ATHENS – Eric Zeier likes the way Carson Beck throws the football, even if Georgia’s current quarterback may have gotten a little too comfortable on Saturday.

Beck had a 36-for-48 passing percentage for 459 yards and three touchdowns and also threw two interceptions in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State.

Zeier, who was the SEC’s all-time leading passer at the end of his UGA career, expertly broke down the game on the Georgia Radio Network broadcast.

“The first (Beck) interception was a tipped ball, that just happens, but he was trying to force something,” Zeier said during the post-game show. “He threw the ball well, and sometimes when you throw the ball well you become bulletproof and think you can put it in certain windows instead of going through progressions.

“He threw the ball well despite a few bad decisions, but it was a really, really good night.”

Undoubtedly, Beck’s 36 completions and 459 yards were career highs for him.

“Mike Bobo called a really good football play,” Zeier said, praising UGA’s offensive coordinator, who was 5 of 11 on third-down conversions and 2 of 2 on fourth-down calls. “The problems right now are on the defensive side of football.”

UGA head coach Kirby Smart said as much in his postgame interviews.

“We need to find some guys that are willing to compete and fight,” Smart said in his locker room interview with the Georgia Radio Network.

“At the end of the day, we’re not going to play perfect, we’re going to give up plays the way we play perimeter defense,” Smart said. “But you have to fight for the ball, (and) you definitely have to try to outsmart others and get the ball out, and we had some guys who couldn’t do that today.”

Zeier, a four-year starter for the Bulldogs from 1991 to 1994 who rushed for a then-SEC record 11,153 yards and 67 touchdowns, wasn’t impressed with how the UGA secondary played against Mississippi State.

“The amount of time our defensive backs spend running around the field and never turning to the football should be concerning,” Zeier noted, noting how Mississippi State freshman Michael Van Buren settled in after playing the game Started 3 of 10 passes and finished the game with 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

“Looking ahead to next week, you’re facing one of the best quarterbacks in the country,” Zeier said of Texas’ 7:30 p.m. game against Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers.

“It’s hard to win championships when you give up 31 points to a freshman quarterback.”

Zeier seemed confident that Georgia can get things going in a highly unpredictable SEC season.

“A little tougher battle for the Dawgs than many expected — we saw South Carolina lead Alabama until the final seconds in Tuscaloosa today,” Zeier said, pointing out the Tide barely eked out a 27-25 win were able to achieve.

“Any time you play in this league you should be ready to go. The Dawgs will have a mammoth day next week.”