Three questions for Georgia football as SEC play begins with South Carolina

Georgia football is one of only three SEC teams that after Saturday have not played either a Power Five or top 25 ranked opponent. The others are Arkansas, Kentucky and Missouri.

Of course, the Bulldogs would have played at Oklahoma instead of home against Ball State if not for the Sooners rolling onto the SEC schedule.

The Bulldogs were 42-point favorites Saturday for a Ball State team that got a $1.6 million paycheck for the game.

More: Georgia football overcomes slow start, pours it on Ball State with all phases clicking

More: Georgia football’s offense has security blanket so far in opportunistic defense

So the real season pretty much begins Saturday when South Carolina comes to town for a 3:30 p.m. game.

Here are three questions after a 45-3 win:

UGA football injury concerns entering SEC play?

It’s hard to say.

It would be easy to say Javon Bullard with a sprained ankle. He was the defensive MVP of both playoff games last season, but Georgia did well with David Daniel-Sisavanh and Dan Jackson stepping in.

"They both did some good things,” coach Kirby Smart said. “They practice every day with the 2s and 1s and roll in there.”

“Javon’s obviously a great player, but I think we have depth at the position,” outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss said.

Smart said he didn’t know the severity of Bullard’s injury.

“I do know he could not return,” he said.

Running back Daijun Edwards (foot) took part in pregame warmups, but didn’t go.

Sounds like he’ll be playing against South Carolina.

“If we needed him, he was going to play,” Smart said.

As for wide receiver Ladd McConkey Smart said his back is “still bothering him."

Defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was using a scooter for a foot injury after seeing action last week.

“We’ve been advised to shut him down right now,” Smart said.

Dillon Bell getting touches in backfield and out wide

Is Dillon Bell now a running back or still a wide receiver?

Probably both. Bell told me he practiced mostly at wide receiver this week.

“I got some reps at running back, but I didn’t know if I was going to be able to get in there how I did this game,” Bell said.

"He’s definitely going to be a big piece for this offense,” wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said.

Bell finished with 2 catches for 16 yards and 3 carries for 28 yards and a touchdown.

“That's only come up because of the situation at running back,” Smart said. “He's provided us some explosiveness and he showed that today."

Georgia could use explosiveness out of the backfield.

It is averaging 4.4 yards per carry after two games with freshman Roderick Robinson leading the Bulldogs with 88 yards on 14 carries.

“We’re running the ball, but we elect to throw it on the perimeter and we get five, six yards,” Smart said. “So to us, that’s a run play. To you, that’s a pass play because that’s what the stats say. That’s not the case. … You’ve got to be good at something. Right now, we’re better at that than we are the interior run game.”

Next up for Georgia football: Defending Spencer Rattler

Georgia’s defense will go up against the best quarterback on its schedule in South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler. At least until the last month of the regular season.

That’s according to the rankings of Dane Brugler of the Athletic who says Rattler has “the arm talent and body twitch,” for Rattler to push for top-100 status.

That was before Rattler was sacked nine times by North Carolina in week one, but he wasn't sacked in a 47-21 win over Furman Saturday night when he went 25 of 27 for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Georgia will face Tennessee’s Joe Milton and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart in November.

The Bulldogs are giving up 3.9 yards per pass attempt.

“We're not getting challenged outside on the perimeter,” Smart said.

Inside linebacker Smael Mondon didn’t mince words about starting 2-0.

“We haven’t really accomplished much,” Mondon said. “It’s just the beginning of the season.”

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football questions: injuries, Dillon Bell & Spencer Rattler