ATHENS — Georgia hasn’t had to deal with much discomfort through the first two weeks of the season.

That could change Saturday for the Bulldogs.

After cruising through a pair of home games, No. 2 Georgia will leave Sanford Stadium for the first time this season when it travels to Arkansas on Sept. 19. The trip to Fayetteville doubles as the Bulldogs’ SEC opener and their first opportunity to see how a largely untested team responds in a hostile environment.

For head coach Kirby Smart, the change in setting matters more than Georgia’s spotless start.

“Humility is always a week away,” Smart said Monday. “It’s a tough environment, regardless of where you play in the SEC. There are no bad environments in the SEC. There are only raucous environments in the SEC.”

Bulldogs leave dominant start behind

Georgia has made quick work of its first two opponents.

The Bulldogs opened with a 63-3 rout of Tennessee State and followed it with a 70-20 win over Western Kentucky. Georgia scored touchdowns on its first six possessions against the Hilltoppers, building a 42-0 advantage before halftime.

Those lopsided margins have allowed Smart to play deep into his roster, but they’ve also made it difficult to determine exactly what Georgia has in its starting units.

That’s particularly true on defense, where the Bulldogs haven’t been forced to play extended stretches with their starters on the field.

“It hasn’t been really tested,” Smart said. “Effort? Great effort when you play four series or five series. … So I think it’s still to be seen.”

Smart said the limited game reps have forced Georgia’s staff to evaluate players through more than what shows up on Saturdays.

“I don’t know that there’s a measuring stick of on-field performance,” Smart said. “You can’t really measure that with the number of snaps they’ve had. I look at it as day-to-day interaction, work ethic, buy-in, Mudita, the success of the other guys in the room.”

Arkansas now gives the Bulldogs their first opportunity to change that.

Arkansas looking to respond

The Razorbacks enter their SEC opener at 1-1 in Ryan Silverfield’s first season as head coach.

Arkansas began the year with a 31-14 victory over North Alabama before running into trouble on the road against Utah. The Utes rolled to a 43-10 victory Saturday, holding the Razorbacks to 61 rushing yards while piling up 442 yards of offense.

Quarterback KJ Jackson completed 14 of 34 passes for 134 yards with an interception and led Arkansas with 34 rushing yards.

Backup AJ Hill, a former Houston County standout from Warner Robins, went 8-of-14 for 105 yards and accounted for the Razorbacks’ only touchdown pass.

One difficult afternoon, however, hasn’t changed Smart’s evaluation of Jackson.

“Very accurate passer, throws a great ball, anticipates timing of throws,” Smart said. “He’s got a really strong arm, live arm, and he gets the ball out there, and he’s a good athlete.”

Jackson’s mobility could also put additional pressure on a Georgia defense that hasn’t had to spend much time defending extended drives through two games.

Smart waiting to see Georgia handle adversity

The trip should provide a different challenge for Gunner Stockton and Georgia’s offense, too.

Stockton has helped the Bulldogs overwhelm their first two opponents, but unlike entering conference play last season, Georgia now has a quarterback who has already experienced SEC road environments.

Still, Smart’s biggest question goes beyond Stockton.

Georgia hasn’t played from behind. Its starters haven’t been asked to grind through four quarters. And a roster featuring plenty of new faces hasn’t traveled together for a road game this season.

“This is a challenge any time you go on the road, especially with a group that you really haven’t been on the road with yet,” Smart said.

That uncertainty is part of what Smart wants to see Saturday.

“I think you have to, as a coach, anticipate adversity because I don’t know when it’s coming,” Smart said. “I have no control over when it’s coming. Nor do you, nor do the players.”

Georgia has spent two weeks showing what it can do when games quickly swing in its favor.

Fayetteville could offer a chance to learn something different.

“You’ll learn a lot about whether they handle adversity,” Smart said. “I’ve learned a lot about our teams in the past from going to play in SEC environments where maybe we haven’t played our best.

“Or you get in one of those hornet’s nest games, and you’ve got to fight your way out of it. So it just depends on how the game goes.”