ATHENS — Javon Bullard left Georgia’s game against Ball State early with an injury. Bullard picked up an ankle injury on the opening defensive drive of the game for Georgia.

Bullard quickly limped into the injury tent, where he was being examined. Bullard had 4 tackles in Georgia’s opening-week win over UT-Martin. During Georgia’s second drive of the game he jogged to the locker room with the team’s training staff.

“I think what he did well was tackle. He was in the right place,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He really did a nice job in the perimeter RPO game, which everybody runs now. It’s millennial Oklahoma, I call it, out there on the perimeter. He’s really good at that but he didn’t get tested on hard play action, eye transfer, shots in the middle of the field. That’s the area where we work with him every day on so he can be really good at it. The most different part of playing safety is playing the middle of the field. He didn’t get a lot of chances.”

Bullard started alongside Malaki Starks at safety in the secondary. Tykee Smith was the star and Kamari Lassiter and Daylen Everette got the start at cornerback

With Bullard injured, Georgia replaced him at safety with David Daniel-Sisavanh. Daniel-Sisavanh has plenty of experience as a dime safety for Georgia. The Bulldogs also have veteran Dan Jackson they can turn to at the positon in the event Bullard is out for an extended period of time.

Georgia did see linebacker Smael Mondon return to the starting lineup after being limited in the first game of the season with a foot injury. He started alongside Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

The Bulldogs are without defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, who was on a scooter and had a boot on his left foot. Georgia also is without wide receiver Ladd McConkey, who has been battling a back injury.

Georgia and Ball State were tied at 0 with 5:25 remaining in the first half.