It’s a question many have wondered as soon as Georgia’s 41-34 loss at Alabama was complete.

Had the Bulldogs scored at the end to make the score 41-40, would Kirby Smart have gone for two points?

“We had discussed that. I talked about it in length on the headphones at the two-minute mark,” Smart said after practice on Tuesday. “We actually talked about it before the game because the LSU game (last year) came down to that with them. LSU was at home when they decided. We had discussed it previously, and I felt very strongly that if the clock was under 30 seconds we would probably go for two.”

Smart wound up not having to decide Carson Beck’s interception in the end zone saved the game for the Crimson Tide.

“Talking to the analytics afterward, it was suggested to not do it, to play for overtime,” Smart said. “A lot goes into that because when you give a team enough time and they know what they need, meaning it's not tied, they have more aggression. They had three timeouts. They would have only needed a field goal. It would have played out possibly differently.

“But we had discussed it, and we're heading towards more for two if it was under 30, which I think happened around 43 or something.”

After a slow day on Monday, practice, Tuesday’s session was more to Smart’s liking.

“I thought we were a little slow on Monday, getting back late and getting a start,” Smart said. “We did a little less than we normally do on Mondays, but we had a good one today.”

Warmer temperatures at the team’s practice facility helped.

“We had a really physical Tuesday and got after it and it was probably warmer than I expected. I don't know what the temperature was, but it seemed warmer. We were outside for most of the day and had like one period each inside. But they played physical,” Smart said. “They understand. We had a lot of coaches that have played in this game and coached in this game. We have two Auburn alumni. We got a bunch of Georgia alumni. And the historic nature of this game is very personal. And we had guys talk about that, you know, just explaining what the game means. And I think the players recognized that and they certainly practiced hard.”

Four games in and tight end Ben Yurosek hasn’t had quite had the impact that many thought he would.

After catching over 100 balls during his career at Stanford, Yurosek enters Saturday still looking for his first reception as a Bulldog.

So, has the adjustment to SEC play been that difficult?

“No, I really don't know that, because I never asked him that. That'd be a good question if you asked him that,” Smart said. “I don't know the comparison. I know the speed of the game is really fast here. I can't say that that's the biggest difference. He would have to answer that.”

Smart was also asked about sophomore Lawson Luckie’s progress thus far.

“He's really a tough guy. He's physical, tough, not afraid to get after it, but he's also a good pass receiver,” Smart said. “Most times, your second year in college is like you're just starting to come out of your shell, and he missed a lot of time last year with the injury. If you think back, I think it was this game that he was just coming back in with the tight rope, so he's really a year removed from that. The sky's the limit. Lawson (Luckie) can be really good.”

… Smart had an update on freshman cornerback Ellis Robinson IV.

“Ellis is getting better. He works his tail off. We've tried to find roles for him on special teams. He's continuing to grow. He practices with the twos all practices and goes one-on-one reps and gets better. He's a good tackler,” Smart said. “He's physical at the line of scrimmage. Does a good job with his hands, a good job with ball location, like getting balls down, but he's continuing to challenge those other guys. We've had those guys this week all getting lots of reps and competing.”

Robinson played in the first two games for the Bulldogs but has not played in the last two.

... Georgia’s cornerbacks have been challenged – to play more like former Bulldog Kamari Lassiter.

“I've challenged him to say, you know, if you could practice every day, and I tell them all the time, what would Kamari do? What would Kamari do? They probably get sick of hearing it - comparison is the thief of joy,” Smart said. “But Kamari is such a great practice player and walk-through player that we have clips of him doing things in practice and walk-through that we want them to emulate. Daniel Harris, Julio (Humphrey), and Daylen (Everette), and all those guys, they got to practice very intentional and stay focused. It helps them play better.”

… Smart said Cash Jones continues to earn his stripes.

“What hasn't he done? He does everything he's asked. He competes. He practices at a high level. He earns what he gets, and matter of fact, he's probably earned more than he's gotten,” Smart said. “It was his kind of game. He's really good at pass pro. He's really physical at pass pro. He's really good at route running. He understands leverages. He's been in our system a long time. He plays great on special teams. He's earned everything he's gotten.”

…Could Dillon Bell start receiving more opportunities?

“He's developed. He was a high school running back and could probably play running back. He did for us, but he's developed. He got better and better at route running, and his hard work has really paid off for him,” Smart said. “I’m just proud of what he's done and the opportunities he's gotten he's taken advantage of. We’ve got to try to find more opportunities for a guy like him.”