Defensive backs can be compared to a closer in baseball – having confidence to shut down any opponent, but also possessing a short-term memory when bested.

Arkansas hit a grand slam off the Bulldog secondary, passing for 408 yards and five touchdowns.

“I think it’s just lack of focus,” said safety Bryan Evans. “It’s way more mental than physical. Any one of our members of the secondary can make a play. That’s just something that hasn’t shown up.”

Georgia got the win, but the secondary looked lost. Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez mostly called man coverages, and repeatedly saw his players get beat.

“Those are the kind of things sometimes you want-you want the ball to be thrown deep, chuck it where its 50/50 and there’s a position to make a play,” Martinez said. “They made them and we didn’t. That’s the price you pay when you’re playing man coverage.”

“I guess you could say it was a combination of things,” said cornerback Brandon Boykin.

“On their side they could really throw the ball. The quarterback was tall and he could throw. Their receivers were really fast and physical and could catch. They just made great plays. A lot of times we had bad coverage, but sometimes you can have the greatest coverage and it when comes down to making the play you’ve just got to.”

Georgia wide receiver Michael Moore watched the meltdown from the sideline and offered advice after the game.

“I told a couple of the guys to play the ball like a receiver,” he instructed. “They just misjudged the ball. They weren’t getting beat or toasted that bad. Guys weren’t just running by themselves wide open. Our secondary just misplayed the ball.”

“There was plenty of opportunities,” Evans said. “We were in good position plenty of times where we just didn’t make plays on the ball.”

The fallout? A Sunday spent poring over film, and a week’s worth of criticism and scrutiny.

“You know, we’re not very happy with ourselves,” said freshman cornerback Branden Smith. “We’re disappointed as a whole, but we’re still working hard. We’re just going to let it go, look at film and try to make better plays.”

Smith and Boykin, a sophomore, are the youngest members of the secondary, and they were picked on by Arkansas. Smith let his man behind him for a diving touchdown catch once and Boykin was beat by his man for a touchdown twice. The youth and inexperience isn’t an excuse.

“I learned a lot on the play I got beat deep,” Smith said.

“I could have done a lot of things better. I could have jammed him better, closed in better, just the mistakes I made, I learned from them and I’m going to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Added Boykin: “Just keep your head up and give it your best. Even the professionals get beat so I feel like it’s going to happen but if you keep your head and focus on your mistakes, you can’t let it happen again. You can’t let them beat you twice, you can’t let a mistake beat you again. You’ve got to have a short-term memory, and we’re getting better.”

Boykin recorded the lone interception the group has against South Carolina. He’s seen both sides of the coin, making plays, but also getting burned.

Evans said Boykin will win the battle more times than lose.

“It’s not going to happen every week,” said Evans. “If teams want to try to pick their poison and throw on him, hopefully the outcome will be like the South Carolina game with an interception.”

Bulldog corners and safeties are still confident-and more than ready for Arizona State.

The unabashed attitude hasn’t left the unit yet.

“If they want to come at me that is their choice, because I’m not going to let it happen again,” said Boykin, who gave up two Razorback touchdowns. “That will be an opportunity for me to make a play if they come my way. That’s how I look at it.

Added Smith: “I’m real excited. I’m ready.”