 371 passing yards to Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar the last time it took the field. Much has been made of how the defensive backs played that day, but the Georgia defense is interconnected. Had Georgia’s defensive front been more disruptive, perhaps Daniel Harris and Ellis Robinson don’t get exposed in coverage.

All 4.0 of Georgia’s sacks come from its inside linebacker room. Chris Cole leads the way with 2.0, while CJ Allen and Raylen Wilson each have one.

Georgia uses Cole as an edge rusher in obvious passing situations, which is why he has been Georgia’s most productive pass rusher to this point.

The sophomore linebacker, in particular, will need to have a big impact on Saturday’s game if the pass rush is to be a positive talking point, instead of a negative one.

“Chris has been very explosive off the edge and in coverage,” outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson said. “I feel like Chris is a big part of our defense.”

Smart did point to the fact that Georgia hasn’t situationally put opposing teams in many obvious passing situations. Last year against the Crimson Tide, Alabama raced out to a 28-7 lead, allowing Alabama to run the ball and try to milk the clock.

Georgia’s ability to limit the running game helped get them back in last year’s game before ultimately losing on a touchdown pass to Ryan Williams.

The Bulldogs similarly fell behind in their last game against Tennessee. Smart believes that helps paint why the pass rush picture looks the way that it does.

“I don’t sit here and say, my gosh, ‘I’m so concerned about our pass rush,’” Smart said. “We’ve got do a better job at everything we do. But I feel good about the rushers we have, and we’ve gotta go out and execute. When we get an opportunity to rush, we’ve got to rush.”

To Smart’s point, sacks have not been a pure indicator of success for the Georgia defense. In Georgia’s lone win against Alabama under Smart, the Bulldogs sacked Bryce Young 4.0 times. In the 2023 SEC Championship Game loss to Alabama, Jalen Milroe was sacked 4.0 times.

The pass rush has come under pressure, largely because of the number in the sack column. But only twice under Smart have the Bulldogs ranked in the top 15 nationally in sacks and both came when Dan Lanning was the defensive coordinator. They largely haven’t been a sack-heavy defense under Smart’s watchful eye.

The Bulldogs have a major opportunity on Saturday. Like the pass rush, Georgia needs to make the most of it if the Bulldogs are going to finish off Alabama, instead of coming up just short.

“As a defense, we’re not necessarily going off sacks,” Johnson said. “I feel like every guy just wants to do their 11-man job.”