The Dawgs had six players named to the Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference teams, including five to the First Team.
Senior OG Ben Cleveland (Toccoa, Ga.), senior ILB Monty Rice (Huntsville, Ala.), junior DB Eric Stokes (Covington, Ga.), senior S Richard LeCounte (Riceboro, Ga.) and junior P Jake Camarda (Norcross, Ga.) were included on the First Team.
Redshirt sophomore OLB Azeez Ojulari (Marietta, Ga.) was named to the Second Team.
Camarda was the SEC Coaches Special Teams Player of the Year and on the Coaches All-SEC First Team, according to an announcement earlier this week.
In addition, Cleveland was also on the Coaches First Team along with LeCounte. Junior N Jordan Davis, Ojulari and Stokes were Coaches Second Team selections while redshirt freshman OT Warren McClendon and true freshmen RB Kendall Milton and DL Jalen Carter were included on the Freshman All-SEC squad.
The No. 9 Dawgs (7-2 SEC) take on No. 8 Cincinnati (9-0, 6-0 American Athletic Conference) in Atlanta in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Jan. 1. ESPN will televise the game at 12 p.m.
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Dawgs In Peach Bowl
The University of Georgia will play Cincinnati of the American Athletic Conference in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl scheduled for January 1st in Atlanta, the College Football Playoff committee announced Sunday.
Kickoff for the game between the ninth-ranked Dawgs (7-2) and the eighth-ranked Bearcats (9-0) is scheduled for 12 noon ET and be televised on ESPN. This will be the third all-time meeting between the programs. The Dawgs won both previous contests: 35-13 in Cincinnati in 1942 and 31-17 in Athens in 1976.
“The challenges of this season have been many for every team and I’m certainly excited for our team and especially our seniors to have the opportunity to play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl which is annually one of the premier New Year’s Six games during the holiday season,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart. “This is close to home and a venue we are very familiar with; however, none of our players and only a couple of our coaches have had the opportunity to participate in this game. We’re also looking forward to the challenge of playing a quality opponent in Cincinnati. Coach Fickell has done a remarkable job with two 11-win seasons the last two years and a perfect season this year.”
Georgia has made five previous appearances in the Peach Bowl. Georgia’s last appearance in the Atlanta game was December 30, 2006, when the ‘Dawgs defeated Virginia Tech, 31-24. The other four: defeated Maryland, 17-16, on December 28, 1973; lost to Syracuse, 19-18, December 30, 1989; lost to Virginia, 34-27, December 30, 1995; and defeated Virginia, 35-33, December 31, 1998.
“We are delighted with the selection of our team to represent the University of Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl,” said UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity. “Even though we have played in Atlanta on several occasions, we’ve not had the opportunity to play in this game since 2006. Even under the circumstances of 2020, it will be a new experience for our players and as many of our fans who are able to attend. It’s a great opportunity to play in a first class stadium, and we look forward to competing against an undefeated Cincinnati team.”
This will be Georgia’s 57th post-season appearance—fourth most of any team in the country. The Dawgs’ all-time post-season record is 32-21-3. This is also the 24th consecutive season the Dawgs have earned a bowl appearance, which ranks as the longest current active streak in the country.
Georgia’s senior class is 43-9 in their career with two bowl wins (Rose, Sugar), three SEC Eastern Division championships, 2017 SEC title, 2017 College Football Playoff national runner-up, and pending trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The 43 senior class victories is one short of the school record of 44 earned by the 2005 and 2019 classes.
Kickoff for the game between the ninth-ranked Dawgs (7-2) and the eighth-ranked Bearcats (9-0) is scheduled for 12 noon ET and be televised on ESPN. This will be the third all-time meeting between the programs. The Dawgs won both previous contests: 35-13 in Cincinnati in 1942 and 31-17 in Athens in 1976.
“The challenges of this season have been many for every team and I’m certainly excited for our team and especially our seniors to have the opportunity to play in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl which is annually one of the premier New Year’s Six games during the holiday season,” said UGA head coach Kirby Smart. “This is close to home and a venue we are very familiar with; however, none of our players and only a couple of our coaches have had the opportunity to participate in this game. We’re also looking forward to the challenge of playing a quality opponent in Cincinnati. Coach Fickell has done a remarkable job with two 11-win seasons the last two years and a perfect season this year.”
Georgia has made five previous appearances in the Peach Bowl. Georgia’s last appearance in the Atlanta game was December 30, 2006, when the ‘Dawgs defeated Virginia Tech, 31-24. The other four: defeated Maryland, 17-16, on December 28, 1973; lost to Syracuse, 19-18, December 30, 1989; lost to Virginia, 34-27, December 30, 1995; and defeated Virginia, 35-33, December 31, 1998.
“We are delighted with the selection of our team to represent the University of Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl,” said UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity. “Even though we have played in Atlanta on several occasions, we’ve not had the opportunity to play in this game since 2006. Even under the circumstances of 2020, it will be a new experience for our players and as many of our fans who are able to attend. It’s a great opportunity to play in a first class stadium, and we look forward to competing against an undefeated Cincinnati team.”
This will be Georgia’s 57th post-season appearance—fourth most of any team in the country. The Dawgs’ all-time post-season record is 32-21-3. This is also the 24th consecutive season the Dawgs have earned a bowl appearance, which ranks as the longest current active streak in the country.
Georgia’s senior class is 43-9 in their career with two bowl wins (Rose, Sugar), three SEC Eastern Division championships, 2017 SEC title, 2017 College Football Playoff national runner-up, and pending trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The 43 senior class victories is one short of the school record of 44 earned by the 2005 and 2019 classes.
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Signing Day Press Conference
Coach Kirby Smart
Opening statement…
“I’ll just open with that everybody got the press release, and we’re not going to be able to play a game this weekend. I think that’s tough, but welcome to 2020. It’s unfortunate for our seniors who really wanted to play, and those guys were excited to get one more game in Sanford Stadium. They wanted to finish off at home with their families, and I know that better than anybody how important that last game is in Sanford Stadium. It’s a crushing blow to not be able to get that game for them, but they understand it, and they’ve moved on now. Today is about our signing day class. I want to stay focused on these guys, because this is their one chance to get in the limelight. After a very unique recruiting process and a lot of extensive work in our organization, from our recruiting staff to our academic staff, all our support staff; a lot of people did a lot of hard work.
Opening statement…
“I’ll just open with that everybody got the press release, and we’re not going to be able to play a game this weekend. I think that’s tough, but welcome to 2020. It’s unfortunate for our seniors who really wanted to play, and those guys were excited to get one more game in Sanford Stadium. They wanted to finish off at home with their families, and I know that better than anybody how important that last game is in Sanford Stadium. It’s a crushing blow to not be able to get that game for them, but they understand it, and they’ve moved on now. Today is about our signing day class. I want to stay focused on these guys, because this is their one chance to get in the limelight. After a very unique recruiting process and a lot of extensive work in our organization, from our recruiting staff to our academic staff, all our support staff; a lot of people did a lot of hard work.
Rhonda Kilpatrick and Christina Harris do a tremendous job of helping get these guys enrolled. This will be the largest mid-year class I think that we’ve ever signed here at Georgia. We expect anywhere from 14, 15 to 16 in the next couple days. It’ll be somewhere around that number as guys finish up their requirements to possibly enroll early, and when you’re talking about 20 signees and possibly 16 enrolling early, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that. Maybe someone else has done it in the country, and it’s certainly the new trend. I think it will continue to be that way. I think COVID probably caused some of that, as well. But it’s a very well-rounded class. It’s a closer to home class, which is probably directed by COVID and more kids wanting to stay closer to home, and that’s important to us. We always say, ‘Take care of the state first.’ I’ve sat up here on one of these signing days before where that wasn’t the case, and it wasn’t that we didn’t feature our home area, but it certainly made it more convenient to take care of guys, because they wanted to be near their families and have their families be able to come watch them play. That’s been a big added factor during the pandemic, so I’m excited about the class. I’ll talk about the class as much as you guys want to, but I do want to try to keep it to the signing stuff.”
On key position groups that were met in members of this year’s signing class…
“Yeah. What am I supposed to say, right? One of you sent something out this morning. ‘You met all your needs today, so you’re happy? You’re good?’ Everybody is happy, right? That’s what you’re supposed to say, but I don’t think you ever meet all your needs, because you don’t actually know what all your needs are as well as I’ll know what my needs are come January, maybe 15th or 16th. You may have a greater need in an area that you don’t know that you have a greater need in terms of whether it’s a junior early-out or it’s a transfer. That’s the timeline, you know what I mean? We get the groceries because we know what we need. Right now, that’s just kind of where we’re at and what we have to deal with. I’m very pleased with the class. Certainly, you always like to have a balanced class positionally. You’re trying to basically sign a team, and you want to get a good player here, a good player here, a good player here, and sometimes your numbers are different, and sometimes your numbers are based on best available. I’m going to guess we do as much numbers crunching on that as anybody in the country. We don’t just take people to take people. We have targets, and we have needs for every roster spot on our team. We try to fill a certain type player, and I feel like we were able to do that across the board.” you like me to say?”
On whether he is pleased with the defensive back and cornerback signees…
“I’m pleased with what we got, and I’m excited about the guys we get to coach in that position. We got some guys coming in that I feel great about, and I think the guys we got early were really good players, really high-character players when you look across the board. I think the guys we finished late with are really great players. A lot of really good football teams wanted those guys to join their team. With not having camp, that’s one of those positions that’s harder to evaluate, and we were very pleased that we got to see guys’ workout footage. Guys sent us tape over the summer, and it made the decision so much clearer and easier to really target the guys you wanted and go out there and get those guys.”
On what it says about Georgia’s program about signing 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff…
“Quarterbacks want to play at Georgia. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they enjoy playing at Georgia. Criticism is going to be there in everything we do, but the opportunity to play at the University of Georgia and be a quarterback—I can just start naming all the quarterbacks who have played here who been really good, and who those kids look up to and idolize, a No. 1 overall pick, Matthew Stafford. Those kids want the opportunity to do that. They want the opportunity to win championships, and you putting yourself in the conversation about being able to win championships is always going to put you at the forefront of every quarterback’s in the country list. When they start talking about where they want to go, they want to go win a championships; at least that’s what the best quarterbacks want to do, and Brock Vandagriff never shied away from that. He wanted an opportunity to play close to home. He wanted the opportunity to play near his family. His dad is a coach right here in town. His mom is a teacher. He’s got sisters who are really good athletes. He wants to be able to play in front of them, so I’m excited about what he can do. He’s been a leader for his program. They’re still in the playoffs. He’s been productive, and we’re excited to see what he can bring to the University of Georgia.”
On whether he and his staff accomplished everything they wanted in terms of offensive linemen with this signing group, particularly Amarius Mims and Micah Morris…
“Yeah, you know, that was an area that was, I would say, heavy-loaded last year, if you look at the sheer numbers. I don’t know if you can ever have a year that is not heavy-loaded. This might be, and I don’t know this for facts, so don’t quote me on it, but it could be our smallest number of signees at that position, maybe besides the very first year. I don’t know. Four is the bare minimum to me, because you are trying to sign an offensive line class with every year because with the numbers, attrition, the transfer rules—If you have five every year and you have four signing classes, you’re supposed to be four deep—well, nobody is deep at the offensive line position. We have seen that this year with teams that can’t play us because of injuries on the offensive line or COVID-19 on the offensive line. That’s a depth position that we always target. It’s a developmental position. I say it every year, ‘Offensive lineman, it’s really hard to come in and play.’ I am really excited about this group. They are athletic. They have great size. They are really bright, good kids. Jared Wilson was one of the guys that we targeted early on—size, width, hand-size, athleticism—really good target and works really hard. He comes from a really athletic background family. He’s a great kid. All of those guys, I can’t say enough about each one of them. Matt Luke is excited to get those guys in and start coaching them.”
On Georgia’s ability to land top targets in the state of Georgia and what made that possible…
“I don’t know. Like I said, I thought the pandemic was the number one factor that helped in-state recruiting. Their inability to go on all of these trips might have played, maybe that’s one guy, I don’t know. The quarterback being from our state, that probably played a little bit of factor. I don’t know. I know that a lot of people have reached out to me and said, ‘Georgia’s success in the last four to five years is starting to take its toll.’ These kids grow up seeing Georgia in the top five, top six in the country most of their high school, even middle school lives. That plays a factor in it. Georgia has a great place to go to school academically. I always think that we should be one of the leaders of Georgia. There’s different years where different things happen for strange reasons, but we are very pleased with how we did in the state this year.”
On Brock Vandagriff’s ability to run and what sets him apart from other athletes…
“He’s a really good athlete. He’s tough. He’s a competitor. He grew up playing the game. He’s not afraid to take a hit, to deliver a blow. One of the first stories I heard about him when I got here was how he covered kickoffs maybe in the eighth or ninth grade and wasn’t afraid to hit people. When you look at a quarterback nowadays, that’s one of the things you have to say and that’s the new deal when you look across the NFL. The arm angle, the ability to have mobility to escape—the game has changed. The athletes upfront are explosive, fast, pass-rushers. They come in attack mode. They play pass first, not run first. When you look at the success maybe Kyler Murray has had, or guys in the NFL, you right away say, ‘The athleticism is the overriding factor.’ You want to have someone that can do those things, but they have to have the ability to process all of the information, to put you in the right situation to make plays, to change plays, to do a lot of things. We think he is a good athlete, and he’s shown that over his career. He’s a little dinged up right now. He’s dealing with some injuries, but you get those things when you run and you get out of the pocket a lot. That’s one of those things that you have to be able to protect him, but he’s got to be able to make good decisions on where to slide.”
On whether the February signing period is there to fill in any gaps or depth issues that may be present within the team…
“Yeah, as far as if we expect anything today—I don’t know what you guys have. We have what we expect to have, but I don’t know what’s been posted. I know Claude Felton mentioned to me that there’s a couple missing right before we started, but we have what we expected to have today. We are good with where we are. As far as February, yeah I think wiggle room, it’s like a catch-22 because if I have a lot of wiggle room there’s nobody to put in the wiggle room. Okay? If I have too many available there’s not enough available players to supply the demand that you necessarily have available so you don’t want a lot of that. We are going to know more about our team mid-January than we know now. I want to have the ability to fix, to try to find solutions for holes or depth issues. We think we are in a position to do that.”
On whether he foresees a trend of more in-state players…
“Yeah, I don’t know, that’s a hard one to answer. I want the best football players. I want high-character people that care about the team and love UGA. If that’s a kid 15 minutes away or 15 hours away, I am very comfortable with that. I just think that what we have learned through COVID is the character—what’s the right word? Self-motivation, self-starters are much more critical to have because you can’t have your hand on these kids 24/7 in the organization. Now you might say, ‘That’s not a moving fact. I could have told you that before COVID.’ But, I do think it’s a more critical factor than ever before because it’s much easier now in our society to give up, quit, move on, and not like it tough. When things are even, I’m picking the one that likes it tough. I’m picking the—it doesn’t matter where he’s from. If it’s the trend to say more closer to home? No, the trend is to say, I want the guys that are fully committed to the process of doing hard work and developing and going to school and getting their education. That is what I am excited about.”
On linebackers Smael Monden and Xavian Sorey and what roles they will play/the needs they met…
“We’re really excited about those two guys and I think their versatility is their greatest factor. Both of them have really dealt with injuries throughout this year and that’s something you always have to take into consideration. No different than the NFL does with our players. You do your injury research, you check into them, you see where they are and both of those guys were on our radars as juniors but neither one of them got to have the senior year they wanted because of injuries. You take that into account. We know as well as anybody, what those injuries are. Ron Courson and the medical staff feel great about those guys bouncing back. In a lot of ways, it can be a blessing in disguise. Maybe not for their high school coach, but it can be a blessing in disguise for us because we’re getting kids that maybe aren’t even as developed as they’re going to be when they get here. If you’re asking me where they’re going to start at, I’m not even going to answer that question right now because that’s not the most important thing. The beauty is both of those guys will be here mid-year, which is a really key element to success in our defense. Getting guys to be here and get that exposure and go through spring practice.”
On what the team did on signing day considering there was no game to prep for…
“I’ll be honest, I really didn’t do anything with signing day today in terms of that. I spent today with our guys, our roster, meeting with those young men as we discovered and found out that we weren’t going to be able to get a game, my focus turned to our guys and our roster and spending time with them. Our coaches have done a good job speaking to the guys and getting their paperwork in. We spent predominantly most of the day on 2022 prospects and our team.”
On the recruitment of Xavian Sorey…
“He’s a kid that we recruited for a long time. A lot of teams in the country did. He’s extremely athletic, talented but raw. He’s a developmental player, meaning we think he’s got size, we think he’s got speed, athleticism. He played at a really small school, which I am very familiar with and grew up near down there. I got to watch him play a basketball game, one of the few guys I got to watch basketball and just thought he was a really good athlete on the basketball court, dunking, very talented and he’s really a good kid. He made the decision to go to IMG for his senior year, which I think, put him in a position to be more successful in college because he got exposed to other players like him, where he had not seen that in his home town. That kind of gave him an awaking, thinking, woah there are a lot of players like me, these guys are pretty good. He’s going to grow and get better, he’s going to have to be patient and really understand the defense and grow as a player, but I think he’s willing to do that. He’s committed to the relationships he has here. He’s got a lot of relationships with a lot of coaches that are going to push him to excel and it’s just not going to happen overnight. He’s a guy that we just really worked on the entire time. Our staff, Coach Glenn Schumann, Coach Scott Cochran, Coach Dan Lanning worked really hard with Xavian.”
On whether there were any players who signed that Smart and his staff were not able to meet face-to-face…
“The answer to that question is really tough because I can’t think back to all of them. I would think that every one of these kids had been to a game, or been to a camp or been here at some point in time. I know that someone like Adonai Mitchell, he was here as a sophomore in camp, so he was really, really young. We had experienced camp with him but at that time he was young. We liked him but we didn’t get to see him after that for a while. Looking down the list, I would say yeah, we’ve seen every one of these guys face-to-face at some point.”
On whether Florida securing the East signals a shift in or balance of power in the SEC and if something like that can play into recruiting…
“I think everybody will have their own opinion on it, but I think it has to do with not playing well in a game. I don’t think it has to do with a balance of power. I will say that a lot of football boils down to the line of scrimmage and I still think that we have really good line of scrimmages. Obviously that game, we didn’t play well enough and they out competed us and out played us. I’m very comfortable with where we are in terms of the team and program. So much of a game falls, and I hate to say it, falls on the quarterback position. At the quarterback position, they make a decision every play and they’ve got a really good quarterback. They have a guy who has played for a long time. We caught him on a younger year the year before that, we caught Felipe Franks one of his younger years before that and we’ve had Jake Fromm prior to that. So, we had a lot of experience at that position but I’m not pointing or blaming anything, I’m just comfortable where we are. I think the SEC East will always be competitive and it’s one of those things that we know we have to win that to get to the big show.”
On what changed in the relationships he built with the players over zoom this year compared to previous years…
"Not much has changed because I knew them before zoom. I had a relationship with most of these guys. I had seen them in camp, play basketball or whatever the context was. The zoom part was what we were forced to do. After zoom, it became FaceTime and phone calls, which is what it is every year. The biggest dynamic was not going into their homes, and they didn't get to come to games. That's the part where you really get to know them; the recruiting staff spends three to four hours with them at a game, and I get to go to their homes. That way you know their sister, brother, grandma, aunt, uncle or whoever makes them tick. That's the hardest part to me. There's not as much attachment and long term, three years from now, there could be more transferring because there's not that relationship. There isn't a grandparent telling them to stick it out and work. They may not have that relationship because no one ever came in the home."
On the type of players he and his staff are looking for in 2022…
"We're looking for a complete class, I want good football players. I want good people with high character and a balanced class. A balanced class is quota at every position, if anything I'm looking for someone who can change the game for us. Someone who can be a dynamic playmaker, not another offensive lineman— I'm looking for the best available player. I would love to get another defensive back and another defensive lineman. I always want to get two pillars. I'm talking about a guy who won't give up the point and can make a run or make it hard to run against. Those are always hard to find in defensive linemen, which is who we love to have. You're not going to find those in January because they're gone, but there's a different market available when people decide to leave or transfer. It can go both ways; it could happen to us, and we could benefit from it."
On the story behind the barbershop video UGA Football posted last week and whether he would feel comfortable with Sorey cutting his hair…
"That video is us highlighting the features of our new facility and that's what the purpose was. We have a lot of features coming out on it, it's something we're proud of and is one of our selling points. Our $80 million facility is right outside my window, and every time I talk to people, they can see it. In terms of Sorey cutting my hair, I could care less about my hair, so he can have at it."
On the 15 to 16 mid-years Smart mentioned and what will impact that number in regards to the decisions of the junior and senior classes to stay or leave…
"It's going to be tight for us. We have a certain amount that we know and feel good about. We also have the unknown, and that will get us to where we need to in terms of numbers. I can't get particular with that, but you give kids opportunities to make their decisions. It's definitely taxing on numbers, in and out."
On key position groups that were met in members of this year’s signing class…
“Yeah. What am I supposed to say, right? One of you sent something out this morning. ‘You met all your needs today, so you’re happy? You’re good?’ Everybody is happy, right? That’s what you’re supposed to say, but I don’t think you ever meet all your needs, because you don’t actually know what all your needs are as well as I’ll know what my needs are come January, maybe 15th or 16th. You may have a greater need in an area that you don’t know that you have a greater need in terms of whether it’s a junior early-out or it’s a transfer. That’s the timeline, you know what I mean? We get the groceries because we know what we need. Right now, that’s just kind of where we’re at and what we have to deal with. I’m very pleased with the class. Certainly, you always like to have a balanced class positionally. You’re trying to basically sign a team, and you want to get a good player here, a good player here, a good player here, and sometimes your numbers are different, and sometimes your numbers are based on best available. I’m going to guess we do as much numbers crunching on that as anybody in the country. We don’t just take people to take people. We have targets, and we have needs for every roster spot on our team. We try to fill a certain type player, and I feel like we were able to do that across the board.” you like me to say?”
On whether he is pleased with the defensive back and cornerback signees…
“I’m pleased with what we got, and I’m excited about the guys we get to coach in that position. We got some guys coming in that I feel great about, and I think the guys we got early were really good players, really high-character players when you look across the board. I think the guys we finished late with are really great players. A lot of really good football teams wanted those guys to join their team. With not having camp, that’s one of those positions that’s harder to evaluate, and we were very pleased that we got to see guys’ workout footage. Guys sent us tape over the summer, and it made the decision so much clearer and easier to really target the guys you wanted and go out there and get those guys.”
On what it says about Georgia’s program about signing 5-star quarterback Brock Vandagriff…
“Quarterbacks want to play at Georgia. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but they enjoy playing at Georgia. Criticism is going to be there in everything we do, but the opportunity to play at the University of Georgia and be a quarterback—I can just start naming all the quarterbacks who have played here who been really good, and who those kids look up to and idolize, a No. 1 overall pick, Matthew Stafford. Those kids want the opportunity to do that. They want the opportunity to win championships, and you putting yourself in the conversation about being able to win championships is always going to put you at the forefront of every quarterback’s in the country list. When they start talking about where they want to go, they want to go win a championships; at least that’s what the best quarterbacks want to do, and Brock Vandagriff never shied away from that. He wanted an opportunity to play close to home. He wanted the opportunity to play near his family. His dad is a coach right here in town. His mom is a teacher. He’s got sisters who are really good athletes. He wants to be able to play in front of them, so I’m excited about what he can do. He’s been a leader for his program. They’re still in the playoffs. He’s been productive, and we’re excited to see what he can bring to the University of Georgia.”
On whether he and his staff accomplished everything they wanted in terms of offensive linemen with this signing group, particularly Amarius Mims and Micah Morris…
“Yeah, you know, that was an area that was, I would say, heavy-loaded last year, if you look at the sheer numbers. I don’t know if you can ever have a year that is not heavy-loaded. This might be, and I don’t know this for facts, so don’t quote me on it, but it could be our smallest number of signees at that position, maybe besides the very first year. I don’t know. Four is the bare minimum to me, because you are trying to sign an offensive line class with every year because with the numbers, attrition, the transfer rules—If you have five every year and you have four signing classes, you’re supposed to be four deep—well, nobody is deep at the offensive line position. We have seen that this year with teams that can’t play us because of injuries on the offensive line or COVID-19 on the offensive line. That’s a depth position that we always target. It’s a developmental position. I say it every year, ‘Offensive lineman, it’s really hard to come in and play.’ I am really excited about this group. They are athletic. They have great size. They are really bright, good kids. Jared Wilson was one of the guys that we targeted early on—size, width, hand-size, athleticism—really good target and works really hard. He comes from a really athletic background family. He’s a great kid. All of those guys, I can’t say enough about each one of them. Matt Luke is excited to get those guys in and start coaching them.”
On Georgia’s ability to land top targets in the state of Georgia and what made that possible…
“I don’t know. Like I said, I thought the pandemic was the number one factor that helped in-state recruiting. Their inability to go on all of these trips might have played, maybe that’s one guy, I don’t know. The quarterback being from our state, that probably played a little bit of factor. I don’t know. I know that a lot of people have reached out to me and said, ‘Georgia’s success in the last four to five years is starting to take its toll.’ These kids grow up seeing Georgia in the top five, top six in the country most of their high school, even middle school lives. That plays a factor in it. Georgia has a great place to go to school academically. I always think that we should be one of the leaders of Georgia. There’s different years where different things happen for strange reasons, but we are very pleased with how we did in the state this year.”
On Brock Vandagriff’s ability to run and what sets him apart from other athletes…
“He’s a really good athlete. He’s tough. He’s a competitor. He grew up playing the game. He’s not afraid to take a hit, to deliver a blow. One of the first stories I heard about him when I got here was how he covered kickoffs maybe in the eighth or ninth grade and wasn’t afraid to hit people. When you look at a quarterback nowadays, that’s one of the things you have to say and that’s the new deal when you look across the NFL. The arm angle, the ability to have mobility to escape—the game has changed. The athletes upfront are explosive, fast, pass-rushers. They come in attack mode. They play pass first, not run first. When you look at the success maybe Kyler Murray has had, or guys in the NFL, you right away say, ‘The athleticism is the overriding factor.’ You want to have someone that can do those things, but they have to have the ability to process all of the information, to put you in the right situation to make plays, to change plays, to do a lot of things. We think he is a good athlete, and he’s shown that over his career. He’s a little dinged up right now. He’s dealing with some injuries, but you get those things when you run and you get out of the pocket a lot. That’s one of those things that you have to be able to protect him, but he’s got to be able to make good decisions on where to slide.”
On whether the February signing period is there to fill in any gaps or depth issues that may be present within the team…
“Yeah, as far as if we expect anything today—I don’t know what you guys have. We have what we expect to have, but I don’t know what’s been posted. I know Claude Felton mentioned to me that there’s a couple missing right before we started, but we have what we expected to have today. We are good with where we are. As far as February, yeah I think wiggle room, it’s like a catch-22 because if I have a lot of wiggle room there’s nobody to put in the wiggle room. Okay? If I have too many available there’s not enough available players to supply the demand that you necessarily have available so you don’t want a lot of that. We are going to know more about our team mid-January than we know now. I want to have the ability to fix, to try to find solutions for holes or depth issues. We think we are in a position to do that.”
On whether he foresees a trend of more in-state players…
“Yeah, I don’t know, that’s a hard one to answer. I want the best football players. I want high-character people that care about the team and love UGA. If that’s a kid 15 minutes away or 15 hours away, I am very comfortable with that. I just think that what we have learned through COVID is the character—what’s the right word? Self-motivation, self-starters are much more critical to have because you can’t have your hand on these kids 24/7 in the organization. Now you might say, ‘That’s not a moving fact. I could have told you that before COVID.’ But, I do think it’s a more critical factor than ever before because it’s much easier now in our society to give up, quit, move on, and not like it tough. When things are even, I’m picking the one that likes it tough. I’m picking the—it doesn’t matter where he’s from. If it’s the trend to say more closer to home? No, the trend is to say, I want the guys that are fully committed to the process of doing hard work and developing and going to school and getting their education. That is what I am excited about.”
On linebackers Smael Monden and Xavian Sorey and what roles they will play/the needs they met…
“We’re really excited about those two guys and I think their versatility is their greatest factor. Both of them have really dealt with injuries throughout this year and that’s something you always have to take into consideration. No different than the NFL does with our players. You do your injury research, you check into them, you see where they are and both of those guys were on our radars as juniors but neither one of them got to have the senior year they wanted because of injuries. You take that into account. We know as well as anybody, what those injuries are. Ron Courson and the medical staff feel great about those guys bouncing back. In a lot of ways, it can be a blessing in disguise. Maybe not for their high school coach, but it can be a blessing in disguise for us because we’re getting kids that maybe aren’t even as developed as they’re going to be when they get here. If you’re asking me where they’re going to start at, I’m not even going to answer that question right now because that’s not the most important thing. The beauty is both of those guys will be here mid-year, which is a really key element to success in our defense. Getting guys to be here and get that exposure and go through spring practice.”
On what the team did on signing day considering there was no game to prep for…
“I’ll be honest, I really didn’t do anything with signing day today in terms of that. I spent today with our guys, our roster, meeting with those young men as we discovered and found out that we weren’t going to be able to get a game, my focus turned to our guys and our roster and spending time with them. Our coaches have done a good job speaking to the guys and getting their paperwork in. We spent predominantly most of the day on 2022 prospects and our team.”
On the recruitment of Xavian Sorey…
“He’s a kid that we recruited for a long time. A lot of teams in the country did. He’s extremely athletic, talented but raw. He’s a developmental player, meaning we think he’s got size, we think he’s got speed, athleticism. He played at a really small school, which I am very familiar with and grew up near down there. I got to watch him play a basketball game, one of the few guys I got to watch basketball and just thought he was a really good athlete on the basketball court, dunking, very talented and he’s really a good kid. He made the decision to go to IMG for his senior year, which I think, put him in a position to be more successful in college because he got exposed to other players like him, where he had not seen that in his home town. That kind of gave him an awaking, thinking, woah there are a lot of players like me, these guys are pretty good. He’s going to grow and get better, he’s going to have to be patient and really understand the defense and grow as a player, but I think he’s willing to do that. He’s committed to the relationships he has here. He’s got a lot of relationships with a lot of coaches that are going to push him to excel and it’s just not going to happen overnight. He’s a guy that we just really worked on the entire time. Our staff, Coach Glenn Schumann, Coach Scott Cochran, Coach Dan Lanning worked really hard with Xavian.”
On whether there were any players who signed that Smart and his staff were not able to meet face-to-face…
“The answer to that question is really tough because I can’t think back to all of them. I would think that every one of these kids had been to a game, or been to a camp or been here at some point in time. I know that someone like Adonai Mitchell, he was here as a sophomore in camp, so he was really, really young. We had experienced camp with him but at that time he was young. We liked him but we didn’t get to see him after that for a while. Looking down the list, I would say yeah, we’ve seen every one of these guys face-to-face at some point.”
On whether Florida securing the East signals a shift in or balance of power in the SEC and if something like that can play into recruiting…
“I think everybody will have their own opinion on it, but I think it has to do with not playing well in a game. I don’t think it has to do with a balance of power. I will say that a lot of football boils down to the line of scrimmage and I still think that we have really good line of scrimmages. Obviously that game, we didn’t play well enough and they out competed us and out played us. I’m very comfortable with where we are in terms of the team and program. So much of a game falls, and I hate to say it, falls on the quarterback position. At the quarterback position, they make a decision every play and they’ve got a really good quarterback. They have a guy who has played for a long time. We caught him on a younger year the year before that, we caught Felipe Franks one of his younger years before that and we’ve had Jake Fromm prior to that. So, we had a lot of experience at that position but I’m not pointing or blaming anything, I’m just comfortable where we are. I think the SEC East will always be competitive and it’s one of those things that we know we have to win that to get to the big show.”
On what changed in the relationships he built with the players over zoom this year compared to previous years…
"Not much has changed because I knew them before zoom. I had a relationship with most of these guys. I had seen them in camp, play basketball or whatever the context was. The zoom part was what we were forced to do. After zoom, it became FaceTime and phone calls, which is what it is every year. The biggest dynamic was not going into their homes, and they didn't get to come to games. That's the part where you really get to know them; the recruiting staff spends three to four hours with them at a game, and I get to go to their homes. That way you know their sister, brother, grandma, aunt, uncle or whoever makes them tick. That's the hardest part to me. There's not as much attachment and long term, three years from now, there could be more transferring because there's not that relationship. There isn't a grandparent telling them to stick it out and work. They may not have that relationship because no one ever came in the home."
On the type of players he and his staff are looking for in 2022…
"We're looking for a complete class, I want good football players. I want good people with high character and a balanced class. A balanced class is quota at every position, if anything I'm looking for someone who can change the game for us. Someone who can be a dynamic playmaker, not another offensive lineman— I'm looking for the best available player. I would love to get another defensive back and another defensive lineman. I always want to get two pillars. I'm talking about a guy who won't give up the point and can make a run or make it hard to run against. Those are always hard to find in defensive linemen, which is who we love to have. You're not going to find those in January because they're gone, but there's a different market available when people decide to leave or transfer. It can go both ways; it could happen to us, and we could benefit from it."
On the story behind the barbershop video UGA Football posted last week and whether he would feel comfortable with Sorey cutting his hair…
"That video is us highlighting the features of our new facility and that's what the purpose was. We have a lot of features coming out on it, it's something we're proud of and is one of our selling points. Our $80 million facility is right outside my window, and every time I talk to people, they can see it. In terms of Sorey cutting my hair, I could care less about my hair, so he can have at it."
On the 15 to 16 mid-years Smart mentioned and what will impact that number in regards to the decisions of the junior and senior classes to stay or leave…
"It's going to be tight for us. We have a certain amount that we know and feel good about. We also have the unknown, and that will get us to where we need to in terms of numbers. I can't get particular with that, but you give kids opportunities to make their decisions. It's definitely taxing on numbers, in and out."
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
No Game Saturday
UGA Sports Communications
The Dawgs will not play a replacement game for Vanderbilt on December 19th.
The game was cancelled due to the Vanderbilt football squad size and position availability falling below roster minimum requirements, consistent with Southeastern Conference COVID-19 protocols. The Vanderbilt at Georgia game was declared a no-contest by the Southeastern Conference office.
“While we conducted our due diligence in finding a replacement game, we were unable to make it happen,” said UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity. “We now focus on our upcoming Bowl game. We are also working on alternative ways to honor our senior class, who deserve the opportunity to be celebrated as one of the most prolific classes in University of Georgia history.”
The Dawgs will not play a replacement game for Vanderbilt on December 19th.
The game was cancelled due to the Vanderbilt football squad size and position availability falling below roster minimum requirements, consistent with Southeastern Conference COVID-19 protocols. The Vanderbilt at Georgia game was declared a no-contest by the Southeastern Conference office.
“While we conducted our due diligence in finding a replacement game, we were unable to make it happen,” said UGA J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Greg McGarity. “We now focus on our upcoming Bowl game. We are also working on alternative ways to honor our senior class, who deserve the opportunity to be celebrated as one of the most prolific classes in University of Georgia history.”
Monday, December 14, 2020
Georgia - Vanderbilt Game Cancelled
UGA Sports Communications
The game is declared a no-contest.
The SEC’s COVID-19 management requirements, as developed by the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, are available on SECsports.com.
The SEC’s COVID-19 management requirements, as developed by the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force, are available on SECsports.com.
Stokes Named SEC Defensive Player Of The Week
UGA Sports Communications
Georgia junior defensive back Eric Stokes has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week following Georgia’s 49-14 win at No. 25 Missouri, according to a league announcement.
This marks the first SEC weekly honor for Stokes in his career. This is also the Dawgs’ ninth weekly honor this season (Sept. 28, Jake Camarda – Special Teams; Oct. 5, OG Ben Cleveland, Offensive Lineman; Oct. 12, OLB Azeez Ojulari, Defensive Lineman; Nov. 2, Richard LeCounte, Defensive Player, Camarda, Special Teams; Nov. 23, JT Daniels, Co-Offensive Player, Jermaine Burton, Freshman; Nov. 30, Cleveland, Offensive Lineman).
Stokes, a native of Covington, had two tackles and an interception that he returned 27 yards on Missouri's opening drive that put the ball at the Tiger 23-yard line. He is tied for the league lead with four picks and has returned two of those for touchdowns, which puts him at the top of the national list. Stokes helped anchor a defense that held Missouri to just 22 yards rushing (1.0 per carry) and scoreless for three quarters.
Georgia junior defensive back Eric Stokes has been named the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week following Georgia’s 49-14 win at No. 25 Missouri, according to a league announcement.
This marks the first SEC weekly honor for Stokes in his career. This is also the Dawgs’ ninth weekly honor this season (Sept. 28, Jake Camarda – Special Teams; Oct. 5, OG Ben Cleveland, Offensive Lineman; Oct. 12, OLB Azeez Ojulari, Defensive Lineman; Nov. 2, Richard LeCounte, Defensive Player, Camarda, Special Teams; Nov. 23, JT Daniels, Co-Offensive Player, Jermaine Burton, Freshman; Nov. 30, Cleveland, Offensive Lineman).
Stokes, a native of Covington, had two tackles and an interception that he returned 27 yards on Missouri's opening drive that put the ball at the Tiger 23-yard line. He is tied for the league lead with four picks and has returned two of those for touchdowns, which puts him at the top of the national list. Stokes helped anchor a defense that held Missouri to just 22 yards rushing (1.0 per carry) and scoreless for three quarters.
Monday Press Conference
Press conference held prior to cancellation of Vanderbilt game.
Coach Kirby Smart
Opening statement …
“I would like to open with a big Happy Birthday to Charley Trippi — one of the greatest to ever play here at Georgia. His 99th, that’s right, his 99th birthday. As I understand it, Loran Smith took a birthday cake over to him today with 99 candles in it, so pretty cool deal, pretty special moment, and we are all cheering for him.
“With that, we will move to Vanderbilt, and that is where our attention turns to our final SEC game and our last home game for our seniors, which have meant so much to our program and have done such a good job leading this team through he SEC gauntlet this year. Excited to move on to these guys.”
On preparing this week with a game, Signing Day and Christmas all around the corner …
“What’s important now? We are focused on today, which today for us is scouting report, clean up from last game, begin prep on Vandy, which we had a whole week of prep on Vandy, so we have not had a lot of chance for things to change. We feel like we are ahead in regards to our preparation, but our kids are not necessarily. They do not remember a lot of that information from week-to-week, so that is really our focus.
“As far as the Signing Day, there is not a lot of preparation you can do for that, especially not the way recruiting is now. Usually you would have people going into homes last week, this week, and that is not the case. So, we are in communication with the ones who are planning on signing with us early, and then some are early enrollees, so we are still trying to finish out with some guys and close out with some guys. That’s kind of where we are. It is not distracting having a Signing Day, it is more the management of the numbers and all the different things is tougher.”
On what more he wants to see from his team this week to end the regular season …
“Just keep getting better. We have an opportunity to get better and play. You work your butt off year around, especially this year, to get to play the games, and that is what everyone looks forward to. We want to go out and grow and get better and find at where we can improve. There’s no way to simulate a game. We can practice all we want. You have to go play the games to get better, and sometimes that involves anxiety, getting over that, getting experience for players that haven’t had a chance to play. The biggest thing I want to see is to continue to improve, continue the trajectory in the right direction.”
On how confident he is this Saturday’s game will be played and any back-up plans to honor seniors …
“We are optimistic that Vandy is going to be able to play. That is not my expertise or my job to know exactly where they are. I am focused on us and where we are. We are optimistic we are going to be able to play. They were able to play last week against Tennessee, and we are looking forward to getting ours seniors out there for one last home game. That’s really all we can control. That is all we are focused on is playing them.”
On Monty Rice being a finalist for the Butkus Award …
“Anytime something comes up for a kid as good as him that has given as much to a program as he has ours. He has been one of the tremendous leaders in this organization for a while. He made a decision to come back, which I think is a good decision. He has played really well this year, he has played better this year. He has had to push through some injuries and some pains, but he has done that. You look at the guys at the next level — they have to be tough, they have to be physical, they have to play a 16-game regular season. At inside backer, there is probably no more physical position in terms of contact than that position. He has played it in the best conference, in the toughest league for four years, and he has been a really good player. His whole body of work is impressive. As to whether or not he wins that award, I don’t know enough about the other players to speak on that. I certainly know he is the best linebacker we’ve got, he’s a really good football player, and he has played in the best conference. I can’t tell you where he stacks up statistically because I don’t think statistics matter. For me, it is not about that. He rotates and plays with some other guys, and I’ll bet you some of those other guys don’t do that. Monty is going to make a great teammate and pro regardless of whether he wins that award or not. He is certainly deserving of the accolades he has received, and I am certainly hopeful he gets an opportunity to win it.”
On the value of finishing the season…
“To me, the value is that’s why you play the game, to play the game. You play football to play the game. Everybody loses sight of that. There’s only one national champion last I checked in the system we have. We don’t have multiples, they don’t share it, people don’t claim it, well, they might this year based on their records, but they don’t have that opportunity. What you have is an opportunity to play the game and go out there and compete against somebody. In football, maybe 12, maybe 13, maybe 10 this year, maybe 11, that’s all you get. You work year-round for those opportunities. If you divide the games by the number of days, you’re getting one game for every 30-something days you put work in. I know the guys want to play, I know it’s important to them. Are they tired? Yeah. You have to handle that as a coach by how you practice and how you lead and how you organize, and how you make it fun for the players. But at the end of the day, it’s not for everybody. Not every kid has to play. If you choose not to then you probably shouldn’t be in this sport. That’s not where our guys are, they’ve bought into it. I think it’s important for them that they finish off with a really bowl game and a chance to finish Top 10, maybe higher. A chance to go to a New Year’s Six bowl four consecutive year. A chance to tie or break the winning record of any senior class to play at Georgia. There’s a lot there left to play for. The large portion of our team is still going to be back for the following year. They’re working on becoming better at what they do.”
On if the chance to be Co-SEC East Champions means something to the team…
“No, I don’t know. A lot will be made about that that we don’t control. It’s not something that’s up on our resume that we’re going to be fighting for. To me, it’s about winning the next game. It’s about getting our seniors a chance to win those games. If that comes with it, great, but that’s not something that we want to toot the horn about.”
On the return of Richard LeCounte and Kendall Milton and the value of having LeCounte on the sideline even when he doesn’t dress…
“We think Kendall is really close. He has worked really hard to get back and get himself in a position to be healthy. He felt like he was around 85-90 percent last week and probably could have played if he had to. We are fortunate that we didn’t have to. He is going to have a long career and we want to protect that long career. It’s not about one game with Kendall Milton, it’s about making sure he’s ready and prepared. I can promise you that he wants to get back out there. He loves the game, he works really hard at practice to do that. Our medical staff makes that decision.
“Richard did travel to Missouri and was great to have on the sideline and the other defensive backs. He has a lot of experience. He didn’t dress but he was there with us on the sideline, so he provides a lot of value as a leader. We were hopeful to get him back, I can’t answer where he is, because I haven’t seen him run or do anything since Thursday.”
On the potential of freshman running back Daijun Edwards…
“We always thought he was a really good football player. He was a kid we recruited the entire year. He wasn’t on everybody’s radar or on the ranking and all of those things. I don’t really know where he stood, or care, he was a good football player. We always value really good, hard, tough runners. He cares about his teammates. I think the evidence is when he scored his touchdown, the reaction of the other players was to celebrate with him because we weren’t able to give him a touchdown to finish out the South Carolina game. He had a great drive and we never got him in the end zone. For him to get it the other day, the reaction from his teammates tells you what people think of him as a person and a competitor. We are trying to find more roles for him on Special Teams because he does a really good job and we think he’s a good football player.”
On potentially finding an alternative opponent if Vanderbilt cannot play…
“I’m focused on Vanderbilt. We’re preparing to play Vanderbilt and we’re very optimistic they’re going to be able to play. As I understand, I think Ole Miss has LSU for a game, unless I’m missing something here. That’s not our thought or focus, and I really haven’t talked to the conference office about that.”
On the possible lessons from Marco Wilson’s shoe penalty…
“As far as Marco, every Thursday and Friday, we show situational football analysis and try to teach our players about different situations in a game and we try to learn from experiences across the country. We use those situations to say, ‘Hey, look, this guy celebrated and they had to kick off from 15 yards back. Look at what it cost them. They returned it and kicked a field goal and won the game.’ Every time you have a teaching moment that kids can learn from, you do the best job you can to show them that, and hopefully, it hits home with one guy. Ultimately, the way you learn lessons is through those kinds of experiences and making mistakes. I hate it for Marco because he’s a great kid. He’s a kid we recruited. I’ve known him for a long time. His dad’s a high school coach in the Miami area. He’s a really good football player, and it’s tough, it’s unfortunate. Hopefully, he learns from the mistake and some teams can as well because no coach wants to see a game decided by things like that.”
On freshman wide receivers Ladd McConkey and Arian Smith…
“I’m excited about those guys. They’ve worked really hard to get better. They’ve been thrust into action due to injuries, with Marcus Rosemy being out. Justin Robinson’s been dealing with a shoulder, so he’s been out—he had a shoulder injury in practice and he’s been out for a couple weeks now and he’s battling back from that. It’s been a tough position to stay healthy at this year, for whatever reason. But we’re excited about those young guys and they’re going to be good players we feel like.”
On the firing of Gus Malzahn and SEC schools continuing to pay large buyouts in uncertain financial times…
“That’s not for me to decide. I don’t have a comment. I think our profession, especially in the SEC and now the coaching profession as a whole, has gotten tougher and tougher and more competitive as the sweepstakes have gone up to win and generate revenue through television contracts and things. It’s put a higher expectation. Across the board, when you look at the SEC, it’s a conference that everyone wants to be in until they’re in it, and they realize the toughness it creates not only on the field, but in the recruiting world going out, trying to win on the recruiting field, trying to win on the grass. It’s an everyday grind, and I know a lot of people out there would argue, ‘Well, it should be based on what the coaches are able to make and the revenue they generate.’ It’s tough and stressful on the families of these coaches, and when you get let go like that, it can be tough. I have a lot of respect for Gus. He’s been a very good friend of mine for quite a while. I know that he and Kristi will land on their feet, and he’s going to be successful in whatever he does.”
On the return of Jordan Davis…
“I thought he was a little rusty. He came back in and he was feeling his way out. He hadn’t been to the ground in a while and hadn’t had to tackle anybody live. He got to practice and was moving around pretty good. I thought he did a really good job of fighting to stay in shape during the time he did not play, and that’s key for a big guy like himself. He changes the dynamic in the run game. He makes people think about running it inside because he’s really hard to move. So, when he’s in, we tend to get more perimeter run, passing game, and he stuffs the middle up. I was really proud of the way he led. He’s had a really positive attitude in the finish of these weeks to help him play well.”
On the recent success on converting third downs…
“Good game planning. I think our staff does a great job, Todd Monken and Cortez Hankton put together a plan each week for third down. We’ve been pretty good on third downs. We here at Georgia spend a lot of time on third downs. I think it’s one of the key stats to be able to get three more plays. Defensively and offensively every week, one thing that we are always going to do is go against each other, good on good, on third downs. It’s safer because it’s normally a passing environment. It’s protection-based, route-based. It’s good people covering good people. It’s always a competitive deal for us. We want to be in the top of the SEC on offense in third downs. I think they’ve done a good job with that. I think the protection has been good. We had a couple times where we got beat Saturday in protection which is disappointing for us because we don’t usually have that. We gave up a couple sacks or bat-and- balls. But, JT Daniels makes good decisions in there. We have to continue to develop that because it’s very obvious that people are coming after and being very aggressive. We have seen more zero blitz against him that we probably have seen all two years with Jake Fromm. As people begin to get more and more aggressive. It just shows you that they don’t want to give you time there and hit these wideouts that we have. If they are going to be aggressive, we have to try and make them pay.”
On how he talks to players about the advantages of staying for their senior year and his thoughts on Alabama’s success with having players return…
“They had a lot of guys go pro that came out. Everybody talks about it, they had four or five guys come out on offense, and I think almost all of them were picked in the first round. I know you are talking about later picks, but they had just as many come out that stayed. Sometimes the ones that come out are filling up the spots that the guys that decided to come back will take. There’s no doubt in my mind that Devonta Smith coming back had something to do with the guys that were going out and went in the first round. There’s only so many spots available there. We always talk to our guys about that. We educate them on it—it’s important. I feel like for the most part we have had really good fortune with juniors making pretty good decisions. We had two juniors come out last year that went in the first round—really three if you count D’Andre Swift. Jake Fromm made the decision he did, and Solomon Kindley was really a fifth year guy—he was going to be a fifth year guy. He had been here four. We like to educate them. We like to encourage them, but we also want people to realized their dreams and opportunities. I feel like if you do a good job with your culture throughout the time you are here and you educate them well on it, they have to have a reason to want to leave and go. Maybe that is financial for their family, but long-term financially we educate them. The best value they can get is to go as high as possible in the draft which ensures longevity in the NFL. That’s the ultimate factor—how long can you stay up there. You can stay up there longer the higher you are picked. We do a good job educating them on it. We have a lot of people on our staff that are involved in it. I reach out to a lot of people in the NFL organizations, general managers, to get information. At the end of the day it’s the kids decision, and we are going to support them in whatever they decide to do.”
On how much they have had to depend on their graphic and video teams to help in the recruiting process this year…
“To be honest with you, I have run out of creativity. There’s probably people a lot smarter than me out there because I can’t figure out what the next cutting edge item is because we just do real talk at this point—get on the phone and talk on the phone like normal people and FaceTime and Zoom. There’s nothing left outside of the box. To be honest with you, they are about fed up with it. They’ve decided where they want to go, and they want to get on with it. They are over high school. They are over virtual classes—they are over all of that. They want to move on, and that’s why so many of them are mid-year. I can’t tell you—the focus over the last two months has been on completing the class and playing football—our football, not really trying to create a dynamic way to talk to them because I am all out on that front.”
Prather Hudson, Graduate Student, Defensive Back
On playing a season during a pandemic and how that differs from his other seasons…
“I think each and every week, you’re just kind of praying and hoping that you’re going to even play the game. Nothing is guaranteed. That’s obviously been the biggest difference. With previous years, you know your schedule a year out, and it feels like each and every week, people are playing different teams each and every other week. You have no idea who you’re going to play next week. I think that has been the biggest adjustment, just kind of having that mental agility and to be able to adjust to whatever wrench comes in your plan.”
On the highlight of his time at UGA…
“I think I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t say the Rose Bowl and going out there. I’ve always dreamed of playing in that game and going out there and having the chance to cover punts and play kickoff and do all the different things I’ve always wanted to do on that field. I think that’s definitely been the highlight, to be able to play in the grandaddy of them all.”
On what led to the decision to move him to defensive back…
“I was joking a little bit ago that my nickname should be ‘Slash’ or something, because I have no idea what I really am right now. I will say that I played both ways in high school, so I’m comfortable on both sides of the ball, just whatever helps this team. I had that conversation with Coach Smart last year, and I felt like whatever opportunity would arise, I’d be ready on defense. So, I was kind of ready to make that move.”
Lewis Cine, Sophomore, Defensive Back
On how he thought Latavious Brini did when Christopher Smith came out against Missouri…
“I think Brini answered the call well, of course. He made some good plays. He was playing fast. He was playing physical, but the thing is he prepared well in practice, and it shows up in games.”
On whether there was a particularly focused effort on stopping the run against Missouri and Larry Rountree…
“They have a good running game going from their past games. Rountree has been a key point of their team, so of course we put him in the thought of, ‘Alright, we’ve got to stop the run.’ Running is something Missouri really does well, and we did that well. At the end of the day, I don’t know how much Missouri ended with when it comes to rushing yards, but we are really happy with what we did on stopping the run.”
On his observations of Monty Rice as a player and teammate and his thoughts on Rice being a Butkus Award finalist…
“Monty is an amazing person off the field and on the field. He’s an amazing leader. He leads by example. His effort is amazing. He’s one of those guys I look up to in the way he carries himself on the field. He grinds on the field, play by play by play. He’s going to give you his 100 percent, and frankly he deserves that award, and hopefully it goes his way. Off the field, he just carries himself right. He doesn’t get in trouble. He does what he’s supposed to do, and he does things right.”
Ben Cleveland, Senior, Offensive Line
On whether being crowned Co-SEC East Champions would mean anything to him…
“I mean yeah, it would be another accolade to add to the things that we’ve been able to accomplish in my time here. It’s also one of those things that we have no control over. We just have to go out and do what we do again on Saturday and let things fall into place.”
On what he has learned about JT Daniels since he took over quarterback duties…
“He’s an extremely confident individual. Just listening to him talk in meetings on Friday night, Saturday mornings. He knows what he’s doing, really knows the game plan so his confidence is something that makes him so efficient in what he does, knowing what he has to do and knowing his job and how to execute.”
On whether he thinks about what if the offense was playing like this at the start of the year…
“You know, something Coach Smart has really preached to us is the next play mentality, and I’m sure you all have heard that, but we can control nothing about the past. All we can do is keep our head down, learn from what we do and that’s what we’ve done the last few weeks. We knew what we were doing well, knew what we needed to improve on and that’s what we really focused ourselves on. I think it’s become a well-balanced piece of our offense, knowing that odds and ins.”
James Cook, Junior, Running Back
On what his impression of JT Daniels...
"He has confidence, having confidence is everything. He trusts everyone around him to make plays. If you have confidence and people trust you, then you'll get the ball."
On Daijun Edwards and his work ethic...
"He worked really hard at camp and during the off season. He showed progress and when you come here you see people develop, that's what he has done. Every time he gets an opportunity, he makes it worthwhile."
Coach Kirby Smart
Opening statement …
“I would like to open with a big Happy Birthday to Charley Trippi — one of the greatest to ever play here at Georgia. His 99th, that’s right, his 99th birthday. As I understand it, Loran Smith took a birthday cake over to him today with 99 candles in it, so pretty cool deal, pretty special moment, and we are all cheering for him.
“With that, we will move to Vanderbilt, and that is where our attention turns to our final SEC game and our last home game for our seniors, which have meant so much to our program and have done such a good job leading this team through he SEC gauntlet this year. Excited to move on to these guys.”
On preparing this week with a game, Signing Day and Christmas all around the corner …
“What’s important now? We are focused on today, which today for us is scouting report, clean up from last game, begin prep on Vandy, which we had a whole week of prep on Vandy, so we have not had a lot of chance for things to change. We feel like we are ahead in regards to our preparation, but our kids are not necessarily. They do not remember a lot of that information from week-to-week, so that is really our focus.
“As far as the Signing Day, there is not a lot of preparation you can do for that, especially not the way recruiting is now. Usually you would have people going into homes last week, this week, and that is not the case. So, we are in communication with the ones who are planning on signing with us early, and then some are early enrollees, so we are still trying to finish out with some guys and close out with some guys. That’s kind of where we are. It is not distracting having a Signing Day, it is more the management of the numbers and all the different things is tougher.”
On what more he wants to see from his team this week to end the regular season …
“Just keep getting better. We have an opportunity to get better and play. You work your butt off year around, especially this year, to get to play the games, and that is what everyone looks forward to. We want to go out and grow and get better and find at where we can improve. There’s no way to simulate a game. We can practice all we want. You have to go play the games to get better, and sometimes that involves anxiety, getting over that, getting experience for players that haven’t had a chance to play. The biggest thing I want to see is to continue to improve, continue the trajectory in the right direction.”
On how confident he is this Saturday’s game will be played and any back-up plans to honor seniors …
“We are optimistic that Vandy is going to be able to play. That is not my expertise or my job to know exactly where they are. I am focused on us and where we are. We are optimistic we are going to be able to play. They were able to play last week against Tennessee, and we are looking forward to getting ours seniors out there for one last home game. That’s really all we can control. That is all we are focused on is playing them.”
On Monty Rice being a finalist for the Butkus Award …
“Anytime something comes up for a kid as good as him that has given as much to a program as he has ours. He has been one of the tremendous leaders in this organization for a while. He made a decision to come back, which I think is a good decision. He has played really well this year, he has played better this year. He has had to push through some injuries and some pains, but he has done that. You look at the guys at the next level — they have to be tough, they have to be physical, they have to play a 16-game regular season. At inside backer, there is probably no more physical position in terms of contact than that position. He has played it in the best conference, in the toughest league for four years, and he has been a really good player. His whole body of work is impressive. As to whether or not he wins that award, I don’t know enough about the other players to speak on that. I certainly know he is the best linebacker we’ve got, he’s a really good football player, and he has played in the best conference. I can’t tell you where he stacks up statistically because I don’t think statistics matter. For me, it is not about that. He rotates and plays with some other guys, and I’ll bet you some of those other guys don’t do that. Monty is going to make a great teammate and pro regardless of whether he wins that award or not. He is certainly deserving of the accolades he has received, and I am certainly hopeful he gets an opportunity to win it.”
On the value of finishing the season…
“To me, the value is that’s why you play the game, to play the game. You play football to play the game. Everybody loses sight of that. There’s only one national champion last I checked in the system we have. We don’t have multiples, they don’t share it, people don’t claim it, well, they might this year based on their records, but they don’t have that opportunity. What you have is an opportunity to play the game and go out there and compete against somebody. In football, maybe 12, maybe 13, maybe 10 this year, maybe 11, that’s all you get. You work year-round for those opportunities. If you divide the games by the number of days, you’re getting one game for every 30-something days you put work in. I know the guys want to play, I know it’s important to them. Are they tired? Yeah. You have to handle that as a coach by how you practice and how you lead and how you organize, and how you make it fun for the players. But at the end of the day, it’s not for everybody. Not every kid has to play. If you choose not to then you probably shouldn’t be in this sport. That’s not where our guys are, they’ve bought into it. I think it’s important for them that they finish off with a really bowl game and a chance to finish Top 10, maybe higher. A chance to go to a New Year’s Six bowl four consecutive year. A chance to tie or break the winning record of any senior class to play at Georgia. There’s a lot there left to play for. The large portion of our team is still going to be back for the following year. They’re working on becoming better at what they do.”
On if the chance to be Co-SEC East Champions means something to the team…
“No, I don’t know. A lot will be made about that that we don’t control. It’s not something that’s up on our resume that we’re going to be fighting for. To me, it’s about winning the next game. It’s about getting our seniors a chance to win those games. If that comes with it, great, but that’s not something that we want to toot the horn about.”
On the return of Richard LeCounte and Kendall Milton and the value of having LeCounte on the sideline even when he doesn’t dress…
“We think Kendall is really close. He has worked really hard to get back and get himself in a position to be healthy. He felt like he was around 85-90 percent last week and probably could have played if he had to. We are fortunate that we didn’t have to. He is going to have a long career and we want to protect that long career. It’s not about one game with Kendall Milton, it’s about making sure he’s ready and prepared. I can promise you that he wants to get back out there. He loves the game, he works really hard at practice to do that. Our medical staff makes that decision.
“Richard did travel to Missouri and was great to have on the sideline and the other defensive backs. He has a lot of experience. He didn’t dress but he was there with us on the sideline, so he provides a lot of value as a leader. We were hopeful to get him back, I can’t answer where he is, because I haven’t seen him run or do anything since Thursday.”
On the potential of freshman running back Daijun Edwards…
“We always thought he was a really good football player. He was a kid we recruited the entire year. He wasn’t on everybody’s radar or on the ranking and all of those things. I don’t really know where he stood, or care, he was a good football player. We always value really good, hard, tough runners. He cares about his teammates. I think the evidence is when he scored his touchdown, the reaction of the other players was to celebrate with him because we weren’t able to give him a touchdown to finish out the South Carolina game. He had a great drive and we never got him in the end zone. For him to get it the other day, the reaction from his teammates tells you what people think of him as a person and a competitor. We are trying to find more roles for him on Special Teams because he does a really good job and we think he’s a good football player.”
On potentially finding an alternative opponent if Vanderbilt cannot play…
“I’m focused on Vanderbilt. We’re preparing to play Vanderbilt and we’re very optimistic they’re going to be able to play. As I understand, I think Ole Miss has LSU for a game, unless I’m missing something here. That’s not our thought or focus, and I really haven’t talked to the conference office about that.”
On the possible lessons from Marco Wilson’s shoe penalty…
“As far as Marco, every Thursday and Friday, we show situational football analysis and try to teach our players about different situations in a game and we try to learn from experiences across the country. We use those situations to say, ‘Hey, look, this guy celebrated and they had to kick off from 15 yards back. Look at what it cost them. They returned it and kicked a field goal and won the game.’ Every time you have a teaching moment that kids can learn from, you do the best job you can to show them that, and hopefully, it hits home with one guy. Ultimately, the way you learn lessons is through those kinds of experiences and making mistakes. I hate it for Marco because he’s a great kid. He’s a kid we recruited. I’ve known him for a long time. His dad’s a high school coach in the Miami area. He’s a really good football player, and it’s tough, it’s unfortunate. Hopefully, he learns from the mistake and some teams can as well because no coach wants to see a game decided by things like that.”
On freshman wide receivers Ladd McConkey and Arian Smith…
“I’m excited about those guys. They’ve worked really hard to get better. They’ve been thrust into action due to injuries, with Marcus Rosemy being out. Justin Robinson’s been dealing with a shoulder, so he’s been out—he had a shoulder injury in practice and he’s been out for a couple weeks now and he’s battling back from that. It’s been a tough position to stay healthy at this year, for whatever reason. But we’re excited about those young guys and they’re going to be good players we feel like.”
On the firing of Gus Malzahn and SEC schools continuing to pay large buyouts in uncertain financial times…
“That’s not for me to decide. I don’t have a comment. I think our profession, especially in the SEC and now the coaching profession as a whole, has gotten tougher and tougher and more competitive as the sweepstakes have gone up to win and generate revenue through television contracts and things. It’s put a higher expectation. Across the board, when you look at the SEC, it’s a conference that everyone wants to be in until they’re in it, and they realize the toughness it creates not only on the field, but in the recruiting world going out, trying to win on the recruiting field, trying to win on the grass. It’s an everyday grind, and I know a lot of people out there would argue, ‘Well, it should be based on what the coaches are able to make and the revenue they generate.’ It’s tough and stressful on the families of these coaches, and when you get let go like that, it can be tough. I have a lot of respect for Gus. He’s been a very good friend of mine for quite a while. I know that he and Kristi will land on their feet, and he’s going to be successful in whatever he does.”
On the return of Jordan Davis…
“I thought he was a little rusty. He came back in and he was feeling his way out. He hadn’t been to the ground in a while and hadn’t had to tackle anybody live. He got to practice and was moving around pretty good. I thought he did a really good job of fighting to stay in shape during the time he did not play, and that’s key for a big guy like himself. He changes the dynamic in the run game. He makes people think about running it inside because he’s really hard to move. So, when he’s in, we tend to get more perimeter run, passing game, and he stuffs the middle up. I was really proud of the way he led. He’s had a really positive attitude in the finish of these weeks to help him play well.”
On the recent success on converting third downs…
“Good game planning. I think our staff does a great job, Todd Monken and Cortez Hankton put together a plan each week for third down. We’ve been pretty good on third downs. We here at Georgia spend a lot of time on third downs. I think it’s one of the key stats to be able to get three more plays. Defensively and offensively every week, one thing that we are always going to do is go against each other, good on good, on third downs. It’s safer because it’s normally a passing environment. It’s protection-based, route-based. It’s good people covering good people. It’s always a competitive deal for us. We want to be in the top of the SEC on offense in third downs. I think they’ve done a good job with that. I think the protection has been good. We had a couple times where we got beat Saturday in protection which is disappointing for us because we don’t usually have that. We gave up a couple sacks or bat-and- balls. But, JT Daniels makes good decisions in there. We have to continue to develop that because it’s very obvious that people are coming after and being very aggressive. We have seen more zero blitz against him that we probably have seen all two years with Jake Fromm. As people begin to get more and more aggressive. It just shows you that they don’t want to give you time there and hit these wideouts that we have. If they are going to be aggressive, we have to try and make them pay.”
On how he talks to players about the advantages of staying for their senior year and his thoughts on Alabama’s success with having players return…
“They had a lot of guys go pro that came out. Everybody talks about it, they had four or five guys come out on offense, and I think almost all of them were picked in the first round. I know you are talking about later picks, but they had just as many come out that stayed. Sometimes the ones that come out are filling up the spots that the guys that decided to come back will take. There’s no doubt in my mind that Devonta Smith coming back had something to do with the guys that were going out and went in the first round. There’s only so many spots available there. We always talk to our guys about that. We educate them on it—it’s important. I feel like for the most part we have had really good fortune with juniors making pretty good decisions. We had two juniors come out last year that went in the first round—really three if you count D’Andre Swift. Jake Fromm made the decision he did, and Solomon Kindley was really a fifth year guy—he was going to be a fifth year guy. He had been here four. We like to educate them. We like to encourage them, but we also want people to realized their dreams and opportunities. I feel like if you do a good job with your culture throughout the time you are here and you educate them well on it, they have to have a reason to want to leave and go. Maybe that is financial for their family, but long-term financially we educate them. The best value they can get is to go as high as possible in the draft which ensures longevity in the NFL. That’s the ultimate factor—how long can you stay up there. You can stay up there longer the higher you are picked. We do a good job educating them on it. We have a lot of people on our staff that are involved in it. I reach out to a lot of people in the NFL organizations, general managers, to get information. At the end of the day it’s the kids decision, and we are going to support them in whatever they decide to do.”
On how much they have had to depend on their graphic and video teams to help in the recruiting process this year…
“To be honest with you, I have run out of creativity. There’s probably people a lot smarter than me out there because I can’t figure out what the next cutting edge item is because we just do real talk at this point—get on the phone and talk on the phone like normal people and FaceTime and Zoom. There’s nothing left outside of the box. To be honest with you, they are about fed up with it. They’ve decided where they want to go, and they want to get on with it. They are over high school. They are over virtual classes—they are over all of that. They want to move on, and that’s why so many of them are mid-year. I can’t tell you—the focus over the last two months has been on completing the class and playing football—our football, not really trying to create a dynamic way to talk to them because I am all out on that front.”
Prather Hudson, Graduate Student, Defensive Back
On playing a season during a pandemic and how that differs from his other seasons…
“I think each and every week, you’re just kind of praying and hoping that you’re going to even play the game. Nothing is guaranteed. That’s obviously been the biggest difference. With previous years, you know your schedule a year out, and it feels like each and every week, people are playing different teams each and every other week. You have no idea who you’re going to play next week. I think that has been the biggest adjustment, just kind of having that mental agility and to be able to adjust to whatever wrench comes in your plan.”
On the highlight of his time at UGA…
“I think I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t say the Rose Bowl and going out there. I’ve always dreamed of playing in that game and going out there and having the chance to cover punts and play kickoff and do all the different things I’ve always wanted to do on that field. I think that’s definitely been the highlight, to be able to play in the grandaddy of them all.”
On what led to the decision to move him to defensive back…
“I was joking a little bit ago that my nickname should be ‘Slash’ or something, because I have no idea what I really am right now. I will say that I played both ways in high school, so I’m comfortable on both sides of the ball, just whatever helps this team. I had that conversation with Coach Smart last year, and I felt like whatever opportunity would arise, I’d be ready on defense. So, I was kind of ready to make that move.”
Lewis Cine, Sophomore, Defensive Back
On how he thought Latavious Brini did when Christopher Smith came out against Missouri…
“I think Brini answered the call well, of course. He made some good plays. He was playing fast. He was playing physical, but the thing is he prepared well in practice, and it shows up in games.”
On whether there was a particularly focused effort on stopping the run against Missouri and Larry Rountree…
“They have a good running game going from their past games. Rountree has been a key point of their team, so of course we put him in the thought of, ‘Alright, we’ve got to stop the run.’ Running is something Missouri really does well, and we did that well. At the end of the day, I don’t know how much Missouri ended with when it comes to rushing yards, but we are really happy with what we did on stopping the run.”
On his observations of Monty Rice as a player and teammate and his thoughts on Rice being a Butkus Award finalist…
“Monty is an amazing person off the field and on the field. He’s an amazing leader. He leads by example. His effort is amazing. He’s one of those guys I look up to in the way he carries himself on the field. He grinds on the field, play by play by play. He’s going to give you his 100 percent, and frankly he deserves that award, and hopefully it goes his way. Off the field, he just carries himself right. He doesn’t get in trouble. He does what he’s supposed to do, and he does things right.”
Ben Cleveland, Senior, Offensive Line
On whether being crowned Co-SEC East Champions would mean anything to him…
“I mean yeah, it would be another accolade to add to the things that we’ve been able to accomplish in my time here. It’s also one of those things that we have no control over. We just have to go out and do what we do again on Saturday and let things fall into place.”
On what he has learned about JT Daniels since he took over quarterback duties…
“He’s an extremely confident individual. Just listening to him talk in meetings on Friday night, Saturday mornings. He knows what he’s doing, really knows the game plan so his confidence is something that makes him so efficient in what he does, knowing what he has to do and knowing his job and how to execute.”
On whether he thinks about what if the offense was playing like this at the start of the year…
“You know, something Coach Smart has really preached to us is the next play mentality, and I’m sure you all have heard that, but we can control nothing about the past. All we can do is keep our head down, learn from what we do and that’s what we’ve done the last few weeks. We knew what we were doing well, knew what we needed to improve on and that’s what we really focused ourselves on. I think it’s become a well-balanced piece of our offense, knowing that odds and ins.”
James Cook, Junior, Running Back
On what his impression of JT Daniels...
"He has confidence, having confidence is everything. He trusts everyone around him to make plays. If you have confidence and people trust you, then you'll get the ball."
On Daijun Edwards and his work ethic...
"He worked really hard at camp and during the off season. He showed progress and when you come here you see people develop, that's what he has done. Every time he gets an opportunity, he makes it worthwhile."
Georgia - Vandy On SEC Network
Saturday's Southeastern Conference football game between Georgia and Vanderbilt in Athens will be televised by the SEC Network with kick off at 12:00 noon ET according to an announcement Sunday by the SEC office.
Georgia’s all-time record on the SEC Network is 23-3.
Georgia’s all-time record on the SEC Network is 23-3.
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Post Game Notes
Daniels Directs Offense To Season High 49 Points: In a little more than three quarters of action, redshirt sophomore QB JT Daniels finished 16-for-27 for 299 yards and 3 TDs in a 49-14 victory. Georgia finished with 615 yards of total offense (299-passing, 316 rushing), the most since going for 656 against Arkansas State last year. This is the second straight game with 40+ points by the offense after a 45-16 road win over South Carolina.
In the first half, Daniels went 10-for-17 for 167 yards with 2 TDs as the Dawgs carried a 21-14 halftime advantage. He directed touchdown drives on the first two possessions and then with the game tied at 14, he led a 75-yard TD drive in 43 seconds in the final minute of the first half. Also of note today, on a 3rd-and-8, he completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to James Cook for the second score of the contest. On 3rd downs this year, Daniels improved to 16-for-19 for 270 yards and six TDs. Today, he finished 5-for-7 for 120 yards with all five resulting in a first down and two scores. In the second half on a 3rd-and-10 at MU 31, Daniels connected with Pickens for a TD to close out a 75-yard drive and a 28-14 edge. In the 3rdquarter alone, Georgia outscored the Tigers 21-0 with 284 yards of offense to MU’s 48. With 12:36 left in the contest and owning a 49-14 lead, Stetson Bennett came in at QB.
Defense Posts Second Half Shutout: Coming in today, Georgia ranked second in the SEC in Scoring Defense (20.6 points per game). The Tigers were held to 200 yards of total offense and 14 points. In the first half, Missouri tallied 14 points, running 32 plays for 121 yards of total offense. Seventy-five of those yards came on the Tigers eight play TD drive. The Tigers second TD drive covered just one yard following a blocked punt. In the second half, the Tigers were shutout and held to just 79 yards of total offense on 22 plays. Lewis Cine led the Bulldogs with four stops.
Big Second Half For The Running Game: In the first half, the Dawgs had 71 rushing yards on 19 attempts and finished the game with 316 yards after going for 245 in the second half on 26 rushes. Redshirt sophomore Zamir White had a team-high 37 yards on eight carries in the first half and finished with 126 yards on 12 attempts. Then, White had 44 yards on his first two carries of the second half and ultimately went over 100 yards with a 43-yard TD scamper to make it 35-14 in the 3rdquarter. It was his third 100+ yards game of his career. James Cook added a nine-yard rushing TD to go with a receiving score. He is the first Dawg to do that since 2018 when D’Andre Swift did it against Alabama.
Freshman Daijun Edwards got his first career TD, a six-yarder and finished with a career-high 103 yards on 11 attempts. Today was the first time since the 2018 Kentucky game that the Dawgs had a pair go over 100 yards. That day it was Swift (157) and Elijah Holyfield (117).
Receiving Leaders: Sophomore George Pickens (5 rec., 126 yards, 2 TDs) to lead the receivers. In the first half, junior running back James Cook had just one catch but it covered 37 yards for a TD. Pickens first half score covered 36 yards and was his team-leading fourth of the year. It gave the Dawgs a 21-14 lead with 37 seconds left in the half. In the second half, Pickens tied his career-high with his second TD, a 31-yard strike on 3rd-and-10, and it put him over the 100-yard mark for the second time in his career. He had two TD catches versus the Tigers last year and had 175 yards in the 2020 Sugar Bowl win over No. 7 Baylor. Freshman tight end Darnell Washington had a career-long 35-yard catch and finished with two for 61 yards while freshman Jermaine Burton had five for 38 yards.
Special Teams Summary: Redshirt sophomore PK Jack Podlesny went 7-for-7 in PATs and missed a 43-yarder in the rain in the fourth quarter. Georgia has made an NCAA record 329 consecutive PATs as the streak includes six kickers dating back to 2014. Junior punter Jake Camarda finished with two punts for a 49.0 average and took care of the kickoffs with all of them resulting in touchbacks. Georgia had a punt blocked that Missouri took over at the UGA 1-yard line and converted to a game-tying touchdown with 1:20 left in the first half (14-14). It marked the first time since the 2015 Alabama game that the Dawgs have had a punt blocked.
Points Off Turnovers: Junior Eric Stokes notched his team-leading fourth interception on Missouri’s opening possession and returned it 27 yards to the MU 23. It led to a TD and a 7-0 edge. Georgia now has 9 interceptions, on the year, the most since 2017 when the Dawgs had 12.
For Starters: The longest streak on defense belongs to junior DB Eric Stokes now at 24. The longest active starting streak on offense is 10 for left tackle Jamaree Salyer. Center Trey Hill saw his streak end at 26 as he’s injured. Redshirt sophomore Warren Ericson made his second career start but first at center. He started the 2020 Sugar Bowl at right guard. Junior nose Jordan Davis returned in a starting role after missing the last three games. Also, senior STAR Mark Webb started after missing the last game.
The Captains: Seniors Ben Cleveland, Malik Herring and Monty Rice served as the captains. Rice has now been a captain a team-high four times this year. Georgia won the toss and elected to defer until the 2nd half.
"Weather" or Not It Matters: At kickoff, the temperature here was 39 degrees. In the Kirby Smart era, the previous coldest temperature at kickoff was 40 degrees against Missouri last year in Athens. The last time Georgia played a game that began in the 30s was the 2014 Belk Bowl in Charlotte on December 30th. It was 39 degrees, and the Dawgs defeated Louisville 37-14.
Series History: With the 49-14 win, Georgia now leads the all-time series 9-1 including 5-0 in Columbia. The 49 points here was the most by the Dawgs in Columbia.
Up Next: Georgia (7-2) will play host to Vanderbilt on Saturday, December 19th at noon.
In the first half, Daniels went 10-for-17 for 167 yards with 2 TDs as the Dawgs carried a 21-14 halftime advantage. He directed touchdown drives on the first two possessions and then with the game tied at 14, he led a 75-yard TD drive in 43 seconds in the final minute of the first half. Also of note today, on a 3rd-and-8, he completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to James Cook for the second score of the contest. On 3rd downs this year, Daniels improved to 16-for-19 for 270 yards and six TDs. Today, he finished 5-for-7 for 120 yards with all five resulting in a first down and two scores. In the second half on a 3rd-and-10 at MU 31, Daniels connected with Pickens for a TD to close out a 75-yard drive and a 28-14 edge. In the 3rdquarter alone, Georgia outscored the Tigers 21-0 with 284 yards of offense to MU’s 48. With 12:36 left in the contest and owning a 49-14 lead, Stetson Bennett came in at QB.
Defense Posts Second Half Shutout: Coming in today, Georgia ranked second in the SEC in Scoring Defense (20.6 points per game). The Tigers were held to 200 yards of total offense and 14 points. In the first half, Missouri tallied 14 points, running 32 plays for 121 yards of total offense. Seventy-five of those yards came on the Tigers eight play TD drive. The Tigers second TD drive covered just one yard following a blocked punt. In the second half, the Tigers were shutout and held to just 79 yards of total offense on 22 plays. Lewis Cine led the Bulldogs with four stops.
Big Second Half For The Running Game: In the first half, the Dawgs had 71 rushing yards on 19 attempts and finished the game with 316 yards after going for 245 in the second half on 26 rushes. Redshirt sophomore Zamir White had a team-high 37 yards on eight carries in the first half and finished with 126 yards on 12 attempts. Then, White had 44 yards on his first two carries of the second half and ultimately went over 100 yards with a 43-yard TD scamper to make it 35-14 in the 3rdquarter. It was his third 100+ yards game of his career. James Cook added a nine-yard rushing TD to go with a receiving score. He is the first Dawg to do that since 2018 when D’Andre Swift did it against Alabama.
Freshman Daijun Edwards got his first career TD, a six-yarder and finished with a career-high 103 yards on 11 attempts. Today was the first time since the 2018 Kentucky game that the Dawgs had a pair go over 100 yards. That day it was Swift (157) and Elijah Holyfield (117).
Receiving Leaders: Sophomore George Pickens (5 rec., 126 yards, 2 TDs) to lead the receivers. In the first half, junior running back James Cook had just one catch but it covered 37 yards for a TD. Pickens first half score covered 36 yards and was his team-leading fourth of the year. It gave the Dawgs a 21-14 lead with 37 seconds left in the half. In the second half, Pickens tied his career-high with his second TD, a 31-yard strike on 3rd-and-10, and it put him over the 100-yard mark for the second time in his career. He had two TD catches versus the Tigers last year and had 175 yards in the 2020 Sugar Bowl win over No. 7 Baylor. Freshman tight end Darnell Washington had a career-long 35-yard catch and finished with two for 61 yards while freshman Jermaine Burton had five for 38 yards.
Special Teams Summary: Redshirt sophomore PK Jack Podlesny went 7-for-7 in PATs and missed a 43-yarder in the rain in the fourth quarter. Georgia has made an NCAA record 329 consecutive PATs as the streak includes six kickers dating back to 2014. Junior punter Jake Camarda finished with two punts for a 49.0 average and took care of the kickoffs with all of them resulting in touchbacks. Georgia had a punt blocked that Missouri took over at the UGA 1-yard line and converted to a game-tying touchdown with 1:20 left in the first half (14-14). It marked the first time since the 2015 Alabama game that the Dawgs have had a punt blocked.
Points Off Turnovers: Junior Eric Stokes notched his team-leading fourth interception on Missouri’s opening possession and returned it 27 yards to the MU 23. It led to a TD and a 7-0 edge. Georgia now has 9 interceptions, on the year, the most since 2017 when the Dawgs had 12.
For Starters: The longest streak on defense belongs to junior DB Eric Stokes now at 24. The longest active starting streak on offense is 10 for left tackle Jamaree Salyer. Center Trey Hill saw his streak end at 26 as he’s injured. Redshirt sophomore Warren Ericson made his second career start but first at center. He started the 2020 Sugar Bowl at right guard. Junior nose Jordan Davis returned in a starting role after missing the last three games. Also, senior STAR Mark Webb started after missing the last game.
The Captains: Seniors Ben Cleveland, Malik Herring and Monty Rice served as the captains. Rice has now been a captain a team-high four times this year. Georgia won the toss and elected to defer until the 2nd half.
"Weather" or Not It Matters: At kickoff, the temperature here was 39 degrees. In the Kirby Smart era, the previous coldest temperature at kickoff was 40 degrees against Missouri last year in Athens. The last time Georgia played a game that began in the 30s was the 2014 Belk Bowl in Charlotte on December 30th. It was 39 degrees, and the Dawgs defeated Louisville 37-14.
Series History: With the 49-14 win, Georgia now leads the all-time series 9-1 including 5-0 in Columbia. The 49 points here was the most by the Dawgs in Columbia.
Up Next: Georgia (7-2) will play host to Vanderbilt on Saturday, December 19th at noon.
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Lady Dawgs Game Cancelled
UGA Sports Communications
The Lady Dawgs’ basketball game against Radford, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 12th at noon ET, has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Radford program.
There are no plans at this time to have a replacement game. The decision to cancel the contest was made following consultation with the UGA Athletic Association medical personnel.
The Lady Dawgs are currently 5-0 with wins against Oklahoma and Jacksonville State earlier this week. Georgia hosts Georgia State at 7 p.m. ET, next Thursday, December 17th.
The Lady Dawgs’ basketball game against Radford, which was scheduled for this Saturday, December 12th at noon ET, has been canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within the Radford program.
There are no plans at this time to have a replacement game. The decision to cancel the contest was made following consultation with the UGA Athletic Association medical personnel.
The Lady Dawgs are currently 5-0 with wins against Oklahoma and Jacksonville State earlier this week. Georgia hosts Georgia State at 7 p.m. ET, next Thursday, December 17th.
Georgia - Vanderbilt Kickoff Set
UGA Sports Communications
The postponed Southeastern Conference football game between Georgia and Vanderbilt in Athens will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 19th, according to an announcement Thursday by the SEC office. Television details have not yet been released.
The Dawgs and the Commodores were originally scheduled to play on December 5th.
This weekend, Georgia will play Missouri in Columbia on Saturday at 12 p.m. on the SEC Network. The game was originally scheduled for November 14th but was postponed.
Georgia's all-time record on the SEC Network is 22-3 and the Bulldogs are 4-0 on the network this year.
The postponed Southeastern Conference football game between Georgia and Vanderbilt in Athens will kick off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 19th, according to an announcement Thursday by the SEC office. Television details have not yet been released.
The Dawgs and the Commodores were originally scheduled to play on December 5th.
This weekend, Georgia will play Missouri in Columbia on Saturday at 12 p.m. on the SEC Network. The game was originally scheduled for November 14th but was postponed.
Georgia's all-time record on the SEC Network is 22-3 and the Bulldogs are 4-0 on the network this year.
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Wednesday Press Conference
Coach Kirby Smart
Opening Statement…
“Our team is excited to get back on the field and go play. We missed last week and have a really hot Missouri team we have a lot of respect for. Eliah Drinkwitz has done an unbelievable job with those guys and have them playing really well, really hard. You can see that they’re well coached. They have a lot of talented guys on defense and offense. I think their quarterback, Connor Bazelak, is playing very well.”
On how the cold weather will impact the game this week and if it makes him alter a game plan…
“Not really. We don’t control the weather. We practice in it all the time here. It’s been cold this week. We’ve been practicing outside, inside. We have to go inside a little bit, not by choice but because our fields base is under construction. We alternate who gets to go outside. We’ve told our team all along, that’s not something we can control. We worry about things we can control, and we control how we play and the guys playing in the game won’t be thinking about the weather—they’ll be thinking about the game.”
On whether he played in any cold weather games while at Georgia…
“Oh yeah. We had several. There was one at home against Auburn. I remember we played and it was really cold. What qualifies as cold to me is when you can see your breath. So, if you see that then it’s pretty chilly.”
On what he has thought Eliah Drinkwitz has done with the program…
“He’s done a tremendous job. He’s a really good football coach. I think when you look at his track record, he’s done really well. Going back to his NC State days, he created a lot of issues and conflicts for defenses and then at Appalachian State he did an unbelievable job, as you know, winning against SEC and ACC schools. He’s a really good football coach, a really good motivator, you can tell the guys are buying in and playing hard for him. He has a tremendous staff. His quarterback is playing, like I said, he’s really impressive to me because his composure and accuracy, he also throws a really good ball. He’s a good enough athlete to get out of trouble when it gets in there, he’s extended some plays and ran for first downs. I just think Eliah has done a good job coaching them. Their defense is so different to play against. They’re very different defensively compared to most defenses in our league.”
On Alabama quarterback Mac Jones…
“He’s one of those quarterbacks that has really, really good composure. He understands what he’s getting, he’s well coached and he has good players around him. He does a tremendous job making good decisions. Very rarely, do you see him make any mistakes and when you play football and you eliminate mistakes, you play clean football and at a high level, and they’re obviously functioning at very high level right now.”
On how hard roster management has been this year and will be going forward…
“It’s more different than any year in the past because you’ve combined eight different factors. Whereas, it used to be really one factor, with early signing day maybe a second factor. Then, all the opt outs and transfer rules have made another factor. Juniors out early, which has always been there but is happening at a higher rate, made another factor and seniors with the ability to stay added another factor. It’s just basically, you can worry about it all you want, but you can’t really control it. You might be able to talk to guys and try to help yourself out but at the end of the day, you can’t control it so you have to sit back and let the numbers fall where they are and do the best job managing it after it becomes more solid.”
On whether there are any changes from a coach’s perspective that can help that roster management…
“I think people have been trying to figure it out for a long time. There are people who felt like an early signing day would bring about some of these problems. Some of them are created through—look, not everyone has the same problems. The SEC is probably one of the highest conferences in terms of juniors out because we have the most talent every year in the draft. Not every conference is dealing with that because they don’t have juniors coming out so that manipulates the numbers more than anything. I think this year isn’t a great year to judge because you’re not going to have COVID every year, right? You’re not going to have seniors that can come back with eligibility every year. That makes this year harder to manage, but yet you can’t say there should be a NCAA rule that should be put in place to answer it because it’s never been done.”
On what similarities he sees in Florida and Alabama’s offense…
“Not a lot. They’re very different in my opinion. They’re both extremely explosive and extremely talent but beyond that, I don’t think there are very many similarities, I think they’re very different styles.”
On what Missouri does different defensively compared to the rest of the league…
“They don’t play the same front that most of the conference plays. A lot of the defenses in the league come from the same tree, they’re not that way. They play a bare front; they play a lot of man to man and they’re really good at doing it. So, it’s like the thing is you say, ‘Well if you know what they’re going to be in, then you should beat them.’ Well, that’s not the case with Missouri because they do it sometimes better than you can attack it. It’s very different. You don’t get cumulative of reps that you would get when you play somebody and can say ‘we can use this because we used this during the year.’ They’re just very different. It’s kind of just a stand-alone.”
On what he has noticed about linebacker Nick Bolton…
“He is a player. He’s a thumper, he’s a tackler, he’s physical, instinctive. I think everyone across the conference knows that. You talk about linebacker play; this guy is as good as it is in our conference when it comes to sideline to sideline. He loves the game; I love the way the guy plays. He gets after it. He’s been very impressive.”
On what Monty Rice has meant to his program…
“First off, he came in as a great kid, very, I would say introverted, and he’s going to leave much more extroverted and he came from a great high school program. He was under Roquan’s Smith tutelage. I felt he always wanted to hang around Roquan and really looked up to Roquan in terms of developing. He’s become a vocal leader like Roquan was, where he’s not afraid, if someone isn’t doing something right, he’s one of the guys who isn’t afraid to call him out on it. He’s very passionate about football and doing things the right way on the football field.”
Jake Camarda, Junior, Punter
On being a Ray Guy Award semifinalist…
“Yeah! Would it be cool to bring another piece of hardware to Athens? Absolutely. When it comes to my goals, really my goal is this year to come in and be as consistent as I possibly could, and just help our team win football games. At the end of the day, if I can do that and help our team win more games that’s really the most important thing to me.”
On his impressions of Scott Cochran being the special teams coordinator, and what he knows about him now that he didn’t know at the beginning of the year…
“Coach Cochran, he is great to play for. He is someone who came in, and you kind of had no idea what you’re expecting and what you are going to get out of it, especially him coming from being a strength guy. You really just kind of—alright I guess we are going to see how this goes. It’s turned out to be really great. I think he’s done just a really good job. He does a really good job handling our room. I think he is a really great coach. I have really enjoyed getting to be a player under him. It’s been a good time and a lot of fun so far.”
On if Coach Cochran’s strength coach background manifests in any way as a coordinator now…
“You know, his strength coach background, I personally think it’s interesting because I can and a lot of specialists now can pick apart his brain a little bit to see different things that he thinks about and that he does. It’s really cool to see the different knowledge he has so we can try and apply that to our game and try to use that to further our skills.”
On what his mindset is when Georgia’s offense is on third down…
“I never hope that our offense doesn’t convert third downs. Obviously, if our offense is converting third downs than we are playing good football, and we have a really good shot of winning games. On third down, the position I am in I have to be ready and prepared really for anything and any situation. I just have to make sure I am really prepared, and in the right mindset—have the mindset that you are going to go in and punt, but at the same time are you rooting to go out there? Not necessarily, because that means the rest of the guys on the field wouldn’t have come through. You really want the guys on the field to come through for you because those are my teammates and I want them to do great.”
Warren Ericson, Redshirt Sophomore, Offensive Lineman
On how prepared he is for being called up as the starting center on Saturday…
“It’s kind of how my mentality has been every single week since the season has started. Whatever I can do to just be ready for this game and play, that’s what I want to do. I am going to be ready no matter what. If my name is called or it is not, I am going to be there and just be ready to go into the game.”
On if he feels any similarity to this week as the week preparing for the Sugar Bowl last year…
“Football is just football like it always has been. You want take each week and prepare and take each day and try to get better—that’s the main objective, is to get better and be feel ready to be on the field when your number is called.”
On how he is preparing for a cold-weather game this weekend…
“Oh yeah, 100 percent. We are full-on ready to embrace that and have accepted that challenge with what the weather is going to be. Georgia is a little different than Missouri as far as the temperature goes. But, yeah just like you’re talking about the O-Line in sleeves and no gloves. We are prepared for whatever we are going to face.”
On if he is able to review and adjust his snaps and see visual evidence…
“I would say as far as the visual evidence part goes, I would say on film is where you will see it. If you are having a particular bad day at snapping, coach will be like, ‘Hey you have been high this day or wide this whole entire day.’ That way you can figure out how you are going to adjust it or it can be just one particular day where the quarterback will be like, ‘Hey I had to reach a little back.’ Then you have to remind yourself of that before the next ball and see if you can do anything to adjust it.”
Opening Statement…
“Our team is excited to get back on the field and go play. We missed last week and have a really hot Missouri team we have a lot of respect for. Eliah Drinkwitz has done an unbelievable job with those guys and have them playing really well, really hard. You can see that they’re well coached. They have a lot of talented guys on defense and offense. I think their quarterback, Connor Bazelak, is playing very well.”
On how the cold weather will impact the game this week and if it makes him alter a game plan…
“Not really. We don’t control the weather. We practice in it all the time here. It’s been cold this week. We’ve been practicing outside, inside. We have to go inside a little bit, not by choice but because our fields base is under construction. We alternate who gets to go outside. We’ve told our team all along, that’s not something we can control. We worry about things we can control, and we control how we play and the guys playing in the game won’t be thinking about the weather—they’ll be thinking about the game.”
On whether he played in any cold weather games while at Georgia…
“Oh yeah. We had several. There was one at home against Auburn. I remember we played and it was really cold. What qualifies as cold to me is when you can see your breath. So, if you see that then it’s pretty chilly.”
On what he has thought Eliah Drinkwitz has done with the program…
“He’s done a tremendous job. He’s a really good football coach. I think when you look at his track record, he’s done really well. Going back to his NC State days, he created a lot of issues and conflicts for defenses and then at Appalachian State he did an unbelievable job, as you know, winning against SEC and ACC schools. He’s a really good football coach, a really good motivator, you can tell the guys are buying in and playing hard for him. He has a tremendous staff. His quarterback is playing, like I said, he’s really impressive to me because his composure and accuracy, he also throws a really good ball. He’s a good enough athlete to get out of trouble when it gets in there, he’s extended some plays and ran for first downs. I just think Eliah has done a good job coaching them. Their defense is so different to play against. They’re very different defensively compared to most defenses in our league.”
On Alabama quarterback Mac Jones…
“He’s one of those quarterbacks that has really, really good composure. He understands what he’s getting, he’s well coached and he has good players around him. He does a tremendous job making good decisions. Very rarely, do you see him make any mistakes and when you play football and you eliminate mistakes, you play clean football and at a high level, and they’re obviously functioning at very high level right now.”
On how hard roster management has been this year and will be going forward…
“It’s more different than any year in the past because you’ve combined eight different factors. Whereas, it used to be really one factor, with early signing day maybe a second factor. Then, all the opt outs and transfer rules have made another factor. Juniors out early, which has always been there but is happening at a higher rate, made another factor and seniors with the ability to stay added another factor. It’s just basically, you can worry about it all you want, but you can’t really control it. You might be able to talk to guys and try to help yourself out but at the end of the day, you can’t control it so you have to sit back and let the numbers fall where they are and do the best job managing it after it becomes more solid.”
On whether there are any changes from a coach’s perspective that can help that roster management…
“I think people have been trying to figure it out for a long time. There are people who felt like an early signing day would bring about some of these problems. Some of them are created through—look, not everyone has the same problems. The SEC is probably one of the highest conferences in terms of juniors out because we have the most talent every year in the draft. Not every conference is dealing with that because they don’t have juniors coming out so that manipulates the numbers more than anything. I think this year isn’t a great year to judge because you’re not going to have COVID every year, right? You’re not going to have seniors that can come back with eligibility every year. That makes this year harder to manage, but yet you can’t say there should be a NCAA rule that should be put in place to answer it because it’s never been done.”
On what similarities he sees in Florida and Alabama’s offense…
“Not a lot. They’re very different in my opinion. They’re both extremely explosive and extremely talent but beyond that, I don’t think there are very many similarities, I think they’re very different styles.”
On what Missouri does different defensively compared to the rest of the league…
“They don’t play the same front that most of the conference plays. A lot of the defenses in the league come from the same tree, they’re not that way. They play a bare front; they play a lot of man to man and they’re really good at doing it. So, it’s like the thing is you say, ‘Well if you know what they’re going to be in, then you should beat them.’ Well, that’s not the case with Missouri because they do it sometimes better than you can attack it. It’s very different. You don’t get cumulative of reps that you would get when you play somebody and can say ‘we can use this because we used this during the year.’ They’re just very different. It’s kind of just a stand-alone.”
On what he has noticed about linebacker Nick Bolton…
“He is a player. He’s a thumper, he’s a tackler, he’s physical, instinctive. I think everyone across the conference knows that. You talk about linebacker play; this guy is as good as it is in our conference when it comes to sideline to sideline. He loves the game; I love the way the guy plays. He gets after it. He’s been very impressive.”
On what Monty Rice has meant to his program…
“First off, he came in as a great kid, very, I would say introverted, and he’s going to leave much more extroverted and he came from a great high school program. He was under Roquan’s Smith tutelage. I felt he always wanted to hang around Roquan and really looked up to Roquan in terms of developing. He’s become a vocal leader like Roquan was, where he’s not afraid, if someone isn’t doing something right, he’s one of the guys who isn’t afraid to call him out on it. He’s very passionate about football and doing things the right way on the football field.”
Jake Camarda, Junior, Punter
On being a Ray Guy Award semifinalist…
“Yeah! Would it be cool to bring another piece of hardware to Athens? Absolutely. When it comes to my goals, really my goal is this year to come in and be as consistent as I possibly could, and just help our team win football games. At the end of the day, if I can do that and help our team win more games that’s really the most important thing to me.”
On his impressions of Scott Cochran being the special teams coordinator, and what he knows about him now that he didn’t know at the beginning of the year…
“Coach Cochran, he is great to play for. He is someone who came in, and you kind of had no idea what you’re expecting and what you are going to get out of it, especially him coming from being a strength guy. You really just kind of—alright I guess we are going to see how this goes. It’s turned out to be really great. I think he’s done just a really good job. He does a really good job handling our room. I think he is a really great coach. I have really enjoyed getting to be a player under him. It’s been a good time and a lot of fun so far.”
On if Coach Cochran’s strength coach background manifests in any way as a coordinator now…
“You know, his strength coach background, I personally think it’s interesting because I can and a lot of specialists now can pick apart his brain a little bit to see different things that he thinks about and that he does. It’s really cool to see the different knowledge he has so we can try and apply that to our game and try to use that to further our skills.”
On what his mindset is when Georgia’s offense is on third down…
“I never hope that our offense doesn’t convert third downs. Obviously, if our offense is converting third downs than we are playing good football, and we have a really good shot of winning games. On third down, the position I am in I have to be ready and prepared really for anything and any situation. I just have to make sure I am really prepared, and in the right mindset—have the mindset that you are going to go in and punt, but at the same time are you rooting to go out there? Not necessarily, because that means the rest of the guys on the field wouldn’t have come through. You really want the guys on the field to come through for you because those are my teammates and I want them to do great.”
Warren Ericson, Redshirt Sophomore, Offensive Lineman
On how prepared he is for being called up as the starting center on Saturday…
“It’s kind of how my mentality has been every single week since the season has started. Whatever I can do to just be ready for this game and play, that’s what I want to do. I am going to be ready no matter what. If my name is called or it is not, I am going to be there and just be ready to go into the game.”
On if he feels any similarity to this week as the week preparing for the Sugar Bowl last year…
“Football is just football like it always has been. You want take each week and prepare and take each day and try to get better—that’s the main objective, is to get better and be feel ready to be on the field when your number is called.”
On how he is preparing for a cold-weather game this weekend…
“Oh yeah, 100 percent. We are full-on ready to embrace that and have accepted that challenge with what the weather is going to be. Georgia is a little different than Missouri as far as the temperature goes. But, yeah just like you’re talking about the O-Line in sleeves and no gloves. We are prepared for whatever we are going to face.”
On if he is able to review and adjust his snaps and see visual evidence…
“I would say as far as the visual evidence part goes, I would say on film is where you will see it. If you are having a particular bad day at snapping, coach will be like, ‘Hey you have been high this day or wide this whole entire day.’ That way you can figure out how you are going to adjust it or it can be just one particular day where the quarterback will be like, ‘Hey I had to reach a little back.’ Then you have to remind yourself of that before the next ball and see if you can do anything to adjust it.”
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Basketball Post Game Quotes
Coach Tom Crean
Opening Statement...
“We were fortunate. We really were because we had guys that showed up like they were 3-0, rather than trying to get on a one-game winning streak. It’s a whole different mindset. When you walk in and you’re 3-0 and you think you can just arrive and now I’m going to play the way I want to play, well you don’t play very well. We had some guys that didn’t play very well tonight. But, we had some that played outstanding, led by Toumani Camara. He came out in the attack, was a plus-11 in the game—he had 15 points and 17 rebounds and 16 deflections. He came in with the right mindset. Again, it’s a process, and it’s important for our fans to understand this too. Everybody’s in a different role on this team right now. There’s no lottery pick sitting in that room right now that’s going to 1-2-or-3 in the draft. That’s not where we’re at. So, where we have to be as a collective mindset as a group that’s together in everything they do. And tonight, our spirit defensively was good. Our attitude and determination on the glass was good, but we did not move without the ball and move the ball the way we needed to, and we had way too many sad looks when we weren’t making shots. We’ve just got to grow through it because we’re not good enough to play that way. We’re fortunate with the win, and I think it’s a great lesson of what happens. We won the game, but to score only 63 points is a view of our lack of activity.”
“Hopefully, it’s a learning lesson. We’re not built to not be really good together. We have to be good together, and when we are, then we’ll be fine. But, when we get quiet and we’re not as active, when we don’t cut, then those things kind of hurt us. There’s four things you can control: you can control what kind of defensive effort or energy you’re going to bring. You can control the pursuit of the ball and the physical block-outs. You can’t control if you’re going to get it, but you can control your effort. You can control how hard you run and you can control your movement without the basketball, especially with the way we play. We were back to guys jogging in the wing, instead of running to the corner, and we’ve just got to play better. We need to play better and we will. The lineups will change as we go, and some guys will flourish and some guys will take a little bit longer to figure it out.”
On the team's performance...
"Tonight, was the definition of a grinder. I don't know if it had to be as much of a grinder on offense because I think we missed some shots at times or we didn't get the ball, and we got our feelings hurt. You can't have that mentality. Your mentality has to be to keep coming. What this team did, which is really hard for teams, is that they kept guarding at a high level. When guys weren't making shots or the ball wasn't moving as crisply as it was because of the way that they were playing off in the paint against Sahvir Wheeler, we still played really hard defensively, and we still played really hard on the glass. As I've said to them, there are four things that you should be able to no matter what in a game. You should be able to control your effort and energy. You should be able to control your rebounding pursuit, your physicality, your attack of the glass. You should be able to control how hard and fast you run, and you should be able to control your movement without the ball. That's kind of what the game brought. Did we hit every one of those aspects? No, but we did defend. We did rebound. For the most part, we ran and pushed it, and we found a way to win the game. All of these games are so important for learning how to win in different ways, and tonight was certainly different from any game that we've played up to this point. It was a great way to find a way to win it"
On the defense...
"That's the maturity when you have older guys. We had some guys tonight that let their lack of offense affect their defense, and we had to get them in and out of the game. For the most part, the older guys and Toumani Camara did a really good job of that. That's Mikal Starks. That's what we have to have. Sahvir Wheeler kept guarding, kept pushing, kept doing those types of things. We had to play him time and score a little bit with the foul issues. Bottom line is that a really good sign of future maturity is when it's not going great for you personally offensively or we're not scoring the way we want to, but we're still coming down and putting stops together, getting deflections, and eliminating the one shot. That's important stuff."
On Andrew Garcia...
"Maturity. Wanting to win. He's coming off the bench right now, but he's a starter to me, and as I've said before, we're going to change this lineup. I could change it by Saturday, and we'll see. Andrew Garcia is a key guy, and he epitomizes doing what it takes to win, playing to his strengths. He's getting better at other aspects of the game. He's playing at a very competitive, high level, and he makes everyone else better. I think he brings comfort because I think people know that he's going to attack the glass. He's going to be able to score inside. He's certainly getting better as a shooter, and those types of things will come. He's just playing to win the game, and I think that's a great indication of leadership from him for us. What we need him to do, and I just said this to him after the game, is to be more vocal and verbal with his teammates during the game and be a little bit more demanding. Now four games in, he needs to be a little bit more comfortable doing that hopefully."
On challenging Toumani Camara and his presence in the game...
“There’s no question, and I think he knows that. I think he’s an example of game one, and we just talked about this before he left here. Game one he came out with a scoring mindset, he didn’t play very well. The last three games he’s come out with an attack mindset, and he’s played extremely well. I think he has had three straight games of double figure deflections, including having 16 tonight, he had 11 at half. He is very, very active. When you come out active, when you come out aggressive, when you come out letting the game come to you offensively, but taking your attack mindset to the game defensively, rebounding the ball with running, good things usually are going to happen. It just takes guys, I am glad he is figuring it out and that doesn’t mean he’s not going to have a tough night at some point, but the bottom line is when you play the game the right way, with the right intent and you’re not worried about your offense and you're not worried about your shooting. You’re not worried about where you're getting the ball, if you’re getting the ball. You play well. You know when you allow yourself to get distracted, I always say to guys you’re seeing ghosts, ‘Don’t see a ghost just play the game. You know when you’re missing shots or it’s not going your way.’ We just have to grow through that and Toumani is a great example of someone who is growing through that. Christian Brown's situation is where we are at in the 2021 season right now. He didn’t feel good at half time, right away it became we have to isolate, we have to get him tested, and it was a judgement call made by our doctor and our trainer to say that he’s not available. He is either tested already or he is testing now, I don’t have the results yet, but either way we will just see how it goes and hope that he is going to be okay."
On the next week's practice...
"We have to take a day off each week. So, we will do that and then we will prepare for Sanford. But it is really important that Toumani Camara rebound the ball. It is very important that he is aggressive and attack. We do need those types of things, and we need it from a lot of people. I have said it to this team every day, ‘We are only going to be as good as our team rebounding, our team defense and our team rebounding. We have to run and put pressure on the rim. We are going to shoot three's, but we are not going to shoot three's just because they are there. We are going to shoot them because we are inside and have gone through the paint and all those types of things.’ So, that is really what we want to continue to build for as we get ready for the next game. Hopefully, they'll rest up some and get ready to roll.
On how important 'energy plays' are to the team..
"Well, I think it says a lot. That is the way we are. We have to be a collective unit. There are not one or two or three guys that are just going to carry this load every night, and we are going to watch them do it. It has to be a team deal. We have to be able to get into our bench and get pressure going from the bench. That is all important. We just all need to get more consistent. The guys need to get more consistent. The bottom line is, when you make good hustle plays your team should be very excited about it. I thought for the most part we did. We don't want to let the social distancing on the bench, or the masks keep us from having tremendous verbal energy and excitement throughout the game. I think the teams that handle that the best will be victorious. It is definitely hard to have it be different. We are very fortunate to be able to play these games. We have to continue to get that across to them that you don't want to waste one moment when it comes to that. You cannot take it for granted, you never know what is coming the next day. For example, Christian Brown was playing fine and all of a sudden, he doesn't feel as good during half-time, and we have to shut him down for the rest of the game. That has now become the new reality for everyone. The main reality is to enjoy what you are doing to the fullest and enjoy doing it with your teammates and make them better in every possible way."
***Shortly after the completion of Coach Crean’s interview session it was announced that Christian Brown underwent a COVID test at the arena which came back negative.
On Camara's performance
"I think that's important; I think like I've said, we've got to get it from a lot of different people. This was a good game to have to fight through because they didn't guard Sahvir Wheeler as much. They packed the paint. They made it a little bit tougher. So, that makes you have to cut a little harder, post a little deeper, screen a little bit better, be ready to shoot, all those types of things. We don't want to let the defense dictate our activity and our movement. There were times it did tonight but for the most part, we still moved, we just did not make as many shots. I thought Toumani did a great job being active."
On Sahvir Wheeler's game
"Don't worry about your offense. It's all about figuring out the game and you can't get quiet. He played really hard, but he got a little quiet tonight, and we can't have that. When you are an energy source and the team feels protected and safe when you are out there, you have to continue to exude that confidence constantly. You do go through it; you have to go through it. But at the end of the day, you have got to understand that whatever you are doing to impact winning is by far the most important thing. So, you point those things out that impacted winning, you try to help him. He's going to be a fine shooter; I'm not worried about that at all. Teams want to go under on the pick and roll, great, we will run riffles, which are re-screens, or we will do different things like that. You can't go under twice, it's not that big of a deal. The other thing we got to get him to understand is to continue to get the ball back the second and third time. That becomes part of the process when the ball sits a little bit, and it's not moving quickly, and we are not cutting without it as well. That effects everybody and that's just part of it. We'll review that in film, we will get back to practice, and we will get ready to go with it on Saturday and try to be better no matter what defense we see from Samford."
Toumani Camara, Sophomore
On his rebounding performance…
“I got to do anything I [could] to help my team, and that’s I think a collective job on everybody’s got to rebound. So, I think that was a big thing for me this game too be really focused on rebounding. Especially the last three games, I haven’t been doing my best at it so it is really something I need to focus on every game, and today, I guess was just a good day about it, and just need to keep rolling and keep it up.”
On his energy and keeping it up with limited fan capacity…
“It is the fact, that we can win this game if we just stay focused on it and think about winning. Don’t let up. My teammates also help me—motivate me by making good plays, Sahvir Wheeler making good plays, the whole team making good plays. So, at the end of the day it is a team sport, so I cannot just lay down, and relax because I have four other dudes relying on me on the court and a whole bench that needs me. Having my energy up every time is something, I think is very important in my game.”
On his comfort handling the ball in transition and what it says about having five guys who can play with the ball…
“I feel really confident with the ball. It is something I worked on this summer, because last year I had a lot of improvement to make. I think having a team with five players that can handle the ball and be able to push it makes it easier for the point guard—for everybody—to just be able to push the ball and go. That is how fast we can be. I think it is a really rare thing you can see in basketball when everybody can handle it. So, I think it is a really good thing for us.”
On his double-double…
“Like I said last time, every time somebody different goes out there and game—it was maybe not Sahvir Wheeler’s game from the assist part but as a collective unit I still think we try to do the best we can. So, if Sahvir cannot achieve this part than we need to pick it up on our side. It is a team sport so we cannot not let all the work fall on Sahvir’s shoulders. I think it is something we pick up naturally.”
On his work over the summer and the difference in the game…
“Rebounding is a really had thing to work on. I think rebounding is mostly energy and how can you read your defender boxing you out. If everyone is going to rebound, it is going to be easier to only have one man to beat. That’s a thing that’s a team job. I believe it is just energy and going to get it—like who wants it more, and just staying focused and having the same energy all the time, being able to help my teammates in any kind of situation and be able to keep my energy at 100 percent.”
On not letting offensive struggles effect defense…
“I believe we are a completely different team than last year. I believe defensively, we can have a great game every time. It’s just offensively, sometimes we are going to have some games where shots are not going to fall, and we need to be focused on team play. I think that is the main thing we need to work on as a team—playing collectively as a team and stay focused on that and try not to make all on one play. I believe it is all about energy. If you have the energy and if you have the will to play defense every time it is something that is going to stay. If we have this anger and have this willingness to play defense every day, we will be able to have a good defensive game.”
On what the team learned about themselves tonight…
“Like I said, we need to play more collectively. But, that is something we are going to pick up. It is really like keep up the energy and uplift each other throughout the game and stay focused on all the time.”
On his play with Andrew Garcia…
“We are a really close team. I mean we are like a family, so especially since I don’t have my family here with me in town. Being able to have this guy around me is a blessing and just having him, he is a cool dude. We always have a good chemistry. I have a good chemistry with the whole team, basically.”
Andrew Garcia, Graduate Student
On how he was able to attempt so many free throws tonight…
“I try to use my aggressiveness. Coach Crean always puts me in a lot of positions to duck in, punch in, and get good position to use my strength throughout the whole game to wear their big men out. Shoutout to Sahvir Wheeler, Justin Kier, and the rest of the guards for looking for me.”
On what must be done when the team is struggling from the perimeter…
“Even if shots are not falling, we still have to continue our pace. Coach Crean always emphasizes to keep pushing the ball, run the floor, and try to get those easy baskets while the defense is running back. We have to stay together because sometimes we want to get out of ourselves. We had it going pretty early and when you get it going early, you tend to try to get your own stuff. So, he said to keep being a collective team and stay together throughout the whole game.”
On the role experienced players have when the other team is on a run...
“Our role is to do the dirty work: get those rebounds, stay solid defensively, pick everybody out, and run the floor so that everybody can see that and continue that. We don’t want to fall short or get lazy and get out of our M.O., which is always playing at a fast pace. Us leaders have to continue to bring everybody out, bring everybody’s spirits up, and lead by that example.”
On feeding off of Toumani Camara’s 17 rebounds…
“It’s huge. Those second-chance points are really what held us down. A lot of times we got to the paint and a lot of us didn’t crash the boards, but Toumani’s continuous effort throughout the whole game showed. He got to the line, he finished those put-backs, and that’s what we really need consistently throughout the year.”
On the health of his ankle and the different pace that tonight’s game was played at…
“I just nicked it [his ankle] a little bit when I came down in the first half. I’ll be fine, it’s just a little bruise. But, we want to play at that fast pace. Our motto is to wear teams down and still be that fast-paced team with 15 minutes left in the second half to pull away like we did last game. Obviously, tonight’s pace was different, but it was always the pace that Coach Crean wanted us to play at. We have to continue to be ready to stay at the pace of Sahvir Wheeler because he is the focal point, Sahvir and Mikal Starks. We just want to keep on running down the court, both on the offensive and defensive end.”
On his comfort level coming off the bench and not starting…
”Anything that Coach Crean puts me in, I’m willing to do. I value winning more than anything and the more we win, the more success that everybody gets as a whole. So, I’m not worried about starting, I’m just worried about however I can help this team and just put my body out there to work.”
On his role playing next to Camara…
”We try to just come together and abuse that (their play styles) and play to our strengths. Toumani is incredibly athletic and you’ll see him all over the floor. I just try to use my strength and wear down their big men with my speed to run down the court for easy buckets. In those two aspects, we try to get as easy of possessions on the offensive end as we can during the game.”
On the greatest challenge that Montana posed tonight…
”I would say that they made some shots. They are a very good team that runs their offense the best of any team that we have faced this year. I feel like this was the first time that we got challenged as a team by another team that can run their offense fluidly. A lot of times they were getting their cross screens with us getting down there and matching up, so I think that’s what it was.”
Montana Head Coach Travis Decuire
On his initial thoughts of the game…
“There was some growth spurts—no question about it. This game looked like their previous three games that I watched on film. They find a way to open it up, basically by crashing the offensive glass and pushing the ball really hard in transition, which is how they started. Once we got better offensive possessions, and five guys back on defense then they struggled to score. At the same time, we have to have that same resilience on the offensive end on the pressure. You just can’t turn the ball over 20 times and give up 18 offensive rebounds and expect to win.”
On some of the bright spots from his defense…
“Yeah, they were stuck on 21 for a long time. Maybe we could have done a little better if I didn’t flirt with the zone those couple of possessions, but I wanted to keep them in front of us so we can get rebounds with Michael Steadman under the rim and not chasing three-point shooters around. There was growth there no question about it, but once again they got in transition too often and a lot of it was off of our turnovers.”
On what Georgia did defensively that made it tough…
Opening Statement...
“We were fortunate. We really were because we had guys that showed up like they were 3-0, rather than trying to get on a one-game winning streak. It’s a whole different mindset. When you walk in and you’re 3-0 and you think you can just arrive and now I’m going to play the way I want to play, well you don’t play very well. We had some guys that didn’t play very well tonight. But, we had some that played outstanding, led by Toumani Camara. He came out in the attack, was a plus-11 in the game—he had 15 points and 17 rebounds and 16 deflections. He came in with the right mindset. Again, it’s a process, and it’s important for our fans to understand this too. Everybody’s in a different role on this team right now. There’s no lottery pick sitting in that room right now that’s going to 1-2-or-3 in the draft. That’s not where we’re at. So, where we have to be as a collective mindset as a group that’s together in everything they do. And tonight, our spirit defensively was good. Our attitude and determination on the glass was good, but we did not move without the ball and move the ball the way we needed to, and we had way too many sad looks when we weren’t making shots. We’ve just got to grow through it because we’re not good enough to play that way. We’re fortunate with the win, and I think it’s a great lesson of what happens. We won the game, but to score only 63 points is a view of our lack of activity.”
“Hopefully, it’s a learning lesson. We’re not built to not be really good together. We have to be good together, and when we are, then we’ll be fine. But, when we get quiet and we’re not as active, when we don’t cut, then those things kind of hurt us. There’s four things you can control: you can control what kind of defensive effort or energy you’re going to bring. You can control the pursuit of the ball and the physical block-outs. You can’t control if you’re going to get it, but you can control your effort. You can control how hard you run and you can control your movement without the basketball, especially with the way we play. We were back to guys jogging in the wing, instead of running to the corner, and we’ve just got to play better. We need to play better and we will. The lineups will change as we go, and some guys will flourish and some guys will take a little bit longer to figure it out.”
On the team's performance...
"Tonight, was the definition of a grinder. I don't know if it had to be as much of a grinder on offense because I think we missed some shots at times or we didn't get the ball, and we got our feelings hurt. You can't have that mentality. Your mentality has to be to keep coming. What this team did, which is really hard for teams, is that they kept guarding at a high level. When guys weren't making shots or the ball wasn't moving as crisply as it was because of the way that they were playing off in the paint against Sahvir Wheeler, we still played really hard defensively, and we still played really hard on the glass. As I've said to them, there are four things that you should be able to no matter what in a game. You should be able to control your effort and energy. You should be able to control your rebounding pursuit, your physicality, your attack of the glass. You should be able to control how hard and fast you run, and you should be able to control your movement without the ball. That's kind of what the game brought. Did we hit every one of those aspects? No, but we did defend. We did rebound. For the most part, we ran and pushed it, and we found a way to win the game. All of these games are so important for learning how to win in different ways, and tonight was certainly different from any game that we've played up to this point. It was a great way to find a way to win it"
On the defense...
"That's the maturity when you have older guys. We had some guys tonight that let their lack of offense affect their defense, and we had to get them in and out of the game. For the most part, the older guys and Toumani Camara did a really good job of that. That's Mikal Starks. That's what we have to have. Sahvir Wheeler kept guarding, kept pushing, kept doing those types of things. We had to play him time and score a little bit with the foul issues. Bottom line is that a really good sign of future maturity is when it's not going great for you personally offensively or we're not scoring the way we want to, but we're still coming down and putting stops together, getting deflections, and eliminating the one shot. That's important stuff."
On Andrew Garcia...
"Maturity. Wanting to win. He's coming off the bench right now, but he's a starter to me, and as I've said before, we're going to change this lineup. I could change it by Saturday, and we'll see. Andrew Garcia is a key guy, and he epitomizes doing what it takes to win, playing to his strengths. He's getting better at other aspects of the game. He's playing at a very competitive, high level, and he makes everyone else better. I think he brings comfort because I think people know that he's going to attack the glass. He's going to be able to score inside. He's certainly getting better as a shooter, and those types of things will come. He's just playing to win the game, and I think that's a great indication of leadership from him for us. What we need him to do, and I just said this to him after the game, is to be more vocal and verbal with his teammates during the game and be a little bit more demanding. Now four games in, he needs to be a little bit more comfortable doing that hopefully."
On challenging Toumani Camara and his presence in the game...
“There’s no question, and I think he knows that. I think he’s an example of game one, and we just talked about this before he left here. Game one he came out with a scoring mindset, he didn’t play very well. The last three games he’s come out with an attack mindset, and he’s played extremely well. I think he has had three straight games of double figure deflections, including having 16 tonight, he had 11 at half. He is very, very active. When you come out active, when you come out aggressive, when you come out letting the game come to you offensively, but taking your attack mindset to the game defensively, rebounding the ball with running, good things usually are going to happen. It just takes guys, I am glad he is figuring it out and that doesn’t mean he’s not going to have a tough night at some point, but the bottom line is when you play the game the right way, with the right intent and you’re not worried about your offense and you're not worried about your shooting. You’re not worried about where you're getting the ball, if you’re getting the ball. You play well. You know when you allow yourself to get distracted, I always say to guys you’re seeing ghosts, ‘Don’t see a ghost just play the game. You know when you’re missing shots or it’s not going your way.’ We just have to grow through that and Toumani is a great example of someone who is growing through that. Christian Brown's situation is where we are at in the 2021 season right now. He didn’t feel good at half time, right away it became we have to isolate, we have to get him tested, and it was a judgement call made by our doctor and our trainer to say that he’s not available. He is either tested already or he is testing now, I don’t have the results yet, but either way we will just see how it goes and hope that he is going to be okay."
On the next week's practice...
"We have to take a day off each week. So, we will do that and then we will prepare for Sanford. But it is really important that Toumani Camara rebound the ball. It is very important that he is aggressive and attack. We do need those types of things, and we need it from a lot of people. I have said it to this team every day, ‘We are only going to be as good as our team rebounding, our team defense and our team rebounding. We have to run and put pressure on the rim. We are going to shoot three's, but we are not going to shoot three's just because they are there. We are going to shoot them because we are inside and have gone through the paint and all those types of things.’ So, that is really what we want to continue to build for as we get ready for the next game. Hopefully, they'll rest up some and get ready to roll.
On how important 'energy plays' are to the team..
"Well, I think it says a lot. That is the way we are. We have to be a collective unit. There are not one or two or three guys that are just going to carry this load every night, and we are going to watch them do it. It has to be a team deal. We have to be able to get into our bench and get pressure going from the bench. That is all important. We just all need to get more consistent. The guys need to get more consistent. The bottom line is, when you make good hustle plays your team should be very excited about it. I thought for the most part we did. We don't want to let the social distancing on the bench, or the masks keep us from having tremendous verbal energy and excitement throughout the game. I think the teams that handle that the best will be victorious. It is definitely hard to have it be different. We are very fortunate to be able to play these games. We have to continue to get that across to them that you don't want to waste one moment when it comes to that. You cannot take it for granted, you never know what is coming the next day. For example, Christian Brown was playing fine and all of a sudden, he doesn't feel as good during half-time, and we have to shut him down for the rest of the game. That has now become the new reality for everyone. The main reality is to enjoy what you are doing to the fullest and enjoy doing it with your teammates and make them better in every possible way."
***Shortly after the completion of Coach Crean’s interview session it was announced that Christian Brown underwent a COVID test at the arena which came back negative.
On Camara's performance
"I think that's important; I think like I've said, we've got to get it from a lot of different people. This was a good game to have to fight through because they didn't guard Sahvir Wheeler as much. They packed the paint. They made it a little bit tougher. So, that makes you have to cut a little harder, post a little deeper, screen a little bit better, be ready to shoot, all those types of things. We don't want to let the defense dictate our activity and our movement. There were times it did tonight but for the most part, we still moved, we just did not make as many shots. I thought Toumani did a great job being active."
On Sahvir Wheeler's game
"Don't worry about your offense. It's all about figuring out the game and you can't get quiet. He played really hard, but he got a little quiet tonight, and we can't have that. When you are an energy source and the team feels protected and safe when you are out there, you have to continue to exude that confidence constantly. You do go through it; you have to go through it. But at the end of the day, you have got to understand that whatever you are doing to impact winning is by far the most important thing. So, you point those things out that impacted winning, you try to help him. He's going to be a fine shooter; I'm not worried about that at all. Teams want to go under on the pick and roll, great, we will run riffles, which are re-screens, or we will do different things like that. You can't go under twice, it's not that big of a deal. The other thing we got to get him to understand is to continue to get the ball back the second and third time. That becomes part of the process when the ball sits a little bit, and it's not moving quickly, and we are not cutting without it as well. That effects everybody and that's just part of it. We'll review that in film, we will get back to practice, and we will get ready to go with it on Saturday and try to be better no matter what defense we see from Samford."
Toumani Camara, Sophomore
On his rebounding performance…
“I got to do anything I [could] to help my team, and that’s I think a collective job on everybody’s got to rebound. So, I think that was a big thing for me this game too be really focused on rebounding. Especially the last three games, I haven’t been doing my best at it so it is really something I need to focus on every game, and today, I guess was just a good day about it, and just need to keep rolling and keep it up.”
On his energy and keeping it up with limited fan capacity…
“It is the fact, that we can win this game if we just stay focused on it and think about winning. Don’t let up. My teammates also help me—motivate me by making good plays, Sahvir Wheeler making good plays, the whole team making good plays. So, at the end of the day it is a team sport, so I cannot just lay down, and relax because I have four other dudes relying on me on the court and a whole bench that needs me. Having my energy up every time is something, I think is very important in my game.”
On his comfort handling the ball in transition and what it says about having five guys who can play with the ball…
“I feel really confident with the ball. It is something I worked on this summer, because last year I had a lot of improvement to make. I think having a team with five players that can handle the ball and be able to push it makes it easier for the point guard—for everybody—to just be able to push the ball and go. That is how fast we can be. I think it is a really rare thing you can see in basketball when everybody can handle it. So, I think it is a really good thing for us.”
On his double-double…
“Like I said last time, every time somebody different goes out there and game—it was maybe not Sahvir Wheeler’s game from the assist part but as a collective unit I still think we try to do the best we can. So, if Sahvir cannot achieve this part than we need to pick it up on our side. It is a team sport so we cannot not let all the work fall on Sahvir’s shoulders. I think it is something we pick up naturally.”
On his work over the summer and the difference in the game…
“Rebounding is a really had thing to work on. I think rebounding is mostly energy and how can you read your defender boxing you out. If everyone is going to rebound, it is going to be easier to only have one man to beat. That’s a thing that’s a team job. I believe it is just energy and going to get it—like who wants it more, and just staying focused and having the same energy all the time, being able to help my teammates in any kind of situation and be able to keep my energy at 100 percent.”
On not letting offensive struggles effect defense…
“I believe we are a completely different team than last year. I believe defensively, we can have a great game every time. It’s just offensively, sometimes we are going to have some games where shots are not going to fall, and we need to be focused on team play. I think that is the main thing we need to work on as a team—playing collectively as a team and stay focused on that and try not to make all on one play. I believe it is all about energy. If you have the energy and if you have the will to play defense every time it is something that is going to stay. If we have this anger and have this willingness to play defense every day, we will be able to have a good defensive game.”
On what the team learned about themselves tonight…
“Like I said, we need to play more collectively. But, that is something we are going to pick up. It is really like keep up the energy and uplift each other throughout the game and stay focused on all the time.”
On his play with Andrew Garcia…
“We are a really close team. I mean we are like a family, so especially since I don’t have my family here with me in town. Being able to have this guy around me is a blessing and just having him, he is a cool dude. We always have a good chemistry. I have a good chemistry with the whole team, basically.”
Andrew Garcia, Graduate Student
On how he was able to attempt so many free throws tonight…
“I try to use my aggressiveness. Coach Crean always puts me in a lot of positions to duck in, punch in, and get good position to use my strength throughout the whole game to wear their big men out. Shoutout to Sahvir Wheeler, Justin Kier, and the rest of the guards for looking for me.”
On what must be done when the team is struggling from the perimeter…
“Even if shots are not falling, we still have to continue our pace. Coach Crean always emphasizes to keep pushing the ball, run the floor, and try to get those easy baskets while the defense is running back. We have to stay together because sometimes we want to get out of ourselves. We had it going pretty early and when you get it going early, you tend to try to get your own stuff. So, he said to keep being a collective team and stay together throughout the whole game.”
On the role experienced players have when the other team is on a run...
“Our role is to do the dirty work: get those rebounds, stay solid defensively, pick everybody out, and run the floor so that everybody can see that and continue that. We don’t want to fall short or get lazy and get out of our M.O., which is always playing at a fast pace. Us leaders have to continue to bring everybody out, bring everybody’s spirits up, and lead by that example.”
On feeding off of Toumani Camara’s 17 rebounds…
“It’s huge. Those second-chance points are really what held us down. A lot of times we got to the paint and a lot of us didn’t crash the boards, but Toumani’s continuous effort throughout the whole game showed. He got to the line, he finished those put-backs, and that’s what we really need consistently throughout the year.”
On the health of his ankle and the different pace that tonight’s game was played at…
“I just nicked it [his ankle] a little bit when I came down in the first half. I’ll be fine, it’s just a little bruise. But, we want to play at that fast pace. Our motto is to wear teams down and still be that fast-paced team with 15 minutes left in the second half to pull away like we did last game. Obviously, tonight’s pace was different, but it was always the pace that Coach Crean wanted us to play at. We have to continue to be ready to stay at the pace of Sahvir Wheeler because he is the focal point, Sahvir and Mikal Starks. We just want to keep on running down the court, both on the offensive and defensive end.”
On his comfort level coming off the bench and not starting…
”Anything that Coach Crean puts me in, I’m willing to do. I value winning more than anything and the more we win, the more success that everybody gets as a whole. So, I’m not worried about starting, I’m just worried about however I can help this team and just put my body out there to work.”
On his role playing next to Camara…
”We try to just come together and abuse that (their play styles) and play to our strengths. Toumani is incredibly athletic and you’ll see him all over the floor. I just try to use my strength and wear down their big men with my speed to run down the court for easy buckets. In those two aspects, we try to get as easy of possessions on the offensive end as we can during the game.”
On the greatest challenge that Montana posed tonight…
”I would say that they made some shots. They are a very good team that runs their offense the best of any team that we have faced this year. I feel like this was the first time that we got challenged as a team by another team that can run their offense fluidly. A lot of times they were getting their cross screens with us getting down there and matching up, so I think that’s what it was.”
Montana Head Coach Travis Decuire
On his initial thoughts of the game…
“There was some growth spurts—no question about it. This game looked like their previous three games that I watched on film. They find a way to open it up, basically by crashing the offensive glass and pushing the ball really hard in transition, which is how they started. Once we got better offensive possessions, and five guys back on defense then they struggled to score. At the same time, we have to have that same resilience on the offensive end on the pressure. You just can’t turn the ball over 20 times and give up 18 offensive rebounds and expect to win.”
On some of the bright spots from his defense…
“Yeah, they were stuck on 21 for a long time. Maybe we could have done a little better if I didn’t flirt with the zone those couple of possessions, but I wanted to keep them in front of us so we can get rebounds with Michael Steadman under the rim and not chasing three-point shooters around. There was growth there no question about it, but once again they got in transition too often and a lot of it was off of our turnovers.”
On what Georgia did defensively that made it tough…
“They’re quick and they’re strong. You get a SEC team at home, and this reminds me of the University of Washington with Lorenzo Romar, they just pressure you so much. They reach a lot, slap at the ball with every catch and you just can’t get every single one of them, and eventually refs just get used to it and they don’t call it. They just deflected a lot of balls out of our hands. There were four or five times I can recall in the second half that we had a guy open inside, and they slapped the ball out of his hands while he was trying to see the action. We just didn’t do a good enough job offensively being tough and decisive through the pressure."
Dribble Dawgs Take Down Grizzlies
UGA Sports Communications
In a grinding effort, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team defeated the Montana Grizzlies, 63-50, Tuesday evening before 1,638 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Dawgs (4-0) overcame a below-average shooting performance to top the Grizzlies (0-4), dominating in the paint and on the boards.
Sophomore Toumani Camara led Georgia with his first career double-double, posting 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting and a career-high 17 rebounds and three steals. Camara was the third Dawg with a double-double this season and tallied the most rebounds since Trey Thompkins grabbed 17 against Alabama on Feb. 20, 2010.
Graduate Andrew Garcia pitched in 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting with five rebounds, while fellow transfers Justin Kier and P.J. Horne also notched double-digits in scoring, with each downing a pair of 3-pointers. Sophomore Sahvir Wheeler racked up nine points and led the team with five assists.
For the night, the Dawgs shot only 39.7 percent from the field, but outrebounded the Grizzlies, 49-30. Georgia also outscored Montana in transition by a 24-3 margin.
“We were fortunate,” said head coach Tom Crean following the game. “We really were because we had guys that showed up like they were 3-0, rather than trying to get on a one-game winning streak. It’s a whole different mindset.”
Georgia came out firing in the opening moments, quickly building a 9-0 lead and forcing an early Montana timeout after a Horne 3-pointer. The Dawgs continued to set a torrid pace, hitting on nine of their first 11 shots to build a 19-5 lead near the 14-minute mark of the first half.
Using sharp outside shooting, Montana began to come back, posting a 15-4 run that brought the deficit to three points with five minutes to play. Sophomore forward Kyle Owens paced the Grizzlies with 10 first-half points, en route to a game-high 17 points.
Back-to-back baskets from Kier, coupled with a Grizzlies scoring drought, helped Georgia restore its lead to 32-24 at the break, although the Dawgs nearly went scoreless in the final three minutes themselves.
After Montana narrowed the lead to five to open the second half, Georgia’s offense returned to life with a quick 9-2 run that returned the lead to double-digits. The Dawgs’ advantage hovered around 10 points as both teams struggled to score, but consecutive layups from Garcia and Wheeler extended the margin heading into the under-12 timeout.
Once again, the Grizzlies worked their way back into the contest, but a 3-pointer from Kier and a jumper from Camara maintained a comfortable distance for the Dawgs. Scoring struggles returned for both teams with a two-minute drought finally broken up by a Camara layup at the 3:59 mark. Holding a nine-point lead with under two to play, Horne connected on his second 3-pointer of the night to clinch the Georgia victory.
“We need to play better and we will,” said Crean. “The lineups will change as we go, and some guys will flourish and some guys will take a little bit longer to figure it out. We have to be good together, and when we are, then we’ll be fine.”
Georgia will remain home this weekend as it plays host to the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Stegeman Coliseum. The non-conference matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tip time and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
In a grinding effort, the University of Georgia men’s basketball team defeated the Montana Grizzlies, 63-50, Tuesday evening before 1,638 spectators at Stegeman Coliseum. The Dawgs (4-0) overcame a below-average shooting performance to top the Grizzlies (0-4), dominating in the paint and on the boards.
Sophomore Toumani Camara led Georgia with his first career double-double, posting 15 points on 7-for-13 shooting and a career-high 17 rebounds and three steals. Camara was the third Dawg with a double-double this season and tallied the most rebounds since Trey Thompkins grabbed 17 against Alabama on Feb. 20, 2010.
Graduate Andrew Garcia pitched in 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting with five rebounds, while fellow transfers Justin Kier and P.J. Horne also notched double-digits in scoring, with each downing a pair of 3-pointers. Sophomore Sahvir Wheeler racked up nine points and led the team with five assists.
For the night, the Dawgs shot only 39.7 percent from the field, but outrebounded the Grizzlies, 49-30. Georgia also outscored Montana in transition by a 24-3 margin.
“We were fortunate,” said head coach Tom Crean following the game. “We really were because we had guys that showed up like they were 3-0, rather than trying to get on a one-game winning streak. It’s a whole different mindset.”
Georgia came out firing in the opening moments, quickly building a 9-0 lead and forcing an early Montana timeout after a Horne 3-pointer. The Dawgs continued to set a torrid pace, hitting on nine of their first 11 shots to build a 19-5 lead near the 14-minute mark of the first half.
Using sharp outside shooting, Montana began to come back, posting a 15-4 run that brought the deficit to three points with five minutes to play. Sophomore forward Kyle Owens paced the Grizzlies with 10 first-half points, en route to a game-high 17 points.
Back-to-back baskets from Kier, coupled with a Grizzlies scoring drought, helped Georgia restore its lead to 32-24 at the break, although the Dawgs nearly went scoreless in the final three minutes themselves.
After Montana narrowed the lead to five to open the second half, Georgia’s offense returned to life with a quick 9-2 run that returned the lead to double-digits. The Dawgs’ advantage hovered around 10 points as both teams struggled to score, but consecutive layups from Garcia and Wheeler extended the margin heading into the under-12 timeout.
Once again, the Grizzlies worked their way back into the contest, but a 3-pointer from Kier and a jumper from Camara maintained a comfortable distance for the Dawgs. Scoring struggles returned for both teams with a two-minute drought finally broken up by a Camara layup at the 3:59 mark. Holding a nine-point lead with under two to play, Horne connected on his second 3-pointer of the night to clinch the Georgia victory.
“We need to play better and we will,” said Crean. “The lineups will change as we go, and some guys will flourish and some guys will take a little bit longer to figure it out. We have to be good together, and when we are, then we’ll be fine.”
Georgia will remain home this weekend as it plays host to the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday, Dec. 12 at Stegeman Coliseum. The non-conference matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tip time and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
Tuesday Press Conference
Coach Kirby Smart
On whether there is any good news on the injury front in terms of getting some guys back…
“Kendall Milton has practiced in a black jersey and done really well. I wouldn’t say he’s full speed, but I’d say he’s pretty close. Hopefully he’ll be able to play. Richard LeCounte has taken about 25 percent of his reps that he would normally take. He’s probably not ready. I’d say he’s the furthest from those guys. Jordan Davis looks good. Jordan has done a really good job of being in conditioning shape. He’s been practicing really hard and looks good.”
On whether the NCAA has given him or the other coaches guidance as far as the 85-man roster and how to approach it going into the 2021 season…
“Yes and no. I mean, the feedback is that the seniors who choose to come back for an extra year of eligibility don’t count on the 85. So, that’s a bonus. You know you’re working off your 85. You assume those guys are going to be gone, but they’ve got the flexibility to come back. That’s great. That’s the right thing to do. I think that’s super, but now try to make decisions for your organization mid-year is a different circumstance. Everything doesn’t mesh…let’s say we have five mid-years, which isn’t the case at all, but let’s say we have five mid-years that want to come. We have to have a spot for every one of them to come, so every senior who elects to stay, we don’t have a mid-year spot. So, even though seniors won’t count towards the 85, we don’t have a spot for mid-years to come. We don’t really control what seniors stay, and we’ll certainly give them the flexibility, but if we have more mid-years that want to come than seniors who want to leave, we have a problem. I don’t think that all the things mesh real well, especially if you’re a program that has a shot at a lot of mid-years. What’s different about this year? Kids aren’t in high school, so why should [they] stay for [their] second semester? We’re looking at — and I don’t know about other schools, maybe they’re the same way — but we’re looking at the possibility of anywhere from 14 to 20 mid-year enrollees. Let’s say we have 20 mid-year enrollees who want to come — we don’t have 20 spots. Yet, the seniors won’t count next year, but they’re eating spots right now. It just doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make perfect sense, so it’s a dilemma that we have to deal with. You also have programs that have juniors, so you don’t know juniors who haven’t declared yet, but yet we’re having a signing date before the juniors declare. We’ve been saying for a while that the timing just isn’t accurate, and it really causes some mismanagement, and the people who suffer are the high school kids who may be told one thing and then someone say, ‘Well, I thought you could be here, but maybe you can’t be here.’ It just depends on the number of spots you have.”
On how the NCAA’s communication has been with the institutions in regard to above…
“I don’t think they’re making it up as they go along. They told us the kids would have the ability to come back, but every coach has to manage that himself. They’ve been in communication in terms of the seniors being given another year of eligibility. That’s why, to them, it doesn’t matter because the seniors don’t count. They’re not factoring in that seniors do count for spring, and it removes a spot. Look, I’d love every senior back. Seniors are the most valuable parts of your team. I’d love to have every one of them back, but not knowing is what’s tough.”
On what the most impressive thing has been about his team’s adherence to the COVID-19 protocols...
“I guess the most impressive thing has been the negative tests and the fact that we haven’t had a lot of positives, like you said, knock on wood. Ron Courson has reminded me many times you’re only as good as your last test, and it can change so quickly. Number one, we have a really good facility. Number two, we’ve got unbelievable staff here who do an unbelievable job of cleaning it and keeping it clean. I’m not saying other places don’t, and that’s why they have their problem, but I think our community has done a really good job, and we’ve done a really good job inside our building. Credit goes to our players, too, because they’ve obviously done a pretty good job of taking care of each other and not exposing each other.”
On Richard LeCounte’s spirits throughout his recovery…
“I think he likes being back out there. He wants to get out there for more reps, but it’s hard because for every rep you give him, that’s somebody else who doesn’t get one, and you don’t get to prepare a younger player. If he was ready to play, we’d want to give him all the reps, but he’s got to work himself back. He’s still not 100 percent, and I love that he’s pushing through that, because a lot of times, you have a talented player who’s uncomfortable going back and not being his old self. Well, he’s never going to be his old self until he pushes through these kind of growing pains he’s got to get through to get back. He’s pushing his way back, but I just don’t think he’s going to be ready this week.”
On whether the one-time exemption transfer rule is still set to take effect August 2021 and how much that plays into his and his coaching staff’s thinking going forward…
“We’ve known that for a while, that that’s sitting out there. We understand that the kids are going to be able. They really always have been able to, since the portal; they’re really kind of free to go. I think that everybody’s understanding is that the one-time transfer rule is going to hit, it’s just a matter of when. If that goes into effect August, then the kids who would have left in January would then possibly be eligible. There’s still a lot to be done on that in terms of whether that includes interconference? If it was a one-time thing, then I don’t know what direction that’s headed in our conference. Certainly everybody has their opinion and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey made a decision on that in terms of allowing guys to play, but what’s that going to be moving forward in terms of inside our conference versus just all across the country?”
On how defensive coordinator Dan Lanning addresses adversity with the defense…
“He hits it head on. He addresses it like any great coach would. As a young coordinator, you go through that, and you own up to things that you could do better, and you confront and demand things that the players could do better. We’re never going to be a program or staff that points blame at players. That’s not what we’re about. We go back to work, and we try to find a better way to do it. That’s what Lanning has done. He’s really good at what he does. He’s a great motivator, He’s a great leader. We’ve got a really great defensive staff here, so it’s not just Dan. We have about seven or eight guys over there who work really hard at getting information, building relationships with players, motivating players, finding new ideas [and] new schemes other people are doing. Dan benefits from that staff, but he’s the face and leader of that group. He stands in front of them, and he takes ownership when he needs to take ownership, and he challenges when he needs to challenge.”
On whether eye control is the common thread in games in which Georgia hasn’t played up to its standard…
“I would say that for the Florida game. Eye control was very lacking. I’m not going to say that was the case in the Alabama game. It wasn’t really eye control. There were only one or two plays there. A lot of it was tackling and really good plays by them where you’ve got guys covering and they make plays. Consistently, I would say that it’s been different things, but the lack of eye control probably showed up most in the Florida game.”
On an update on Trey Hill and if Van Fran and Ericson are ready to step in at center…
“Yeah, both of those guys are working there and doing a good job. Trey Hill has a meniscus that he was going to have to have repaired after the season, and then I guess last week at some time he injured his other meniscus—so he went ahead and got both of them cleaned up, and he is good. He’s already off a scooter and moving around. We are really hoping he can bounce back. It was more of a cleanup than a surgery, so we are hopeful to get him back at some point. The other guys are working really hard and doing a good job out there.”
On Jermaine Johnson and whether he is the kind of player Smart and his staff want to recruit out of the junior college ranks…
“Anytime you go through the junior college ranks, you want to get a phenomenal player that can impact your team immediately. He had an injury early in camp when he first got here. He had a high ankle sprain, and it really slowed him down in terms of developing and getting better. He has a lot of natural talents. He’s extremely athletic, fast. He plays the sand backer position really well. The fact that he can set edges and play man-to-man and rush the passer. I think he’s just starting to come into his own. He’s gotten really comfortable with our calls, our games, our pass-rush stuff. He’s rushed more this year. You know last year, he and Adam Anderson were spying more times than they were rushing. Now, they’re rushing more on the hole, and he’s doing a nice job of that. We are very pleased with his growth. He’s really a tremendous leader at practice. He practices really hard, and he takes coaching really well.”
On what Missouri’s offense has been doing that has been them so effective lately…
“The quarterback, Connor Bazelak, is really accurate. He throws a really catchable ball. I’ve been extremely impressed with this guy’s composure, poise, and he’s going to be there for a while. He’s young. He knows coverages — as soon as he sees a coverage he knows where to go with the ball. He throws a really good deep ball. When you play contested, pressed man all over the field — he makes throws and they make 50-50 catches. When you play a zone and you spot drop all over, he knows where to go with the ball and he completes it. He’s got a really good balance run game to go with it. Part of being a quarterback is being good decision makers. Eliah [Drinkwitz] and them do a great job of run-pass conflicts where there is a rocket guy where he can hand it to or throw it to, and then he can hand it off. If you’re not in the perfect call then they can get you here or they can get you there. They are tough to defend. He’s going to be great for our league because when you look at what he does, there are going to be people copy catting what he does to add that to their offense because his history at Appalachian State was that, his story at NC State was that. He was really good at creating offense.”
On his thoughts on Missouri’s two consecutive off-weeks then coming back to play and if he sees it as beneficial…
“It’s all about how you take it and how you manage it. The head guy is out so I don’t know how much they practice. I have no idea if they did a mini-camp or practiced or just walked through the guys they had. Part of the reason you can’t play a game is you have guys out. I think it certainly helps the youth on their team. When you have a new offensive-system, time helps — I know that from ours. The more time you get guys experience it helps you operate more efficiently. We are so much more efficient now than we were the beginning of the year.”
On what it is like now that, in a way, the transfer portal offers a second chance to recruit a player that Georgia may not have gotten out of high school…
“It hasn’t changed any. What changed? Nothing changed. I was always considerate and nice when a guy didn’t come anyway. I don’t know if there was a portal when D-Rob came out. I can’t remember. I wasn’t mad when D-Rob didn’t come. I told him congratulations, best wishes and let us know if we can ever help him with anything. It never changed because there was a portal. The portal is just a public was of saying, ‘I’m a free agent.’ The way we recruit is the way we recruit. If they choose to go in the portal, great. If there is kids in the portal that we had relationships with, then we’re going to communicate with them if they are interested. It hasn’t changed the way we have recruited.”
On what the moments are like right after a game postponement…
“My feelings are probably are, appreciate the games you do have. Appreciate the games you did play or you are going to play because you don’t control the ones you’re not. You certainly better not take the ones you have coming up for granted because you are not guaranteed any others. Look, six months ago I don’t even think we thought we were going to have this season. In the SEC, I know, has great leadership, and its doing all they can to get every one of these games in, and if we end up hitting 90 percent, I think that’s good. To each their own.”
On what his view is on the quiet leaders like Zamir White…
“I don’t mind at all guys like that. The guys I’ve been around like that are usually the hardest workers. Azeez Ojulari is like that. Nakobe Dean is a little like. Zamir White is a little like that. You want to build leadership. We do a lot of character and leadership development, and we do that through outside sources, through inside sources. We try as coaches to develop that trait, that characteristic trait. You can’t force that trait on anybody. The greatest trait to have is hard work and great work ethic—which is what those guys have. If it’s quite, it’s quiet, and that is an example setter. If it gets to the point where they need to be verbal and they’re willing to do it, that’s great too.”
On what he would like to see the NCAA and SEC do about interconference transfers…
“Well, you want my honest answer on that? I can give you the stock answer which is, I am indifferent. As every coach in the SEC probably wouldn’t admit, it’s all about who they can get based on how they want that rule. If you have the guy sitting out there that is going to change your team, guess what you want? You want it to change, right? If you are playing against them you may not want it to change. It’s a selfish world out there, and every guy is trying to do what gives his team the best chance to win and it really should be based on what’s best for the players and what’s best for the longevity of our conference. Everybody in the public would say what’s best for the player, to be able to go and play interconference. Some inherent part of me says, ‘I just don’t know if my son was at a place and he was not playing, or he was disgruntled and I would want to know why it was that way.’ Then I would tell him, ‘You need to try harder. You need to do better. You need to continue to work. You need to continue to grow because something about that in this world, I think makes you a better person. Sometimes we don’t demand kids to do that, and we give them the easy way out. You know what? They can find a lot of other schools that will let them go to them. It’s a really tough situation because I don’t say that from the guys that left here—it’s not about that for me. It’s about what’s best for our conference, what’s best for our programs, what’s best for the game of football, and what’s best for the kids. That’s why you guys like to talk about it because there’s no perfect or right answer.”
Jermaine Johnson, Senior, Linebacker
On his impressions of Missouri and the challenge Georgia will face...
"We know they're a good team and on a roll right now. They've got a good thing going over there, but just like every other week we've got a game plan to practice and then go out on Saturday to execute it. As for the weather, we'll control what we can control and just go out there and play the best we can."
On the defense...
"As a unit, especially as a defense, we want to get after the quarterback. Last year we didn't get home as much as we wanted to or as much as we could have. This year, we're putting an emphasis on getting home and working on what we each need to work on. We all get excited for on another when we do that, and it makes the rest of us want to do it too. This year, the defense did a good job so far getting home to the quarterback and wreaking havoc back there, causing problems for the offense. When you have guys like we do, it just makes the defense's job a whole lot easier."
On his career and what he has accomplished...
"I came to the University of Georgia, and I would do it all the same again. I love it here, and I feel like my coaches, and I get along very well. All my family can talk about is how great the 'G' is and having it all over their clothes. They talk about how people stop them all over the country when they wear the Georgia logo, but I feel like I've done well here. Some things could have gone a little better. You can't get everything your way, but you can take advantage of your opportunities and make the most of it."
Nakobe Dean, Sophomore, Linebacker
On the team’s motivation...
"Motivation and drive come from my competitive nature. Everybody on this team is a competitor, and we like to compete."
On the cold weather expected during Saturday’s game…
"Playing in cold weather doesn't bother me at all. I feel like it's a mindset. My senior year of high school, we went to the playoffs, so we played in cold weather. Three of my last four games, we played in 36-degree weather with rain. So, I think it's all a mindset, because if you go out with the right one, you'll be good."
On the effect of games being moved and the challenges that come with it...
"It's been a very strange season. I feel like it's more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Last week, we didn't find out until Friday. It took me a little while to deescalate my mind. I didn't even know what to do that weekend, I was lost."
On whether there is any good news on the injury front in terms of getting some guys back…
“Kendall Milton has practiced in a black jersey and done really well. I wouldn’t say he’s full speed, but I’d say he’s pretty close. Hopefully he’ll be able to play. Richard LeCounte has taken about 25 percent of his reps that he would normally take. He’s probably not ready. I’d say he’s the furthest from those guys. Jordan Davis looks good. Jordan has done a really good job of being in conditioning shape. He’s been practicing really hard and looks good.”
On whether the NCAA has given him or the other coaches guidance as far as the 85-man roster and how to approach it going into the 2021 season…
“Yes and no. I mean, the feedback is that the seniors who choose to come back for an extra year of eligibility don’t count on the 85. So, that’s a bonus. You know you’re working off your 85. You assume those guys are going to be gone, but they’ve got the flexibility to come back. That’s great. That’s the right thing to do. I think that’s super, but now try to make decisions for your organization mid-year is a different circumstance. Everything doesn’t mesh…let’s say we have five mid-years, which isn’t the case at all, but let’s say we have five mid-years that want to come. We have to have a spot for every one of them to come, so every senior who elects to stay, we don’t have a mid-year spot. So, even though seniors won’t count towards the 85, we don’t have a spot for mid-years to come. We don’t really control what seniors stay, and we’ll certainly give them the flexibility, but if we have more mid-years that want to come than seniors who want to leave, we have a problem. I don’t think that all the things mesh real well, especially if you’re a program that has a shot at a lot of mid-years. What’s different about this year? Kids aren’t in high school, so why should [they] stay for [their] second semester? We’re looking at — and I don’t know about other schools, maybe they’re the same way — but we’re looking at the possibility of anywhere from 14 to 20 mid-year enrollees. Let’s say we have 20 mid-year enrollees who want to come — we don’t have 20 spots. Yet, the seniors won’t count next year, but they’re eating spots right now. It just doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make perfect sense, so it’s a dilemma that we have to deal with. You also have programs that have juniors, so you don’t know juniors who haven’t declared yet, but yet we’re having a signing date before the juniors declare. We’ve been saying for a while that the timing just isn’t accurate, and it really causes some mismanagement, and the people who suffer are the high school kids who may be told one thing and then someone say, ‘Well, I thought you could be here, but maybe you can’t be here.’ It just depends on the number of spots you have.”
On how the NCAA’s communication has been with the institutions in regard to above…
“I don’t think they’re making it up as they go along. They told us the kids would have the ability to come back, but every coach has to manage that himself. They’ve been in communication in terms of the seniors being given another year of eligibility. That’s why, to them, it doesn’t matter because the seniors don’t count. They’re not factoring in that seniors do count for spring, and it removes a spot. Look, I’d love every senior back. Seniors are the most valuable parts of your team. I’d love to have every one of them back, but not knowing is what’s tough.”
On what the most impressive thing has been about his team’s adherence to the COVID-19 protocols...
“I guess the most impressive thing has been the negative tests and the fact that we haven’t had a lot of positives, like you said, knock on wood. Ron Courson has reminded me many times you’re only as good as your last test, and it can change so quickly. Number one, we have a really good facility. Number two, we’ve got unbelievable staff here who do an unbelievable job of cleaning it and keeping it clean. I’m not saying other places don’t, and that’s why they have their problem, but I think our community has done a really good job, and we’ve done a really good job inside our building. Credit goes to our players, too, because they’ve obviously done a pretty good job of taking care of each other and not exposing each other.”
On Richard LeCounte’s spirits throughout his recovery…
“I think he likes being back out there. He wants to get out there for more reps, but it’s hard because for every rep you give him, that’s somebody else who doesn’t get one, and you don’t get to prepare a younger player. If he was ready to play, we’d want to give him all the reps, but he’s got to work himself back. He’s still not 100 percent, and I love that he’s pushing through that, because a lot of times, you have a talented player who’s uncomfortable going back and not being his old self. Well, he’s never going to be his old self until he pushes through these kind of growing pains he’s got to get through to get back. He’s pushing his way back, but I just don’t think he’s going to be ready this week.”
On whether the one-time exemption transfer rule is still set to take effect August 2021 and how much that plays into his and his coaching staff’s thinking going forward…
“We’ve known that for a while, that that’s sitting out there. We understand that the kids are going to be able. They really always have been able to, since the portal; they’re really kind of free to go. I think that everybody’s understanding is that the one-time transfer rule is going to hit, it’s just a matter of when. If that goes into effect August, then the kids who would have left in January would then possibly be eligible. There’s still a lot to be done on that in terms of whether that includes interconference? If it was a one-time thing, then I don’t know what direction that’s headed in our conference. Certainly everybody has their opinion and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey made a decision on that in terms of allowing guys to play, but what’s that going to be moving forward in terms of inside our conference versus just all across the country?”
On how defensive coordinator Dan Lanning addresses adversity with the defense…
“He hits it head on. He addresses it like any great coach would. As a young coordinator, you go through that, and you own up to things that you could do better, and you confront and demand things that the players could do better. We’re never going to be a program or staff that points blame at players. That’s not what we’re about. We go back to work, and we try to find a better way to do it. That’s what Lanning has done. He’s really good at what he does. He’s a great motivator, He’s a great leader. We’ve got a really great defensive staff here, so it’s not just Dan. We have about seven or eight guys over there who work really hard at getting information, building relationships with players, motivating players, finding new ideas [and] new schemes other people are doing. Dan benefits from that staff, but he’s the face and leader of that group. He stands in front of them, and he takes ownership when he needs to take ownership, and he challenges when he needs to challenge.”
On whether eye control is the common thread in games in which Georgia hasn’t played up to its standard…
“I would say that for the Florida game. Eye control was very lacking. I’m not going to say that was the case in the Alabama game. It wasn’t really eye control. There were only one or two plays there. A lot of it was tackling and really good plays by them where you’ve got guys covering and they make plays. Consistently, I would say that it’s been different things, but the lack of eye control probably showed up most in the Florida game.”
On an update on Trey Hill and if Van Fran and Ericson are ready to step in at center…
“Yeah, both of those guys are working there and doing a good job. Trey Hill has a meniscus that he was going to have to have repaired after the season, and then I guess last week at some time he injured his other meniscus—so he went ahead and got both of them cleaned up, and he is good. He’s already off a scooter and moving around. We are really hoping he can bounce back. It was more of a cleanup than a surgery, so we are hopeful to get him back at some point. The other guys are working really hard and doing a good job out there.”
On Jermaine Johnson and whether he is the kind of player Smart and his staff want to recruit out of the junior college ranks…
“Anytime you go through the junior college ranks, you want to get a phenomenal player that can impact your team immediately. He had an injury early in camp when he first got here. He had a high ankle sprain, and it really slowed him down in terms of developing and getting better. He has a lot of natural talents. He’s extremely athletic, fast. He plays the sand backer position really well. The fact that he can set edges and play man-to-man and rush the passer. I think he’s just starting to come into his own. He’s gotten really comfortable with our calls, our games, our pass-rush stuff. He’s rushed more this year. You know last year, he and Adam Anderson were spying more times than they were rushing. Now, they’re rushing more on the hole, and he’s doing a nice job of that. We are very pleased with his growth. He’s really a tremendous leader at practice. He practices really hard, and he takes coaching really well.”
On what Missouri’s offense has been doing that has been them so effective lately…
“The quarterback, Connor Bazelak, is really accurate. He throws a really catchable ball. I’ve been extremely impressed with this guy’s composure, poise, and he’s going to be there for a while. He’s young. He knows coverages — as soon as he sees a coverage he knows where to go with the ball. He throws a really good deep ball. When you play contested, pressed man all over the field — he makes throws and they make 50-50 catches. When you play a zone and you spot drop all over, he knows where to go with the ball and he completes it. He’s got a really good balance run game to go with it. Part of being a quarterback is being good decision makers. Eliah [Drinkwitz] and them do a great job of run-pass conflicts where there is a rocket guy where he can hand it to or throw it to, and then he can hand it off. If you’re not in the perfect call then they can get you here or they can get you there. They are tough to defend. He’s going to be great for our league because when you look at what he does, there are going to be people copy catting what he does to add that to their offense because his history at Appalachian State was that, his story at NC State was that. He was really good at creating offense.”
On his thoughts on Missouri’s two consecutive off-weeks then coming back to play and if he sees it as beneficial…
“It’s all about how you take it and how you manage it. The head guy is out so I don’t know how much they practice. I have no idea if they did a mini-camp or practiced or just walked through the guys they had. Part of the reason you can’t play a game is you have guys out. I think it certainly helps the youth on their team. When you have a new offensive-system, time helps — I know that from ours. The more time you get guys experience it helps you operate more efficiently. We are so much more efficient now than we were the beginning of the year.”
On what it is like now that, in a way, the transfer portal offers a second chance to recruit a player that Georgia may not have gotten out of high school…
“It hasn’t changed any. What changed? Nothing changed. I was always considerate and nice when a guy didn’t come anyway. I don’t know if there was a portal when D-Rob came out. I can’t remember. I wasn’t mad when D-Rob didn’t come. I told him congratulations, best wishes and let us know if we can ever help him with anything. It never changed because there was a portal. The portal is just a public was of saying, ‘I’m a free agent.’ The way we recruit is the way we recruit. If they choose to go in the portal, great. If there is kids in the portal that we had relationships with, then we’re going to communicate with them if they are interested. It hasn’t changed the way we have recruited.”
On what the moments are like right after a game postponement…
“My feelings are probably are, appreciate the games you do have. Appreciate the games you did play or you are going to play because you don’t control the ones you’re not. You certainly better not take the ones you have coming up for granted because you are not guaranteed any others. Look, six months ago I don’t even think we thought we were going to have this season. In the SEC, I know, has great leadership, and its doing all they can to get every one of these games in, and if we end up hitting 90 percent, I think that’s good. To each their own.”
On what his view is on the quiet leaders like Zamir White…
“I don’t mind at all guys like that. The guys I’ve been around like that are usually the hardest workers. Azeez Ojulari is like that. Nakobe Dean is a little like. Zamir White is a little like that. You want to build leadership. We do a lot of character and leadership development, and we do that through outside sources, through inside sources. We try as coaches to develop that trait, that characteristic trait. You can’t force that trait on anybody. The greatest trait to have is hard work and great work ethic—which is what those guys have. If it’s quite, it’s quiet, and that is an example setter. If it gets to the point where they need to be verbal and they’re willing to do it, that’s great too.”
On what he would like to see the NCAA and SEC do about interconference transfers…
“Well, you want my honest answer on that? I can give you the stock answer which is, I am indifferent. As every coach in the SEC probably wouldn’t admit, it’s all about who they can get based on how they want that rule. If you have the guy sitting out there that is going to change your team, guess what you want? You want it to change, right? If you are playing against them you may not want it to change. It’s a selfish world out there, and every guy is trying to do what gives his team the best chance to win and it really should be based on what’s best for the players and what’s best for the longevity of our conference. Everybody in the public would say what’s best for the player, to be able to go and play interconference. Some inherent part of me says, ‘I just don’t know if my son was at a place and he was not playing, or he was disgruntled and I would want to know why it was that way.’ Then I would tell him, ‘You need to try harder. You need to do better. You need to continue to work. You need to continue to grow because something about that in this world, I think makes you a better person. Sometimes we don’t demand kids to do that, and we give them the easy way out. You know what? They can find a lot of other schools that will let them go to them. It’s a really tough situation because I don’t say that from the guys that left here—it’s not about that for me. It’s about what’s best for our conference, what’s best for our programs, what’s best for the game of football, and what’s best for the kids. That’s why you guys like to talk about it because there’s no perfect or right answer.”
Jermaine Johnson, Senior, Linebacker
On his impressions of Missouri and the challenge Georgia will face...
"We know they're a good team and on a roll right now. They've got a good thing going over there, but just like every other week we've got a game plan to practice and then go out on Saturday to execute it. As for the weather, we'll control what we can control and just go out there and play the best we can."
On the defense...
"As a unit, especially as a defense, we want to get after the quarterback. Last year we didn't get home as much as we wanted to or as much as we could have. This year, we're putting an emphasis on getting home and working on what we each need to work on. We all get excited for on another when we do that, and it makes the rest of us want to do it too. This year, the defense did a good job so far getting home to the quarterback and wreaking havoc back there, causing problems for the offense. When you have guys like we do, it just makes the defense's job a whole lot easier."
On his career and what he has accomplished...
"I came to the University of Georgia, and I would do it all the same again. I love it here, and I feel like my coaches, and I get along very well. All my family can talk about is how great the 'G' is and having it all over their clothes. They talk about how people stop them all over the country when they wear the Georgia logo, but I feel like I've done well here. Some things could have gone a little better. You can't get everything your way, but you can take advantage of your opportunities and make the most of it."
Nakobe Dean, Sophomore, Linebacker
On the team’s motivation...
"Motivation and drive come from my competitive nature. Everybody on this team is a competitor, and we like to compete."
On the cold weather expected during Saturday’s game…
"Playing in cold weather doesn't bother me at all. I feel like it's a mindset. My senior year of high school, we went to the playoffs, so we played in cold weather. Three of my last four games, we played in 36-degree weather with rain. So, I think it's all a mindset, because if you go out with the right one, you'll be good."
On the effect of games being moved and the challenges that come with it...
"It's been a very strange season. I feel like it's more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Last week, we didn't find out until Friday. It took me a little while to deescalate my mind. I didn't even know what to do that weekend, I was lost."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)