Of everything that went wrong against Ole Miss, Georgia's offensive line is arguably at the top of the list.

The Bulldogs struggled to block the Rebel defensive front for most of the game. While it must be said that Georgia was on the road and in must-pass situations often, it still registered as a rough performance for a proud unit.

Ahead of a critical contest against Tennessee, the group is looking for a reset.

"It's a fundamentals thing," offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild said. "I think offensive line play is a lot habitual. Fundamentals are key in offensive line play, and when you don't, when you lack fundamentals and when you lack those habits that are going to keep you on the right course during the game, you know, it's not what you want. You've got to go back to work. You've got to get better. You've got to go back to fundamentals and the basics of things and just get better."

For example, Fairchild mentioned blocking on zone runs. He said those plays are all about "staying on track" and not being knocked off course by opposing defenders.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart took a balanced approach to the performance against Ole Miss. He felt there were plays where the Bulldogs blocked well, but others where they were beaten by Ole Miss.

"I'm completely confident in our offensive line," Smart said at Monday's press conference. "We can't put them in harm's way. And when you play on the road, guys, there's not a guy in this room that's lined up at left tackle with 80,000 people screaming at the top of their lungs and he knows it's a pass. He gets a distinct .5 advantage, and .5's a lot. Trust me, I know from coaching in this league, it's hard to do. You’ve got to find ways to help people. You’ve got to be able to run the ball to slow it down."

Smart added that he feels the communication between the offensive line and quarterback Carson Beck regarding protection has been great for the most part. Breakdowns have usually just been a result of an offensive lineman being beaten.

There are multiple other factors to contribute to poor play. Injuries have played a role. So too has the competition, as the Bulldogs have gone up against several very talented defenses in the 2024 season.

Another one comes calling this weekend when Tennessee comes to town. The Bulldogs know the next week will be vital to improving and, at the same time, keeping Georgia's title hopes alive.

"We just need to get better," Fairchild said. "I mean, it's plain and simple as that. You know, we need to just attack this week of practice and clean up some footwork and some things that just trouble most offensive lines and just really just attack this week in practice and just get better with the fundamentals."