Georgia has been untouchable, but Kirby Smart still isn't satisfied as Bulldogs prep for Oklahoma

The Bulldogs average a nation-leading 59.3 points per game, but face a swarming OU defense on Saturday

Sep 23, 2026 at 10:40 am ET • 5 min read

Kirby Smart had just watched Georgia hang 45 points on Arkansas when he was asked what he could learn from three straight blowouts to open the season.

He rejected the word.

"I don't know that I would call it a blowout. I mean, y'all might say that, but I don't look at SEC games that way," Smart said. "I mean, they're trying to score the whole game. We're trying to stop them the whole game. I don't even know what the score says. I couldn't tell you the score right now."

It was 45-17. Smart was mostly upset that his backups gave up two touchdowns, the second straight week they allowed late scores in blowout victories.

No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) has been among the most impressive early-season performers, and the gap widened ahead of its conference home opener this week against Oklahoma. The Bulldogs have put up numbers usually reserved for a video game, outscoring their first three opponents 178-40 while leading the nation in scoring at 59.3 points per game. 

Gunner Stockton is one of two FBS quarterbacks with more touchdown passes (9) than incompletions (7), and he's completing 84.4% of his passes, the second-best mark in the country. After three weeks of laughers, the Sooners provide the stiffest challenge, particularly on defense.

"Humility is a week away," Smart said Saturday. "Next week, humble pie somewhere."

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Georgia enters its showdown this week as a two-touchdown favorite against one of the SEC's least productive offenses and one of the nation's best defenses. For the first time this season, Georgia faces a defense capable of turning Smart's warnings into more than talking points.

Georgia might also be playing possum. Smart showed Arkansas almost nothing, running on 36 of the first 42 plays. He later downplayed the trend, explaining that some pass plays turned into run plays.

Smart probably knew he would enter the postgame press conference last week facing a splurge of glowing reviews and questions, so he spent much of the 20 minutes cataloging flaws: two true freshmen on the offensive line, Stockton's first sacks of the season, a bad decision on first-and-goal at the 2-yard line and the defensive reserves who finished the game drew the sharpest critique.

"Tells me we can't play them," Smart said. "I mean, it's the only bottom line. I'm not gonna let it ruin my day like I did last time."

By Monday, Smart was looking at the schedule. For the first time this season, Georgia has a reason to worry about this one. Oklahoma allows 7.7 points per game, tied for fourth nationally, and 104.3 passing yards per game, ranking third. No opponent has scored more than 17 on Brent Venables' defense.

"They know what you're doing as well as you know what you're doing," Smart said.

The admiration runs both ways. Injured Georgia running back Nate Frazier, who is expected to play Saturday, has averaged an incredible 8.4 yards per carry and has scored five touchdowns. 

"Nate Frazier, man, he's a dude, a great player," Venables said. "Our guy's gonna have to bring it. He runs through people, through their soul, over and over and over."

The problem for Oklahoma is on the other side of the ball.

Nine years ago, Georgia and Oklahoma met for the first time in a CFP semifinal thriller in which the Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point deficit to win 54-48 in double overtime. Expecting similar offensive fireworks from Oklahoma this week seems like a fool's dream. The Sooners' offense has been abysmal, scoring just 24 points over their last two games.

The Sooners brought offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer from Washington State as a package before the 2025 season, and both struggled. The second season has not gone according to plan, either. Oklahoma averages 25 points per game, tied for 99th nationally, and totals only 329.7 yards, ranking 115th. 

On Saturday in Norman, fans booed the offense and chants of "Fire Arbuckle" erupted during the 14-6 win over New Mexico. Mateer didn't help matters after the game when he admitted he failed to see an open receiver downfield and was only alerted when he heard the crowd's voices rising. Isaiah Sategna III scored on the 53-yard pass.

The primary culprit for the offensive woes is on the ground. The Sooners struggled a year ago, too, and vowed to fix it, brought in new players, and Mateer corrected his mechanics, but the same problems persist. They average only 3.31 yards per carry, ranking 128th nationally, the second-worst mark among power conference teams.

All of it has contributed to increasing pressure on Arbuckle and Mateer. Venables, who was hired in part to turn around Oklahoma's defense under previous head coach Lincoln Riley, has succeeded on defense but is on his fifth offensive coordinator since taking over for Riley in 2022. 

He acknowledged the fans' calls to fire Arbuckle, adding that he has demanded improvement. "The responsibility starts with me, the accountability starts with me. If they fall short, then I have fallen short."

The matchup does Oklahoma no favors. Georgia allows only 45.7 rushing yards per game, third nationally. Mateer, who has thrown for 652 yards and six touchdowns with three interceptions, walks into Sanford Stadium without a running game to lean on.

Saturday is the second of eight straight SEC games for Georgia. Following that blowout of Arkansas, Smart spoke of facing "nameless, faceless" opponents every week. That hasn't changed with Oklahoma.

"Every week in the SEC is intense, tough, physical, line of scrimmage," he said. "That's not any disregard to Oklahoma. They got a tremendous team, but we got eight of those in a row. So, I'm worried about us, and I'm worried about how we prepare, and I'm worried about what we can do to make our team better."

Even with off-the-charts statistics, glowing accolades and a quarterback posting a national-best passer rating of 259.3, the Bulldogs are following Smart's script.

"I think we've got a good football team," Stockton said Saturday. "You still got to attack each practice and each week. Any given Saturday, anybody can get popped."