Georgia concluded its second spring practice period under Kirby Smart with a G-Day Game pitting the Red Team against the Black Team, which the Red Team won 25-22.

There were some notable performances from returning players and inspiring outings from several newcomers, including quarterback Jake Fromm.

“Overall, I was pleased with the day, excited about the growth of our team,” Smart said after the game. “I really saw some players getting better throughout the entire spring.”

With practice on hiatus for the summer, there were several questions that the Bulldogs answered this spring and a few that still remain.

5 questions Georgia answered

Quarterback play will be improved in 2017: Although Jacob Eason didn’t light it up on G-Day, he finished 16-of-36 for 311 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, he looked much more in command of Georgia’s offense.

Smart has praised Eason often this spring for his improved leadership and ability to read defenses, qualities which he was critical of at times during the quarterback’s freshman year. In his second season, Eason should have a greater understanding of the game around him.

Eason’s arm strength remains above reproach, and he showed a touch on a few short and deep passes that simply wasn’t there last season. While he did start just 8-of-21 with an interception in the first half, Eason settled in and completed over 50 percent of his passes in the second half with two touchdowns.

And then there’s Fromm, who had a splendid debut, completing over 60 percent of his passes for 277 yards and two touchdowns. He displayed the consistency and steadiness that earned him his solid reputation this spring, albeit against the second-string defense, and Fromm did his part in Georgia’s quarterback competition.

It remains highly likely that Eason will be the Bulldogs’ starter when they begin the season against Appalachian State. He should be improved in his second season, although it remains to be seen how great that improvement is. In Fromm, Georgia appears to have a very capable backup, who would likely be every bit as competent as Eason was in 2016, in case he needs to step in for any reason.

The secondary has a strong blend of experience and talent: There hasn’t been much talk of the Bulldogs’ secondary this spring, outside of who might replace Maurice Smith at the STAR position.

As it turns out, the defensive backs didn’t need much attention, they are doing just fine. Several times throughout the G-Day Game, the starting secondary forced Eason to take a coverage sack. They locked down opposing receivers for much of the afternoon and directly contributed to Eason’s low completion percentage.

Richard LeCounte, a 5-star early enrollee, was especially impressive in his debut. The true freshman recorded a team-leading nine tackles, including a few big hits, as well as a pass breakup. LeCounte is a candidate to see plenty of snaps this season, which should only bolster a returning secondary that helped Georgia finish second in the SEC in pass defense.

Georgia will get creative with its running backs: When Nick Chubb and Sony Michel announced they would be returning for their senior seasons, the Bulldogs instantly became one of the nation’s deepest and most talented teams at running back.

Having so many talented players at one position can cause a unique problem for offensive coordinators, however, and it requires a creative mind to maximize everyone’s effectiveness. Smart said this spring that he and Jim Chaney would find ways to use their backs in various ways, and we saw a glimpse of that during G-Day.

Each of the Bulldogs’ top four backs caught a pass, and they were often sent out as options in the passing game. Chubb and Michel didn’t see much action, as they are known stars, but Brian Herrien and Elijah Holyfield each ran the ball hard and showed nice burst.

Young defensive line showed solid improvement: Before a five-sack performance in the bowl game against TCU, three of which came from defensive tackle Trent Thompson, Georgia was near the bottom of the SEC in sack production.

The Bulldogs had a lot of youth on the defensive line in 2016, but that youth showed a lot of growth Saturday.

Junior defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter looked unblockable at times and finished with 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack. Sophomores Justin Young and Julian Rochester also made nice plays behind the line of scrimmage.

If Thompson returns to the team this summer, which remains to be seen, the Bulldogs’ defensive line could become a true strength. Georgia will also add depth when 4-star defensive end prospects Robert Beal and Malik Herring arrive on campus.

There are some pieces to work with at receiver: Entering the spring, one of Georgia’s biggest question marks was at wide receiver. The team’s most dynamic weapon at the position in 2016, Isaiah McKenzie, is off to the NFL and there wasn’t much depth or talent left on paper.

While it’s too soon to declare the position settled, G-Day provided a lot of reasons for optimism. There were still a few drops that need to be cleaned up, but the receivers came up with several nice grabs and put up big numbers.

Terry Godwin led all receivers with 130 yards on five catches and figures to be McKenzie’s replacement in the slot. Sophomore Tyler Simmons had a breakout afternoon, catching five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. J.J. Holloman, Georgia’s top receiver prospect in the 2017 class, looked like a player capable of making an early impact and snagged three passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.

McKenzie’s agility will be missed on offense, but sophomore Mecole Hardman could mitigate that loss. The former 5-star athlete received a lot of work at receiver this spring and had a nice showing during G-Day.

3 questions that still remain

The offensive line still a work in progress: While the Bulldogs have a lot of individual talent to work with on offense, that might not matter if they can’t fix things up front. Easily the biggest weakness heading into the spring, there weren’t many answers on the field Saturday.

Georgia’s starting offensive line surrendered five sacks and several more quarterback hurries. (Granted, it was two-hand touch on the QBs, making the task easier.) Eason was forced to improvise and move out of the pocket more than once, which isn’t something fans want to see him do often.

It appears the Bulldogs have a tentative starting group penciled in, but with four linemen joining the program this summer, this competition should be far from settled.

Special teams: After an interesting offseason between the two, Smart has been complimentary of sophomore kicker Rodrigo Blankenship’s performance this spring. He didn’t have the best possible showing during G-Day, but Blankenship remains the leader at the position. Competition will resume when graduate transfer kicker David Martin joins the team this August, however.

There are plenty of other questions that remain on special teams. Punter Marshall Long is still recovering from an injury he suffered last season, and Cameron Nizialek has been up and down at the position this spring.

Georgia has a lot of options to replace McKenzie and Reggie Davis in the return game, and each one showed flashes on Saturday. Jayson Stanley, Simmons and Hardman handled the kickoff return duties for their respective teams with some nice returns between the three of them. Godwin had the lone punt return of the game, which went for 10 yards. Nothing is settled in this area, though, and the coaches still need to sort through the competitors.

Can Georgia turn this collection of talent into wins: This isn’t a question that can be answered before the season, but it’s an important one. It’s no secret that the SEC East is once again up for grabs, and the Bulldogs have arguably more collective talent than any team in the division.

Smart has landed two top-ten recruiting classes, including the No. 3 class this year, and five 5-star prospects during his time at Georgia. There are proven stars and potential stars on the roster, but the same could be said in 2016.

After sustained, but not ultimate success under Mark Richt, the Bulldogs hired Smart to help push them over the top. There are a lot of reasons for optimism, but the biggest questions will need to be answered during Saturdays this fall.