ATHENS — Glenn Schumann never lost belief that his defense would get better.

Maybe that’s easy when your unit gives up 41 points to Tennessee, 13 third-downs conversions against Alabama and touchdowns on the first five possessions against Ole Miss.

“Obviously there were a couple games there that were a couple, a half-game, whatever it was, that we did not perform to the expectations. But credit to the guys, their growth and their level of confidence and their focus on the task at hand,” Schumann said. “The guys in the room came to work every day not worrying about any outside noise, not worried about what it said statistically.”

But Georgia’s defense has, in fact, gotten better. After giving up 13 third-down conversions in one game against the Crimson Tide, Georgia has allowed third-down conversions on 10 of its last 48 attempts.

Texas, Charlotte, Georgia Tech and Alabama have scored just two touchdowns against the Georgia defense in its last four outings.

Entering the College Football Playoff against Ole Miss, this Georgia defense is playing its best football. Nowhere is that more apparent than with Georgia’s run defense, which has surged to fourth nationally.

The importance of stopping the run wasn’t just a tweak made after the first game against Ole Miss. It was something stressed as far back as winter workouts.

“We embodied it over the summer, over winter workouts,” linebacker Raylen Wilson said. “That’s us just stopping the run and running the ball. I feel like if you can do that, man, you can be unbeatable.”

The Bulldogs have given up 128 combined rushing yards in their previous four games. Alabama finished with -3 rushing yards, thanks to some timely sacks.

The last time out against the Rebels, Georgia had no sacks. In the six games since, the Bulldogs have averaged 2.0 per game.

The emergence of freshman Zayden Walker has helped provide a boost to the pass rush. Walker did not play a single defensive snap in the first game against Ole Miss.

“I think Zayden’s growth was expected. And it was a matter of, it was kind of a when, not if,” Schumann said. “And so he just worked really hard to work through the areas he had to get better.”

Walker isn’t the only young player who has emerged of late for Georgia. Elijah Griffin has played a key role all season on the defensive line. Rasean Dinkins picked up his first career start in the SEC championship game win over Alabama.

The growth of cornerbacks Ellis Robinson and Demello Jones has helped push Georgia’s front seven to another level.

“He’s gained more and more confidence,” Schumann said of Robinson. “He’s always had a lot of ability. He has really good ball skills. So there’s been an opportunity to play ball in the air. We have confidence he’s gonna do that. And so I think as he continues to stack those plays, he just gets better and better.”

The Ole Miss rematch will be the ultimate test for the Georgia defense. The first three quarters were the worst sustained stretch of play from the Bulldogs. It had no sacks, no tackles for loss and no turnovers in the game.

Yet in the fourth quarter, it showed it could be dominant. Ole Miss finished with just 13 yards on 11 plays. It scored no points, while Georgia’s defense showed no mercy.

There’s one key attribute where Georgia’s defense has improved exponentially in Schumann’s eyes. More so than experience or as a pass-rushing unit.

It comes in the form of confidence. Even though it is facing a stout Ole Miss offense that gave it real problems earlier this season, the Bulldogs are playing their most confident football at the most important time.

“I just think there’s a lot of guys that have grown up over the course of the year,” Schumann said. “We knew that would be the case. The more you play, the more confidence you gain.”

Glenn Schumann talks Georgia defensive improvement