UGA Sports Communications
The Saturday, Sept. 22, SEC football game between Georgia and Missouri in Columbia will kick off at 12:00 noon ET and be televised by ESPN.
This will be Georgia’s second appearance on ESPN this season. Georgia’s all time record on ESPN is 44-32-1
Monday, September 10, 2018
Saturday, September 8, 2018
Post Game Quotes
COACH KIRBY SMART
Opening Statement:
"Tough, hard-fought game. I’ve got a lot of respect for the coaches and the players on the other side. They play the game the right way, and I’m really proud of our team. I’m proud of our fans. I thought our fans showed up today – had a lot of them there in the stands. They continue to support us on the road, which I think is tremendous. They’re supporting a good cause, because our players played really hard and physical in a tough place to play. The environment is always tough and challenging here."
SOUTH CAROLINA HEAD COACH WILL MUSCHAMP
Jake Bentley, Junior, Quarterback
Opening Statement:
"Tough, hard-fought game. I’ve got a lot of respect for the coaches and the players on the other side. They play the game the right way, and I’m really proud of our team. I’m proud of our fans. I thought our fans showed up today – had a lot of them there in the stands. They continue to support us on the road, which I think is tremendous. They’re supporting a good cause, because our players played really hard and physical in a tough place to play. The environment is always tough and challenging here."
"We thought that if we were able to run the ball early it would find a way to take its toll in the second half and I think that showed through. Got a lot of places we can improve on. Disappointed in some spurts of decent defense, but I’m also proud of some third down plays that they we were able to make that I thought was the difference in the second half.”
On Georgia’s offensive run in the second half:
"It was doing what we did - cumulative effect. At the end of the day, they just wore down. You guys always want to make it about adjustments, which I understand, but we stopped them. Two three-and-outs I think maybe, and I think that was the back-breaker for the defense. To have to go out there and lean up against those big guys for two long drives, just took it out of them. You could just see the air coming out of them a little bit as they wore down physically."
"The big stop of the game to me was either the first or second drive in the second half. We had third-and-2 or third-and-3 and stopped them. They had to punt it right back to us. The defense was right back out there That takes its toll. I think our conditioning showed through. A lot of credit goes to coach Scott Sinclair and the strength staff. They worked those kids hard all summer, so they could prepare for second halves like that."
On his team’s preparation for the heat:
"We preached it all week. We didn’t say it publicly, but we certainly felt like the hotter it was, the better off we’d be. We don’t worry about what other people say. We worry about what we do. We practice at 3:30 every day, 4 o’ clock. It’s hot. We don’t run from it. We workout in the summer. It’s hot. The hotter it is, the deeper we are, the more guys we play, it takes its toll."
On his team’s identity after today’s win:
"I think today I would say physicality. One of the most important things (is) being physical. I think the line of scrimmage doesn’t flinch – being able to run the ball and stop the run."
Jake Fromm, Sophomore, Quarterback
On Mecole Hardman’s performance today:
"Every time we go to the sideline, Mecole is asking for the ball. He is a really good player and a guy that is just really special when the ball in is his hands. As long as we find a way to get him the ball, we will be alright."
On how he felt after opening up the third quarter with a touchdown:
"I was excited. I was feeling the gas; we aren’t letting off. We were going to keep shoving the ball down their throats."
On how he felt playing on the big stage:
"It’s awesome; it’s fun. You love coming into a crazy environment and coming out and playing your best football."
Jonathan Ledbetter, Senior, Defensive Line
On if he was surprised by the lopsided victory:
"I’m never surprised in the way we perform. We work hard; that’s just what it comes down to. We will celebrate for 24 hours on Sunday, and then we are going right back in. It doesn’t matter who’s next or where we are going; we are going to play our brand of football. It’s really special when you see it all come together."
On how easy the game was:
"I’m not going to lie to you man, it was a dog fight. They made some good plays; they obviously scored a couple of touchdowns. You just have to go out there and play a four-quarter game. It’s always a four-quarter game in the SEC. I told them we got to give them 60 minutes of hell, 10 minutes at a time."
D’Andre Swift, Sophomore, Running Back
On their second-half performance:
"I believe we are a second-half team, and I think we proved that tonight."
On what he thought about this being a statement game for them:
"It was a lot of hype this weekend about them upsetting us. We just practiced hard during the week, and I think that showed today. We were the better team today, and I think it just shows what kind of preparation we had."
On the depth of the Georgia team:
"Our depth is everything. We have so many people that can take it to the house at any moment. So I think our depth is very big for our team."
Opening Statement:
"We got whooped on the line of scrimmage. At the end of the day, we discussed that the line of scrimmage would be a key part of the game and we did not perform well. We wanted to have a balanced offense establishing the run and the pass game. At times our run game was effective on some scoring drives. But then we could not stop the run defensively as we allowed them to score 21 points on their first three drives of the second half."
"Again we have to continue to move forward and get better. We had 46 snaps in the first half offensively, which I felt well about. But then we came and went three and out on the first three series. We have a dropped pass and miss an inside RPO, which would have been a first down. Then we made a critical error on the shanked punt to end the half, which allowed them to get 3 points to end the half and take the momentum going into the second half. That was a critical error on our part. We have to be able to flip the field there on the punt."
"Disappointed with how we played, but Georgia has a great team. I would like to also thank our fans for all of the support. But we have a lot of ball left to play, and we are going to keep working hard."
On the drops in the first half:
"You know it has been and it is frustrating getting a tipped ball intercepted and returned for a touchdown. It was a big momentum builder for them to start the game like that. But we kept fighting, and we got it back to a 17-10 ballgame. Give our kids credit they fought their butts off and got themselves back in that position. Obviously disappointed with the last field goal at the end of the first half that gave them the 10-point lead, and then we just got whipped in the second half. We got moved off the line of scrimmage, we did not tackle as well, and we did not get lined up a couple times. It is just something that is very frustrating and correctable, so we are going to correct it and that is all we need."
On defending Georgia’s offensive talent:
"They do a great job creating space, and we have been talking about it all week. You have to leverage the ball, and you have to tackle in space to get the ball on the ground. I do not think we got hurt on the perimeter in the first half at all, but in the second half it was a whole different story. We got hurt for a touchdown and got hurt for a big play on the sideline due to a busted coverage. In several situations we got hurt on the perimeter, but Georgia is a talented team. So we are going to go back to the drawing board and correct our mistakes for next weekend. We have a long season ahead of us, and we are going to keep the right mentality and continue to work hard."
On Bryan Edwards’ day:
"We’re going to continue to get him the ball more and create some one-on-ones. He’s a good football player and a competitive young man, and we’ve got to continue to find ways to get him the ball."
On rushing vs. passing:
"We wanted to be able to make their rushers tired. That’s why we came out the way we did early – played with some tempo and spread them out a little bit. It was effective in moving the ball for us. Then being able to go back to some of our normal sets that we repped, that we felt like we gave them some issues with. Forty-six snaps, and you go into half – considering that we had played poorly in the first half – you feel pretty good about where you are. But you’ve got to get some stops on defense. It’s a team game."
On the biggest differences between where South Carolina is and where Georgia is in the season:
"They’re very good on the line of scrimmage. They’re massive in their offensive line. We’ve got to be able to play better up front, play blocks better up front, disengage up front, make better tackles in space. We got the ball on the perimeter too many times today. Overall, we need to continue to improve, and we will."
On moving forward:
"We’ve got a lot of football ahead of us. The big thing we need to do is be technical. Starting with me and all the way down with what we need to do to improve. We’ll put it all into Marshall next week."
On the early game drops:
"I have to put the ball in a better spot to make it easier to catch. With Rico Dowdle, granted it was at his head but I know he likes them at his chest so I have to do a better job with that. Other things may have been a little too tight, it may have got there, but go look at it, maybe there was some places to go that weren’t so contested."
On the offensive struggles:
"We have to be able to run the ball better, however we have to do that, we have to get that done. We just have to execute better. I think everyone on the offense will tell you that. Everyone all around has to do a better job of making plays and for me I just have to make more of the right decisions and continue to get better."
Bryan Edwards, Junior, Wide Receiver
On the offensive struggles:
"Executing better and obviously coming out and starting better. That interception return for a touchdown, that is not a good way to start so executing and limiting the mistakes."
On bouncing back from the loss:
"We have it on our wristbands that ‘Each week is a new season.’ We are going to come in Sunday and we are going to make the corrections moving on to Marshall and that is the motto on our team, win, lose, or draw."
Zack Bailey, Senior, Offensive Lineman
On Georgia’s defensive line:
"They are a good front. We didn’t have things go our way, we have to keep pushing them up front. I think at times we should have kept running it but obviously our throwing game seemed to be working as well at times but that is the coaches’ decision not mine. Overall, I think we just need to get more push upfront from the offensive line, it starts with us."
On South Carolina’s run game:
"I think we did a lot of outside stuff but I think we need to run a little bit more inside and just move people off the ball, that is the biggest thing. The offensive line, we take full responsibility for the run game. That is our job, so when you look at the stats it is disappointing, going out there and practicing every single day, giving it our all and not seeing the results. We will go through it tomorrow and try and make some corrections and try and figure out what we did wrong and get back after it, go through another week of practice and get ready for Marshall."
TJ Brunson, Junior, Linebacker
On the defensive breakdowns:
"We just didn’t align fast enough, we weren’t urgent. That is what it boiled down to; urgency, being vocal, and getting the calls to everyone."
On the size of Georgia’s offensive line:
"I feel like everything that happened on our side of the ball had a lot to do with us. Just understanding it was a dog fight and those guys they were good but we are just as good. Getting our guys to understand that it is a four quarter game."
Steven Montac, Senior, Defensive Back
On the loss:
"I mean it hurt…just the way we lost, and I know I could’ve played way better. It hurt really bad. We can’t let it define our season, though."
On missing D.J. Wonnum:
"Of course, we missed him, he’s a really good player. What happened today was on us, like execution. We have to focus better and play better."
Rico Dowdle, Junior, Running Back
On the gap between Carolina and Georgia:
"We didn’t play to the best of our ability. What we put out there today is not us; it does not define us as a team. I don’t think the scoreboard really determines if there’s a huge separation at all. We have ten games left to prove."
Dawgs Dominate Chickens
UGA Sports Communications
With an efficient 15-for-18 clip, 194 yards and a touchdown, sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm guided Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC) to its highest point production in Columbia, dating back to 1894. Five more Dawgs joined Fromm with trips to the end zone: senior linebacker Juwan Taylor, running backs D’Andre Swift, Elijah Holyfield, Brian Herrien and wide receiver Mecole Hardman, who also led the receiving group with six completions for 103 yards – both career bests.
On the defensive side, redshirt junior J.R. Reed and senior Deandre Baker registered an interception apiece, with sophomores Richard LeCounte and Monty Rice pacing the defense with career-highs of 10 and eight tackles, respectively.
"When we execute, we are hard to stop,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “That is important for us to be able to execute and do the things we need to do to have success. I do think our team played physical, played hard, and overcame a tough environment, but we didn’t play our best game. We have to improve.
The Georgia defense produced the first Dawg points. A deflected pass from Jake Bentley intended for running back Rico Dowdle found Baker, who returned it for 55 yards but fumbled inches before the end zone. Taylor trailed it and completed the touchdown, and Blankenship’s extra point secured the 7-0 margin.
Following a South Carolina three-and-out, a 30-yard Fromm-Hardman completion and a 15-yard Gamecock penalty positioned Georgia in the Red Zone. The next play, Swift sealed the two-touchdown lead with an untouched 17-yard rush.
South Carolina added a touchdown of their own on the next drive, using Deebo Samuel’s arm to find Bryan Edwards in the end zone. The Gamecocks then re-gained offensive possession with an intercepted pass from Rashad Fenton, but Georgia forced the South Carolina offense off the field after three plays and a failed fourth-down attempt, setting up a 45-yard field goal from Blankenship.
After both teams exchanged possessions, South Carolina started on its own 20-yard line and marched to Georgia’s 6-yard line at the 7:36 mark in the second quarter. The Dawg defense proceeded to hold the Gamecocks to a field goal, featuring a sack for a loss of three yards from senior linebacker D’Andre Walker.
Under the two-minute marker, the Dawgs halted the Gamecock offense and returned the ball to Fromm. With 43 seconds left in the half at the 33 yard-line, the quarterback from Warner Robins, Georgia completed passes to junior tight end Isaac Nauta and senior wide receiver Riley Ridley. Fromm ran for another seven yards before Blankenship boomed a second 45-yard field goal for the 20-10 lead at the half.
Back from the locker room, the Dawgs directed a 6-play, 75-yard possession, capped by a 34-yard pass from Fromm to Hardman for the 27-10 advantage with a Blankenship extra point.
Sixty seconds later, the Georgia offense was on the field again, beginning a five-play, 70-yard production, highlighted again by Fromm and Hardman, who connected for 42 yards before a 5-yard touchdown from Holyfield.
A South Carolina three-and-out set up a Georgia drive flooded with runs from three different backs: Swift, Holyfield and Herrien, who used a 15-yard touchdown to help Georgia to a 41-10 lead with three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
With the Gamecocks on the Georgia 5-yard line at the 13:25 mark in the fourth quarter, Reed caught a Bentley pass in the end zone for the second Bulldog interception of the game. South Carolina tacked on a touchdown with 9:59 remaining in the game, but Georgia maintained possession for the 41-17 final.
Post Game Notes
UGA Sports Communications
Points To Ponder: Georgia carried a 20-10 advantage to halftime and posted a 41-17 win, marking the most points it has ever scored in Columbia in the series that dates back to 1894. The 24-point margin of victory was the most in Columbia since 1971. Georgia improved to 2-0 (1-0 SEC) on the year and has won four in a row over USC. Georgia has opened the season with two straight games of 40+ points for the first time since 2012.
The Dawgs jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter for its big lead of the half and then exploded for 21 points in the third quarter to build a 41-10 lead. Georgia is now 18-2 under Kirby Smart when leading at the half. Georgia took the second half kickoff 75 yards on six plays, capped by a 34-yard TD pass from Jake Fromm to Mecole Hardman for a 27-10 edge. On Georgia’s next possession of the second half, they put together another six-play, 75-yard TD drive, capped by an Elijah Holyfield five-yard plunge and a 34-10 lead.
Points To Ponder: Georgia carried a 20-10 advantage to halftime and posted a 41-17 win, marking the most points it has ever scored in Columbia in the series that dates back to 1894. The 24-point margin of victory was the most in Columbia since 1971. Georgia improved to 2-0 (1-0 SEC) on the year and has won four in a row over USC. Georgia has opened the season with two straight games of 40+ points for the first time since 2012.
The Dawgs jumped ahead 14-0 in the first quarter for its big lead of the half and then exploded for 21 points in the third quarter to build a 41-10 lead. Georgia is now 18-2 under Kirby Smart when leading at the half. Georgia took the second half kickoff 75 yards on six plays, capped by a 34-yard TD pass from Jake Fromm to Mecole Hardman for a 27-10 edge. On Georgia’s next possession of the second half, they put together another six-play, 75-yard TD drive, capped by an Elijah Holyfield five-yard plunge and a 34-10 lead.
Fromm finished 15-for-18 for 194 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT in three quarters while Hardman established a career-high for receiving yards with 103 on six catches. Hardman was the first Dawg receiver to have a 100-yard game since Isaiah McKenzie (103 yards on 4 rec.) vs. TCU in the 2016 Liberty Bowl win. On the 3rd possession of the second half, Georgia extended its lead to 41-10 with a nine play, 86-yard in 4:37, capped by a 15-yard TD by Brian Herrien, the first of the year and fifth of career. Holyfield finished as the leading rusher with 76 yards on nine carries (both career highs) with one TD.
To The House: Senior DB Deandre Baker collected his first interception of the year and the sixth of his career in the first quarter and returned it 55 yards to the USC 1 before dropping it before crossing the goal line. Senior ILB Juwan Taylor scooped up the fumble and scored, which is still officially called an interception return for a touchdown, to put Georgia up 7-0. This was the fourth defensive score during the Kirby Smart era. Taylor’s touchdown marked Georgia’s first interception returned for a touchdown since Maurice Smith took one 35 yards versus Auburn in 2016. This was the Dawgs’ first interception returned for a touchdown on the road since Dominick Sanders returned a pick 88 yards at Vanderbilt in 2015.
Defense Sets The Tone: The Dawgs held the Gamecocks to a total of 79 yards, including just seven on the ground and seven points in the opening quarter. USC’s first touchdown came after the Gamecocks went 75 yards on 11 plays. In the second quarter, the Gamecocks totaled 111 yards to give them 191 on 46 plays in the first two periods but trailed 20-10. On USC’s second scoring drive, the Gamecocks went 14 plays for 71 yards and kicked a field goal. Richard LeCounte and Monty Rice led the team with a career-high in tackles with 10 and 8 respectively.
To The House: Senior DB Deandre Baker collected his first interception of the year and the sixth of his career in the first quarter and returned it 55 yards to the USC 1 before dropping it before crossing the goal line. Senior ILB Juwan Taylor scooped up the fumble and scored, which is still officially called an interception return for a touchdown, to put Georgia up 7-0. This was the fourth defensive score during the Kirby Smart era. Taylor’s touchdown marked Georgia’s first interception returned for a touchdown since Maurice Smith took one 35 yards versus Auburn in 2016. This was the Dawgs’ first interception returned for a touchdown on the road since Dominick Sanders returned a pick 88 yards at Vanderbilt in 2015.
Defense Sets The Tone: The Dawgs held the Gamecocks to a total of 79 yards, including just seven on the ground and seven points in the opening quarter. USC’s first touchdown came after the Gamecocks went 75 yards on 11 plays. In the second quarter, the Gamecocks totaled 111 yards to give them 191 on 46 plays in the first two periods but trailed 20-10. On USC’s second scoring drive, the Gamecocks went 14 plays for 71 yards and kicked a field goal. Richard LeCounte and Monty Rice led the team with a career-high in tackles with 10 and 8 respectively.
The Dawg defense stuffed a USC scoring threat early in the 4th quarter when J.R. Reed intercepted a pass in the end zone. It was his 3rd career interception and first this year. USC added a score midway through the 4th quarter on a 44-yard TD pass to cut it to 41-17. USC wound up with 336 yards of total offense on 68 plays but just 17 points.
Swift Makes It Two In A Row: Georgia only ran 31 plays in the first half and tallied 183 yards. After the defense scored the first touchdown, Georgia scored its first offensive score at the 11:50 mark in the first quarter to go up 14-0. Junior WR Mecole Hardman took a handoff 30 yards to jump start the Dawgs and they finished with a 17-yard touchdown run by sophomore TB D’Andre Swift. The drive was four plays for 76 yards in 1:15. This was Swift’s second touchdown of the year after scoring a 15 yarder versus Austin Peay and gives him five in his career.
Blankenship Booming Kicks: Junior PK Rodrigo Blankenship gave the Dawgs a 17-7 lead late in the opening period on a 45-yard field goal and then made a 44-yarder as the first half expired for a 20-10 edge. He is now 3-for-3 on the year and 12-for-18 in his career from 40+. He logged six more touchbacks on kickoffs today after going 8-for-8 on touchbacks during the season opener last Saturday.
Points off Turnovers: Georgia is +1 in Turnover Margin, scoring 14 points off three turnovers on the year. Opponents have forced two turnovers and turned them into no points. In the opening period, Deandre Baker took an interception 55 yards to the USC 1 and Juwan Taylor picked up the loose ball for the touchdown. Later in the first quarter, Rashad Fenton picked off Jake Fromm and returned it 16 yards to the UGA 34. The Gamecocks went for it on 4th-and-9 and did not convert. In the 4th quarter, J.R. Reed notched an INT in the end zone for a Red Zone stop.
Captains: Today’s captains were seniors Jonathan Ledbetter and Lamont Gaillard plus junior J.R. Reed.
Up Next: Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC) returns to Sanford Stadium next Sat., Sept. 15 against Middle Tennessee State with kickoff at 7:15 (ESPN2)
Swift Makes It Two In A Row: Georgia only ran 31 plays in the first half and tallied 183 yards. After the defense scored the first touchdown, Georgia scored its first offensive score at the 11:50 mark in the first quarter to go up 14-0. Junior WR Mecole Hardman took a handoff 30 yards to jump start the Dawgs and they finished with a 17-yard touchdown run by sophomore TB D’Andre Swift. The drive was four plays for 76 yards in 1:15. This was Swift’s second touchdown of the year after scoring a 15 yarder versus Austin Peay and gives him five in his career.
Blankenship Booming Kicks: Junior PK Rodrigo Blankenship gave the Dawgs a 17-7 lead late in the opening period on a 45-yard field goal and then made a 44-yarder as the first half expired for a 20-10 edge. He is now 3-for-3 on the year and 12-for-18 in his career from 40+. He logged six more touchbacks on kickoffs today after going 8-for-8 on touchbacks during the season opener last Saturday.
Points off Turnovers: Georgia is +1 in Turnover Margin, scoring 14 points off three turnovers on the year. Opponents have forced two turnovers and turned them into no points. In the opening period, Deandre Baker took an interception 55 yards to the USC 1 and Juwan Taylor picked up the loose ball for the touchdown. Later in the first quarter, Rashad Fenton picked off Jake Fromm and returned it 16 yards to the UGA 34. The Gamecocks went for it on 4th-and-9 and did not convert. In the 4th quarter, J.R. Reed notched an INT in the end zone for a Red Zone stop.
Captains: Today’s captains were seniors Jonathan Ledbetter and Lamont Gaillard plus junior J.R. Reed.
Up Next: Georgia (2-0, 1-0 SEC) returns to Sanford Stadium next Sat., Sept. 15 against Middle Tennessee State with kickoff at 7:15 (ESPN2)
Monday, September 3, 2018
Monday Press Conference
UGA Sports Communications
University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart, along with several players, met with media members on Monday to preview the upcoming game at South Carolina. The contest is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Smart and the Dawgs offered the following comments during Monday’s media session.
Head Coach Kirby Smart
Opening Comments …
“We are moving on to South Carolina. Obviously, I have a relationship with Coach Will Muschamp, and they do a tremendous job over there. Watching them progress their program over the last couple of years, they've gotten better with each season. We had a hard-fought battle two years ago on the Sunday game, and then last year's game was probably one of the most physical we played in. It was a really tough, physical game. A lot of breaking the wheels when it comes to running the ball, them and us. And they've got a great special teams unit that does a tremendous job in all phases. So obviously the challenges of going to Columbia and playing; we've talked to our kids about it a lot over the summer, an opportunity to go into an environment that'll be as tough as any, as I well know playing over there, from a crowd and a fanbase, and it sounds like we'll also be playing the heat and the sun along with their team, which is always a challenge.We're excited for the opportunity. I have a lot of respect for their program, and ready to get to work on them.”
On his assessment of the running game after watching film from Saturday …
“The first thing is we've gotta have some more explosive runs. Our run game has probably not been as explosive as we were last year, which that includes scrimmages. We didn't have the number of explosive runs you might have expected Saturday. I'm not going to say those guys ran the ball poorly. They ran the ball hard. But they probably missed the hole a couple of times and probably a little impatient at some times staying behind their blocking schemes and trying to bounce things out when we've gotta commit to keeping it inside. They would be the first to tell you that. As a matter of fact, a couple of them came off the field and said they missed it at the time. But their effort was there. If they continue to work hard with good ball security, then we can have a positive running game.”
On his relationship with South Carolina offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon …
“When I coached here previously under Mark Richt, Bryan was a player and did a tremendous job for us. I've always had a lot of respect for him as a leader, really good recruiter. He did a great job with receivers when he was with those guys, and now he's calling. He called it in the bowl game, and I thought for a guy that started off slow in the bowl game, he was very patient, committed, called a great game, especially the second half; kind of won that job by the job he did and got a great amount of respect.
What we can learn from the first game, probably tough. They're not the same defensively as we are. They were able to get a lead, very similar to our game, but I know he's a good football coach, and he's got a great staff around him of other guys that we've had to compete against, and I'm sure he'll rely on those guys to help him out.”
On Will Muschamp going up-tempo on offense …
“No. Tempo is in every offense in America now. So for it to be involved in it, I think it's the way of the world. If you can create an advantage by going up tempo and you have the kind of quarterback he has who can lead and coach on the field and do the things he does, I certainly think it's a big advantage. And I think you see a lot of teams out there. I think the key is can you go up tempo and still run the ball, which they can. And that's the key to going up tempo, because up tempo does nothing if you're three and out, and I think he'd be the first to tell you that. That's why they've been able to speed things up because they've got a quarterback that can make good decisions with the ball in his hands, and he makes them right a lot of times.”
On South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel …
“He's probably the most underrated player in all of college football, because I don't know that everybody in the country knows what the SEC knows about Deebo Samuel. I mean the guy is phenomenal. When you look at what he's done, even two years ago, he gave us fits in that game. And then you turn around and say, okay, he has a tough injury he has to deal with, but before he had that injury he had some of the most electric kickoff returns in the country. You see what he's already done in this game, in one game how explosive he's been at whether it's running back, receiver. And they're creative in ways in finding getting him the ball. He's a ten-touch guy a game, 15-touch guy a game. They're going to find ways to get him the ball, through the screen game, return game, handing it to him. He's an electric football player that's extremely powerful, confident, hard to tackle and he'll be a key guy for us. You gotta get him on the ground when he gets the ball, because you'll never know when it's going to him.”
On how the Georgia offensive line performed this past Saturday …
“Yeah. I didn't think the conditioning was where it needed to be, and I told those guys that. I thought at times they did some good things. The team they were playing was probably over-matched in a lot of the situations they were in. Pleased with assignments. Pleased with communication. But will be a whole new ballgame this week. They're going to be playing bigger, more physical guys. It's going to be loud. They've gotta do a better job of creating movement and they gotta do a better job second-level blocking, getting to the second level and protecting our ball carriers down the field and covering down which takes more effort.”
On incorporating speed on the edge in the running game …
“I don't think you ever change it. I mean whether you run the ball with a speed sweep or you run the ball with an inside zone, everybody knows in college football those plays are packaged together. So a lot of times it's what the defense gives you. Y'all may see it as a hand off to Demetris Robertson, but that's not actually what the play was. The play has two options to it.
So, with every play there's two plays, usually an inside play and an outside play. That's what college football is. It might be a run. It might be a pass. It might be a handoff, but I think you use the tools you have, but you take what the defense gives you. If it gives you the outside run, then you run it outside. If they give you the inside run, then you run it inside. If they give you neither, then you gotta find a way to throw the ball. We gotta be good at inside, outside run and the ability to throw the ball, because it's just hard to run the ball in our conference. Whether it's perimeter or inside, you've gotta be able to create plays through the passing game.”
On how Tyson Campbell played against Austin Peay…
“I don't know what play you're referring to, but he did a good job of what he was asked to do. He communicated well. I think he got settled down more as the game went on. He's got a lot of speed. He's got a lot of toughness. He's a competitor. He hadn't been in the environment he's going to be in Saturday, but I mean a lot of teams across the country have young DB players, and the only way they grow up is to go play. So he needs to go play. And we've got other guys that can roll in and play. Eric Stokes came in and played well. So did Mark Webb.
So I feel a lot better about where we are at corner this year right now than I did at times in the past. They just need to go play. Those guys have to go play, and they're going to have to play well this week because they (South Carolina) have some really good wide-outs."
On the possibility and expectations of the return of Terry Godwin…
“I don't compare this to Notre Dame because our fan base was, it felt like, 50 percent of the fan base. It won't be that way in Columbia, let me assure you. Their fan base will be turned out and have a lot of people there. So that environment is probably not a good analogy for what we're going into. Because I know, I've been there, I understand. Not a lot of our guys have because the last time we played there was a Sunday.
But all things considered, that's not what's important for our team. What's important for our team is how we practice today, how they listen to the scouting report and what they prepare for.
You guys are focused on the game. We're focused on today trying to get ready for practice.”
On the challenges of deciding on the 70-man travel roster…
“The biggest challenge will probably be figuring out the injuries with some guys. If one guy can't go here, then you have to take two extra guys there and making sure that Kearis Jackson and Jayson Stanley are good to go, who were not really cleared to play the other day. We're trying to get those guys back.
That's probably the toughest thing is just being able to foresee the injuries and who gets the reps to decide. A lot of that will be determined by special teams for us.”
On the challenges of facing their wide receiver group…
“They're big, they're physical. They throw the ball vertically down the field. I think Jake Bentley does a tremendous job of throwing the touch passes, throwing fade routes, throwing vertical patterns; and they catch them at a high percentage. I think if you look back over the last few games, they've hit a lot of those long balls, and they have big wide-outs to do it with. They're committed to the run game to the point where you can't sit there and cover up the pass the whole time. So they take their shots, you have to cover them. It will be the same way for them against us. The game can be a simple game; when you get down to it, you have to make plays when you get an opportunity.”
On emerging leaders of the team…
“Yeah, I think those guys start to come to the forefront when you have adversity. We didn't have a lot of adversity Saturday, but leading up to the week, practice, there are guys starting to rear their heads, guys that practice hard all the time, guys that step up and speak after practice or speak before the game. I think we're starting to get some guys to show some of those qualities, but it's the same guys you would expect. And that's what we expect. We want to continue to develop that. But a lot of that true leadership doesn't show until things get tough.”
On Jack Camarda's performance against Austin Peay…
“I think it's good to get a game under his belt. He's a tremendous talent. He works hard day in and day out. He probably had some adrenaline pumping and he lost a couple that ended up going into the end zone, but it's hard to predict from how far he was punting it that that was going to happen. I just hope, given the opportunity to do some sky kicks, he can do it with good percentages of getting them down like Cam Nizialek did. Those probably weren't fair to judge him off of because we weren't telling him to sky those.”
On South Carolina offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon reaching out to Smart when transitioning from interim to full-time…
"No, not really. I talked to Will periodically, and I've worked with Lance Thompson a long time. I know a lot of guys on their staff, but B Mac is probably closer to Mike Bobo and some of those guys that he's worked with longer. I have a lot of respect for B Mac. I see him a lot of times on the road recruiting."
On if the South Carolina game has grown in significance since Smart’s time as a player…
"They're all significant. That's all I can say. They're all significant."
On Smart’s assessment of the front seven after the first game…
"Probably didn't get tested. I mean to be dead honest with you, probably didn't get tested. I know it's easy to say that now, but that's not the caliber of offensive line we're going to have to face. And I've got a lot of respect for Austin Peay and the job their coach does, and their kids played really hard. But we know that we're going to face a bigger, heavier, quicker person, and we're going to have to play better. For what we asked them to do, you can't say the kids didn't play hard. They played hard, ran to ball. We didn't play with real good technique all the time, and it will continue to be a committee because the committee in the defensive front in the SEC is, you’ve got to play a lot of people, especially against a team that goes up-tempo."
On reinforcement and education on targeting…
"We try to reinforce it every opportunity we get. When we have a learning opportunity from an opponent that has one or we have one come up in practice, we show it to the team. We have an SEC official that comes in and speaks to the team in the preseason, and does a tremendous job of showing do's and don'ts and not leading with the head. And I don't think you can do enough education on that. But our biggest education is when we have something in practice, we show it in a team meeting that, hey, this is not how we want to practice. It's not safe for you, but it's also not safe for the guy opposite you. I think James understands that. His intent was not to be violent and hurt somebody. He's a freshman that made a mistake and will learn a valuable lesson from it."
On quarterback Jake Bentley’s contribution to the South Carolina offense…
"A leader. I mean he understands the game. There are games I've watched him play over the years, it seems like 30 games now, seeing the kid in the game, understand it – whether it was on TV or watching him on tape – comes down to a two-minute situation. You like having a coach on the field. He's more athletic than you give him credit for. He scrambles for first downs when things are covered. He handles pressure well. He knows where to go with the ball. He's unbelievable in the RPO game. I mean he's a really good quarterback, and as an offensive coordinator, it's a lot easier to call the game when you've got a guy that you know makes good decisions with the ball. And that's what he does best."
On freshman ILB Channing Tindall returning to his hometown to play in Columbia…
"I think it's special anytime you go back home and get to play in front of your hometown and your family. And that's a special moment for him. His recruitment was a long process. He handled it the right way. He communicated throughout. He took a lot of visits. But I think a lot of him as a kid. His family is a great family. I've enjoyed getting to know them, recruiting them in Columbia. And he's an exciting player. He’s got to grow up and mature and learn some things, but as far as competitor, toughness, effort on the field, he gives that. And he's really fast, and speed is hard to coach. And he continues to grow as a player, and we're trying to develop him because we think he's really talented."
On if the game situation will dictate the quarterback decision…
"It's just a situation where there's no plan. You know, we gotta go with how things go and how the flow of the game goes. I thought Fromm did a good job Saturday in the game, handled things well, but I don't know what this game is going to dictate, what this game is going to bring. So we'll see."
On if Fromm has been offering advice to Fields on the upcoming environment at South Carolina…
"I've not been privy to any of those conversations. But I know all camp they roomed together, and they're around each other every day in meetings, but I'm not privy to their conversations among each other. But they're both great kids. They're both UGA fans. They both pull for us, and they compete hard against each other, but they're pulling the team in the right direction. That's one thing I'll say about both those kids. They just want to make our team better, and they've done that by how they've competed."
Riley Ridley, Jr., Wide Receiver
On Demetris Robertson fitting in with the receiver group and coming in after sitting out a year…
“He’s physical, he’s fast, he has a lot of awareness, so he fits pretty good with us right at this point. He had a big play of the game which we were excited about. We’re excited about the things he can do for the offense. I wouldn’t say he isn’t conditioned. I feel like he is conditioned as well as any other receiver in the room. He’s competing day in and day out, so I feel like he’s in good shape.”
On the environment in Columbia, South Carolina as a visiting team and communicating when lined way out…
“It’ll be the same. Just composure and know my assignment and know the coverage and know things going on around me and just be focused in.”
On making the most of an opportunity on a team of playmakers…
“We can throw the ball out of the backfield. We can throw it to any receiver, we can hand it off to a receiver. Anytime you have to take all of your opportunities and just got to make the most out of it.”
Andrew Thomas, So., Left Tackle
On the run game from Saturday and the difference approaching this weekend at South Carolina…
“I feel like we did pretty well but there are still some areas we can improve in. We need to get to our linebackers faster, things like that. It is a different level of competition this weekend as they are an SEC team. We just have to play our best to be able to beat them.”
On some of the more important aspects in an SEC road game…
“I guess crowd noise would be something that we have to deal with on the road. We also have to adjust to the different speed and level of play. We practice against great guys everyday so we should be prepared.”
On the key for the offensive line getting to the second level successfully…
“After you get your fit on the first line of scrimmage, just getting your eyes toward your linebacker and shoulders turned to make sure you can get off when they fire.”
Jonathan Ledbetter, Sr., Defensive End
On Jay Hayes’ arrival and talk about last year’s Georgia/Notre Dame game…
“Coming from another program, you know he’s going to have his strategies. He is tackling very well and is a great athlete. We noticed that watching his tape at Notre Dame. So of course, we wanted to welcome him into the family. He’s been fitting in perfectly. The D-line has definitely taken him in, but really just the whole team. You got a guy that wants to come in and continue to work to make himself better. We are here for it. We joke around sometimes about the game last year at practice and in the locker room saying, “That’s that Notre Dame swag you’re bringing to Georgia”. He’s a great guy and a great person. We love him, he’s just part of the family now.”
On playing in road environments…
“I like playing in noisy environments. I like the competition and the fans bring a lot of energy to games, just like our fans do. I think when everyone is screaming and yelling you just have more of that drive to do something and to do better. When you are in somebody’s own turf the odds are stacked against you and it is kind of a statement to be able to come out there and handle your business.”
On team leadership…
“Even in this first game against Austin Peay, I could see leadership in the new year. We are starting to realize that you have to create your own identity. You can’t live in the past off of someone else’s hard work. We are going to have to put the hours in to get to where we want to be and to be as successful as we want to be.”
J.R. Reed, Jr., Safety
On South Carolina’s speed…
“They are a SEC team. They kind of remind me of our team with the receivers, running backs and smart quarterback that they have…They have really big receivers and they have a lot of speed. Especially from what you see from Deebo Samuel. He is a very big and physical receiver. He is one of the top wideouts in the SEC…Jake Bentley reminds me a lot about our Jake, Jake Fromm. He is very smart, great competitor, and will play really hard out there for his team…It’s going to be a good game. We can’t make any mistakes back there in the secondary…As long as we stay in communication, we’ll have a great game.”
On carrying on a leadership role…
“I’m more relaxed. You know what to expect now. You aren’t going into the team new, so you always coach up the young guys like Tyson Campbell and the other young guys that might have a role in playing this year. I help with what they need to look at and then also now what I need to look at and what I need to watch.”
On keys to playing in tough road environments…
“You just have to play to your stable and play your game. You have to keep your mindset. You have to keep yourself in the game, because there are going to be ups and downs. It is all about how you respond to adversity. Try to limit any dumb penalties.”
University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart, along with several players, met with media members on Monday to preview the upcoming game at South Carolina. The contest is scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.
Smart and the Dawgs offered the following comments during Monday’s media session.
Head Coach Kirby Smart
Opening Comments …
“We are moving on to South Carolina. Obviously, I have a relationship with Coach Will Muschamp, and they do a tremendous job over there. Watching them progress their program over the last couple of years, they've gotten better with each season. We had a hard-fought battle two years ago on the Sunday game, and then last year's game was probably one of the most physical we played in. It was a really tough, physical game. A lot of breaking the wheels when it comes to running the ball, them and us. And they've got a great special teams unit that does a tremendous job in all phases. So obviously the challenges of going to Columbia and playing; we've talked to our kids about it a lot over the summer, an opportunity to go into an environment that'll be as tough as any, as I well know playing over there, from a crowd and a fanbase, and it sounds like we'll also be playing the heat and the sun along with their team, which is always a challenge.We're excited for the opportunity. I have a lot of respect for their program, and ready to get to work on them.”
On his assessment of the running game after watching film from Saturday …
“The first thing is we've gotta have some more explosive runs. Our run game has probably not been as explosive as we were last year, which that includes scrimmages. We didn't have the number of explosive runs you might have expected Saturday. I'm not going to say those guys ran the ball poorly. They ran the ball hard. But they probably missed the hole a couple of times and probably a little impatient at some times staying behind their blocking schemes and trying to bounce things out when we've gotta commit to keeping it inside. They would be the first to tell you that. As a matter of fact, a couple of them came off the field and said they missed it at the time. But their effort was there. If they continue to work hard with good ball security, then we can have a positive running game.”
On his relationship with South Carolina offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon …
“When I coached here previously under Mark Richt, Bryan was a player and did a tremendous job for us. I've always had a lot of respect for him as a leader, really good recruiter. He did a great job with receivers when he was with those guys, and now he's calling. He called it in the bowl game, and I thought for a guy that started off slow in the bowl game, he was very patient, committed, called a great game, especially the second half; kind of won that job by the job he did and got a great amount of respect.
What we can learn from the first game, probably tough. They're not the same defensively as we are. They were able to get a lead, very similar to our game, but I know he's a good football coach, and he's got a great staff around him of other guys that we've had to compete against, and I'm sure he'll rely on those guys to help him out.”
On Will Muschamp going up-tempo on offense …
“No. Tempo is in every offense in America now. So for it to be involved in it, I think it's the way of the world. If you can create an advantage by going up tempo and you have the kind of quarterback he has who can lead and coach on the field and do the things he does, I certainly think it's a big advantage. And I think you see a lot of teams out there. I think the key is can you go up tempo and still run the ball, which they can. And that's the key to going up tempo, because up tempo does nothing if you're three and out, and I think he'd be the first to tell you that. That's why they've been able to speed things up because they've got a quarterback that can make good decisions with the ball in his hands, and he makes them right a lot of times.”
On South Carolina WR Deebo Samuel …
“He's probably the most underrated player in all of college football, because I don't know that everybody in the country knows what the SEC knows about Deebo Samuel. I mean the guy is phenomenal. When you look at what he's done, even two years ago, he gave us fits in that game. And then you turn around and say, okay, he has a tough injury he has to deal with, but before he had that injury he had some of the most electric kickoff returns in the country. You see what he's already done in this game, in one game how explosive he's been at whether it's running back, receiver. And they're creative in ways in finding getting him the ball. He's a ten-touch guy a game, 15-touch guy a game. They're going to find ways to get him the ball, through the screen game, return game, handing it to him. He's an electric football player that's extremely powerful, confident, hard to tackle and he'll be a key guy for us. You gotta get him on the ground when he gets the ball, because you'll never know when it's going to him.”
On how the Georgia offensive line performed this past Saturday …
“Yeah. I didn't think the conditioning was where it needed to be, and I told those guys that. I thought at times they did some good things. The team they were playing was probably over-matched in a lot of the situations they were in. Pleased with assignments. Pleased with communication. But will be a whole new ballgame this week. They're going to be playing bigger, more physical guys. It's going to be loud. They've gotta do a better job of creating movement and they gotta do a better job second-level blocking, getting to the second level and protecting our ball carriers down the field and covering down which takes more effort.”
On incorporating speed on the edge in the running game …
“I don't think you ever change it. I mean whether you run the ball with a speed sweep or you run the ball with an inside zone, everybody knows in college football those plays are packaged together. So a lot of times it's what the defense gives you. Y'all may see it as a hand off to Demetris Robertson, but that's not actually what the play was. The play has two options to it.
So, with every play there's two plays, usually an inside play and an outside play. That's what college football is. It might be a run. It might be a pass. It might be a handoff, but I think you use the tools you have, but you take what the defense gives you. If it gives you the outside run, then you run it outside. If they give you the inside run, then you run it inside. If they give you neither, then you gotta find a way to throw the ball. We gotta be good at inside, outside run and the ability to throw the ball, because it's just hard to run the ball in our conference. Whether it's perimeter or inside, you've gotta be able to create plays through the passing game.”
On how Tyson Campbell played against Austin Peay…
“I don't know what play you're referring to, but he did a good job of what he was asked to do. He communicated well. I think he got settled down more as the game went on. He's got a lot of speed. He's got a lot of toughness. He's a competitor. He hadn't been in the environment he's going to be in Saturday, but I mean a lot of teams across the country have young DB players, and the only way they grow up is to go play. So he needs to go play. And we've got other guys that can roll in and play. Eric Stokes came in and played well. So did Mark Webb.
So I feel a lot better about where we are at corner this year right now than I did at times in the past. They just need to go play. Those guys have to go play, and they're going to have to play well this week because they (South Carolina) have some really good wide-outs."
On the possibility and expectations of the return of Terry Godwin…
“He's run the last few days. He's had a couple times he's come back where we thought he was going to be back and he just hadn't been able to push it over the edge, but he was able to work out Saturday prior to the game and run, and then he was able to work out some yesterday. We're expecting him to go out there today and do a lot more. We're expecting to get him back, but I won't know that probably until later in the week. But what he brings is some experience and some confidence. He has a really good feel with the quarterbacks. He has a lot of experience. I mean, he understands the game. He's a really good route runner and he has great hands. So for us that value of confidence of having an extra guy frees up some other guys to play on special teams when Terry is able to eat up some of the reps out there on offense.”
On the similarities of week two at Notre Dame last year and week two at South Carolina this year…
On the similarities of week two at Notre Dame last year and week two at South Carolina this year…
“I don't compare this to Notre Dame because our fan base was, it felt like, 50 percent of the fan base. It won't be that way in Columbia, let me assure you. Their fan base will be turned out and have a lot of people there. So that environment is probably not a good analogy for what we're going into. Because I know, I've been there, I understand. Not a lot of our guys have because the last time we played there was a Sunday.
But all things considered, that's not what's important for our team. What's important for our team is how we practice today, how they listen to the scouting report and what they prepare for.
You guys are focused on the game. We're focused on today trying to get ready for practice.”
On the challenges of deciding on the 70-man travel roster…
“The biggest challenge will probably be figuring out the injuries with some guys. If one guy can't go here, then you have to take two extra guys there and making sure that Kearis Jackson and Jayson Stanley are good to go, who were not really cleared to play the other day. We're trying to get those guys back.
That's probably the toughest thing is just being able to foresee the injuries and who gets the reps to decide. A lot of that will be determined by special teams for us.”
On the challenges of facing their wide receiver group…
“They're big, they're physical. They throw the ball vertically down the field. I think Jake Bentley does a tremendous job of throwing the touch passes, throwing fade routes, throwing vertical patterns; and they catch them at a high percentage. I think if you look back over the last few games, they've hit a lot of those long balls, and they have big wide-outs to do it with. They're committed to the run game to the point where you can't sit there and cover up the pass the whole time. So they take their shots, you have to cover them. It will be the same way for them against us. The game can be a simple game; when you get down to it, you have to make plays when you get an opportunity.”
On emerging leaders of the team…
“Yeah, I think those guys start to come to the forefront when you have adversity. We didn't have a lot of adversity Saturday, but leading up to the week, practice, there are guys starting to rear their heads, guys that practice hard all the time, guys that step up and speak after practice or speak before the game. I think we're starting to get some guys to show some of those qualities, but it's the same guys you would expect. And that's what we expect. We want to continue to develop that. But a lot of that true leadership doesn't show until things get tough.”
On Jack Camarda's performance against Austin Peay…
“I think it's good to get a game under his belt. He's a tremendous talent. He works hard day in and day out. He probably had some adrenaline pumping and he lost a couple that ended up going into the end zone, but it's hard to predict from how far he was punting it that that was going to happen. I just hope, given the opportunity to do some sky kicks, he can do it with good percentages of getting them down like Cam Nizialek did. Those probably weren't fair to judge him off of because we weren't telling him to sky those.”
On South Carolina offensive coordinator Bryan McClendon reaching out to Smart when transitioning from interim to full-time…
"No, not really. I talked to Will periodically, and I've worked with Lance Thompson a long time. I know a lot of guys on their staff, but B Mac is probably closer to Mike Bobo and some of those guys that he's worked with longer. I have a lot of respect for B Mac. I see him a lot of times on the road recruiting."
On if the South Carolina game has grown in significance since Smart’s time as a player…
"They're all significant. That's all I can say. They're all significant."
On Smart’s assessment of the front seven after the first game…
"Probably didn't get tested. I mean to be dead honest with you, probably didn't get tested. I know it's easy to say that now, but that's not the caliber of offensive line we're going to have to face. And I've got a lot of respect for Austin Peay and the job their coach does, and their kids played really hard. But we know that we're going to face a bigger, heavier, quicker person, and we're going to have to play better. For what we asked them to do, you can't say the kids didn't play hard. They played hard, ran to ball. We didn't play with real good technique all the time, and it will continue to be a committee because the committee in the defensive front in the SEC is, you’ve got to play a lot of people, especially against a team that goes up-tempo."
On reinforcement and education on targeting…
"We try to reinforce it every opportunity we get. When we have a learning opportunity from an opponent that has one or we have one come up in practice, we show it to the team. We have an SEC official that comes in and speaks to the team in the preseason, and does a tremendous job of showing do's and don'ts and not leading with the head. And I don't think you can do enough education on that. But our biggest education is when we have something in practice, we show it in a team meeting that, hey, this is not how we want to practice. It's not safe for you, but it's also not safe for the guy opposite you. I think James understands that. His intent was not to be violent and hurt somebody. He's a freshman that made a mistake and will learn a valuable lesson from it."
On quarterback Jake Bentley’s contribution to the South Carolina offense…
"A leader. I mean he understands the game. There are games I've watched him play over the years, it seems like 30 games now, seeing the kid in the game, understand it – whether it was on TV or watching him on tape – comes down to a two-minute situation. You like having a coach on the field. He's more athletic than you give him credit for. He scrambles for first downs when things are covered. He handles pressure well. He knows where to go with the ball. He's unbelievable in the RPO game. I mean he's a really good quarterback, and as an offensive coordinator, it's a lot easier to call the game when you've got a guy that you know makes good decisions with the ball. And that's what he does best."
On freshman ILB Channing Tindall returning to his hometown to play in Columbia…
"I think it's special anytime you go back home and get to play in front of your hometown and your family. And that's a special moment for him. His recruitment was a long process. He handled it the right way. He communicated throughout. He took a lot of visits. But I think a lot of him as a kid. His family is a great family. I've enjoyed getting to know them, recruiting them in Columbia. And he's an exciting player. He’s got to grow up and mature and learn some things, but as far as competitor, toughness, effort on the field, he gives that. And he's really fast, and speed is hard to coach. And he continues to grow as a player, and we're trying to develop him because we think he's really talented."
On if the game situation will dictate the quarterback decision…
"It's just a situation where there's no plan. You know, we gotta go with how things go and how the flow of the game goes. I thought Fromm did a good job Saturday in the game, handled things well, but I don't know what this game is going to dictate, what this game is going to bring. So we'll see."
On if Fromm has been offering advice to Fields on the upcoming environment at South Carolina…
"I've not been privy to any of those conversations. But I know all camp they roomed together, and they're around each other every day in meetings, but I'm not privy to their conversations among each other. But they're both great kids. They're both UGA fans. They both pull for us, and they compete hard against each other, but they're pulling the team in the right direction. That's one thing I'll say about both those kids. They just want to make our team better, and they've done that by how they've competed."
Riley Ridley, Jr., Wide Receiver
On Demetris Robertson fitting in with the receiver group and coming in after sitting out a year…
“He’s physical, he’s fast, he has a lot of awareness, so he fits pretty good with us right at this point. He had a big play of the game which we were excited about. We’re excited about the things he can do for the offense. I wouldn’t say he isn’t conditioned. I feel like he is conditioned as well as any other receiver in the room. He’s competing day in and day out, so I feel like he’s in good shape.”
On the environment in Columbia, South Carolina as a visiting team and communicating when lined way out…
“It’ll be the same. Just composure and know my assignment and know the coverage and know things going on around me and just be focused in.”
On making the most of an opportunity on a team of playmakers…
“We can throw the ball out of the backfield. We can throw it to any receiver, we can hand it off to a receiver. Anytime you have to take all of your opportunities and just got to make the most out of it.”
Andrew Thomas, So., Left Tackle
On the run game from Saturday and the difference approaching this weekend at South Carolina…
“I feel like we did pretty well but there are still some areas we can improve in. We need to get to our linebackers faster, things like that. It is a different level of competition this weekend as they are an SEC team. We just have to play our best to be able to beat them.”
On some of the more important aspects in an SEC road game…
“I guess crowd noise would be something that we have to deal with on the road. We also have to adjust to the different speed and level of play. We practice against great guys everyday so we should be prepared.”
On the key for the offensive line getting to the second level successfully…
“After you get your fit on the first line of scrimmage, just getting your eyes toward your linebacker and shoulders turned to make sure you can get off when they fire.”
Jonathan Ledbetter, Sr., Defensive End
On Jay Hayes’ arrival and talk about last year’s Georgia/Notre Dame game…
“Coming from another program, you know he’s going to have his strategies. He is tackling very well and is a great athlete. We noticed that watching his tape at Notre Dame. So of course, we wanted to welcome him into the family. He’s been fitting in perfectly. The D-line has definitely taken him in, but really just the whole team. You got a guy that wants to come in and continue to work to make himself better. We are here for it. We joke around sometimes about the game last year at practice and in the locker room saying, “That’s that Notre Dame swag you’re bringing to Georgia”. He’s a great guy and a great person. We love him, he’s just part of the family now.”
On playing in road environments…
“I like playing in noisy environments. I like the competition and the fans bring a lot of energy to games, just like our fans do. I think when everyone is screaming and yelling you just have more of that drive to do something and to do better. When you are in somebody’s own turf the odds are stacked against you and it is kind of a statement to be able to come out there and handle your business.”
On team leadership…
“Even in this first game against Austin Peay, I could see leadership in the new year. We are starting to realize that you have to create your own identity. You can’t live in the past off of someone else’s hard work. We are going to have to put the hours in to get to where we want to be and to be as successful as we want to be.”
J.R. Reed, Jr., Safety
On South Carolina’s speed…
“They are a SEC team. They kind of remind me of our team with the receivers, running backs and smart quarterback that they have…They have really big receivers and they have a lot of speed. Especially from what you see from Deebo Samuel. He is a very big and physical receiver. He is one of the top wideouts in the SEC…Jake Bentley reminds me a lot about our Jake, Jake Fromm. He is very smart, great competitor, and will play really hard out there for his team…It’s going to be a good game. We can’t make any mistakes back there in the secondary…As long as we stay in communication, we’ll have a great game.”
On carrying on a leadership role…
“I’m more relaxed. You know what to expect now. You aren’t going into the team new, so you always coach up the young guys like Tyson Campbell and the other young guys that might have a role in playing this year. I help with what they need to look at and then also now what I need to look at and what I need to watch.”
On keys to playing in tough road environments…
“You just have to play to your stable and play your game. You have to keep your mindset. You have to keep yourself in the game, because there are going to be ups and downs. It is all about how you respond to adversity. Try to limit any dumb penalties.”
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