It’s the matchup everyone in the Southeastern Conference is focused on this week, Georgia’s defense versus Alabama’s offense.

The nation’s No. 1 scoring defense against the nation’s No. 1 scoring offense.

While Saturday night’s game in Tuscaloosa will certainly boil down to more than just that matchup, something Kirby Smart said himself on Tuesday night, if either unit lets its guard down for as much as a play, the opposing unit is good enough to make them pay for it.

How does Georgia hope to find an edge heading into the matchup?

Smart was asked that question during his most recent media availability.

“Well, I don’t know. I’m excited to go see. I’ve always loved the challenge, and we’ve got a good defense. We’ve got a good offense. The game will come down to a lot more than just those two units, I can assure you that,” Smart said. “It’ll boil down to how our offense and their defense play and the special teams, but I’m excited to see it. I know our guys are excited about the challenge.

“I’m sure, offensively, it’s the same for them. They’ve heard about our defense and our defense has heard about their offense, so it’s a great opportunity for both units to go out and compete and go play, but I’m excited to see it. It’s going to boil down to the line of scrimmage – like it always does. They have success running it, and they’ll have a great play-action game. If they don’t, you try to make them one-dimensional, and that’s hard to do against Alabama.”

Georgia’s defense has done a good job of creating the havoc plays Smart and Dan Lanning want to see from their defense but how can the Bulldogs register more of those against an offense of Alabama’s caliber?

The Georgia coach says the staff has been focusing in on more fundamental work in practice leading up to the game.

“Our defensive staff has done a great job of harping on the fundamentals. I think that fundamentals are a foregone conclusion, like it’s lost in football now. Everybody’s defenses are just giving up. They’re just like, ‘Okay, let’s get the ball back from the offense. Let’s try to cause turnovers and sacks and give up big plays, and either they score or they don’t.’

“We’re trying every day to do something fundamentally, and I’m a big believer in, ‘Alright, let’s take this block protection. Let’s take this tackling. Let’s take this hook and swat.’ We’re trying to take little, small things each day and get better at them for the kids, so they can enjoy them, because they show up in games. We show a clip of a drill, and then it happens in the game, [and] we’re like, ‘Hey, I’m glad we did that drill.’ We didn’t just go rep plays. It’s not a magic potion. It’s good players, and it’s a playing sound, fundamental defense, but we’ve got to do it this week, and tackling will be the challenge this week, because you’re not tackling your average players anymore. You’re tackling some really good ones.”