Oct 18, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart prior to the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kirby Smart Details Which Area He Wants Georgia Bulldogs Defense to Improve the Most

Originally posted on Georgia Bulldogs on SI
By Christian Kirby | Last updated Oct 27, 2025 2:07 PM ET

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart reveals where he wants to Dawgs' defense to improve as they begin the final stretch of their regular season.

The Georgia Bulldogs are fresh off their second bye week of 2025 and are looking to begin their final stretch of the regular season in hopes of securing a spot in the College Football Playoff for the second year in a row.

To do this, Kirby Smart and his staff will need to ensure the Bulldogs not only continue to have successes in certain areas, but also improve upon other areas that may not be living up to "The Georgia Standard."

One area where fans and analysts believe Georgia needs to improve is on the defensive side of the ball. Up to this point in the season, many have been extremely critical of the Bulldogs' defensive efforts.

While Smart is not necessarily in agreement with the notion that defense is the glaring issue for Georgia this season, the Bulldogs' head coach did reveal the area in which he wants to see the Dawgs improve the most.

"I think I'd start with tackling. At the end of the day, that's what defense is about, and good defenses have few missed tackles," said Smart. "When you look at two of our lesser performances, there were a lot of missed tackles."

Smart also reiterated that he wishes to see the defense force more third and long situations for opposing offenses, as it makes converting first downs and continuing drives much more difficult to achieve.

Georgia's Defense Experiencing New Challenges?

While the Bulldogs' defense, by no means, has been bad this season, it is safe to say that this year's unit has not quite reached the standard of excellence set by previous teams. The Bulldogs have given up 30 points or more on two separate occasions and are currently ranked 93rd in third-down conversion percentages.

Despite this, the DNA of an elite Kirby Smart unit has still shown through in multiple crucial moments. The Dawgs were able to shut out both Alabama and Auburn in the second half and were able to force multiple three-and-outs in the waning moments of their matchup against Ole Miss.

With just five games to go in the regular season, it will be imperative for the Dawgs to continue to deliver in crucial moments and improve upon their flaws. Georgia's 2025 defensive output has not been as dominating as in years past. However, the Bulldogs' unit is still more than capable of leading the Dawgs to their third national title in five seasons.

This article first appeared on Georgia Bulldogs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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