ATHENS, Ga. - The Georgia Bulldogs didn't collect any turnovers in their opener against North Carolina but snatched three against Nicholls State and five last Saturday night at Missouri.
At this rate, the Bulldogs might gather 10 turnovers in a game next month, if only turnovers were so predictable.
The opportunistic performance in the 28-27 win over Mizzou vaulted the Bulldogs into a tie for the Southeastern Conference lead in turnover margin (plus-3) and turnover ratio (plus-1.0 per game). Georgia leads the league with eight turnovers gained, with Tennessee and Missouri next with six.
"We got five, and our goal is to get three every week, so that was amazing," Bulldogs redshirt junior inside linebacker Reggie Carter said Monday. "We kept it contagious, and we hope it will carry over."
The No. 12 Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 SEC) visit No. 23 Ole Miss (1-2, 0-1) this Saturday. The Rebels rank last in the league in turnover margin (minus-5) and turnover ratio (minus-1.67 per game).
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said getting five turnovers was the key to his third triumph, but he realizes that kind of number isn't a given.
"We preach it, but everybody does," Smart said. "The kids took ownership of it, and sometimes if you hit them hard enough, the ball separates from the body. There were some big hits out there."
Ole Miss suffered two turnovers in Saturday's 48-43 loss to Alabama, with each resulting in a Crimson Tide touchdown.
Rebels quarterback Chad Kelly was sacked and stripped early in the third quarter by outside linebacker Ryan Anderson, with noseguard Da'Ron Payne scooping up the ball and lunging into the end zone from 3 yards out to tie the score at 24. With 5:28 remaining in the game, defensive end Jonathan Allen intercepted Kelly and lumbered 75 yards to the end zone for a 48-30 lead.
Kelly threw three interceptions on Labor Day night as the Rebels committed four turnovers in a 45-34 loss to Florida State.
"Besides getting three turnovers, there is nothing big that we talk about," Bulldogs outside linebacker Chuks Amaechi said. "It gets frustrating when you don't get any, because there are times you tackle the ball carrier and you feel like you can get the ball out, but they blow the whistle and it's too late. We're definitely trying to bring the same turnover mentality from Missouri to Ole Miss."
Said Carter: "You practice turnovers every day in practice, but I don't know. Sometimes it's just taking advantage of the opportunities."
Can't bear to watch
Georgia's deciding touchdown at Missouri occurred on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Eason to Isaiah McKenzie on fourth-and-10 with 1:29 remaining.
Amaechi was on the sideline with his back turned to the play.
"I wasn't looking," he said. "I saw that it was fourth-and-10 and knew we were inside the 25, but I turned and looked at the fans. I looked at their reactions and saw a bunch of wide mouths and heads in laps. I was too scared and too nervous to look."
Facing the West
Since the start of the 2014 season, SEC East teams are 6-25 against their Western Division counterparts. Georgia is actually 3-1 against the West during this stretch, leaving the rest of the division 3-24, with South Carolina's 27-14 loss at Mississippi State on Sept. 10 representing the league's lone 2016 cross-divisional matchup to this point.
Smart was in no mood to delve into the great divide when asked Monday.
"I have no idea," Smart said. "I'm worried about Ole Miss."
Odds and ends
Georgia's home game next week against Tennessee has been picked up by CBS and will kick off shortly after 3:30 p.m.... The Bulldogs are playing just one September game in Sanford Stadium this year for the first time since 1966.... Georgia holds a 32-12-1 series advantage over Ole Miss and has won 10 consecutive meetings.... Junior tailback Nick Chubb has 2,659 career rushing yards and needs 10 more to pass Rodney Hampton and move into sixth on the school's rushing charts.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.