For Georgia fans, it’s an image that has graced their eyes all too often this season – an opposing receiver catching, running and, a lot of times, scoring, all seemingly without a Bulldog defender within 10 yards of them.

Wholesale changes aren’t happening in the secondary, at least for now. But coach Mark Richt did say in his Tuesday press conference that a few youngsters will be getting more chances this week and in the future.

Corner Prince Miller and safeties Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans are all fourth-year players, but their poor performances have left the door open for freshmen Bacarri Rambo and Branden Smith to get more playing time.

Rambo plays at Jones’ strong safety spot, and Smith plays at Miller’s wide corner position.

“We’ll just continue to play the guys we’re playing, and give guys more reps,” said defensive coordinator and secondary coach Willie Martinez. “Certain guys, I know from the secondary standpoint, I’m going to play Bacarri Rambo more. I’ve been doing that, but he’s been very productive and he’s getting really confident in our scheme.”

Added Evans: “Rambo’s playing good. Any time you have somebody out there playing to his caliber, I think that he needs more playing time. It’s just how football goes.”

Richt pointed to the fact that both Jones and Miller are “getting a ton of reps” as the main impetus for giving the youngsters more cracks at it.

“To get every rep is not good for anybody in my opinion,” Richt said. “I think there needs to be a time when you are not on the field every single down.”

He didn’t mention that a unit consisting mainly of Jones, Miller, and Evans has surrendered 249 passing yards per game this season, good enough for 11th-best in the SEC and 97th in the FBS.

In moderate playing time, Rambo has accounted for two of Georgia’s four interceptions this season.

The other two also came from a younger player, sophomore corner Brandon Boykin. In more intermittent time, Smith has two pass breakups, the same amount as Miller.

“That’s everybody’s dream, to get more playing time, playing as a true freshman,” Smith said. “That’s my goal. Really my goal is to start, but I’m behind Prince Miller, and I’m still learning every single day. He’s a great player.”

The Georgia secondary would presumably have an easy task this week, going against Vanderbilt quarterback Larry Smith and a Commodore passing attack that averages a league-worst 146.7 yards per game. That’s good enough for 114th-nationwide, just below a Georgia Tech team that’s thrown the ball only 75 times all season.

But, as the Bulldogs showed against previously-maligned Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton, nothing’s a given for the Georgia secondary this season.

“There were a couple of days that we felt like throwing in the towel, but it’s just not our nature to give up,” Evans said. “Anytime that we can go out and try and get a win to get our win streak going, that’s what we’re going to do.”

Added Smith: “We’re not even down. We’ve still got our heads up. Everybody knows we’re 3-3, but we’re just trying to move on besides that and play our hearts out.”

Even with criticism running rampant and a couple of younger players making a move on veterans’ previously established positions, the Georgia secondary is sticking together.

“We’re one big family,” Smith said.