ATHENS — Kirby Smart told everyone last spring the Georgia was lacking the “Train Wreckers” and “Havoc Makers” of past years.

It was an unfiltered truth, and likely an open challenge, to get the returning defensive linemen and incoming freshmen talent to put forth strong offseason effort.

Four games in, the results are reflecting the head coach was accurate and the Bulldogs have lots of work to do starting with the 3:30 p.m. game on Saturday at Auburn.

Georgia ranks last in the SEC — and 111th in the nation — with only 1.25 sacks per game through the first four games of the season.

To be fair, the No. 1-ranked Bulldogs have picked their spots to apply pressure against what has been a mostly soft opening slate of games.

Smart turned his Dawgs loose in the second half against South Carolina, a game their trailed 14-3, and the results were telling: Spencer Rattler was sacked twice and threw two interceptions with more of the Georgia pressure package on display.

Smart has pointed out a sack doesn’t necessarily need to be recorded for there to be “havoc” involved, as pushing the pocket or pressuring the QB can have the desired effect of errant passes.

Further, Georgia doesn’t often bring an “extra man” in true blitz concept, so much as disguising where pressure might come from without sacrificing extra defenders on the back end and thereby decreasing the likelihood of explosive plays.

In short, Smart doesn’t take chances on offense or defense unless he needs to, well aware Georgia’s talent advantage makes “percentage football” the best play.

The UGA pass rushers subscribe to the theory of building a wall by maintaining their respective gap integrity, staying in their lanes to prevent the QB from escaping the pocket.

Georgia senior defensive end Tramel Walthour explained.

“We just preach keeping the QB in the trap,” Walthour said. “So, we practice everyday things like squeezing and containing, pushing the pocket, and doing different things like that to keep him inside the trap.”

Both of Auburn’s quarterbacks — Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford — have good mobility.

Thorne has gained 168 yards rushing (and been sacked for minus-62), while Ashford is more of a dual-threat QB with 11 yards rushing and only 10 lost yards.

“Robby Ashford is an elite athlete; he is so fast and so quick,” Smart said. “But the thing is Peyton Thorne is a great athlete too. He can take off, run anytime and he can do all the same runs. He’s made some pretty impressive cuts and touchdown runs. They both are really good athletes.”

It means Georgia will pick and choose when — or if — they choose to bring added pressure Saturday afternoon.

“They do a good job of using , number one, their backs run extremely hard and extremely physical and are tough and are hard to tackle,” Smart said. “.And you combine that with a quarterback run and it creates a lot of eye candy, a lot of misdirection. They do a really good job.”

Sacks per SEC team:

Tennessee 16

Arkansas 14

Ole Miss 14

Alabama 13

Texas A&M 13

Missouri 12

Kentucky 11

Auburn 10

Mississippi State 10

Vanderbilt 10

LSU 9

South Carolina 8

Florida 7

Georgia 5 (111th in the nation)

Tackles-For-Loss per SEC team:

Tennessee 39

Texas A&M 34

Ole Miss 33

Arkansas 32

Alabama 29

Vanderbilt 29

Missouri 27

Mississippi State 23

Auburn 22

Kentucky 22

Georgia 22

LSU 21

Florida 19