Georgia head coach Kirby Smart met with the media on November 19. Here are the key points from Smart's second press conference of UMass week.
Smart felt the team has done a good job of being locked in so far this week. He thought today's practice was one of the best Tuesdays of the year.
The staff isn't sure exactly when running back Trevor Etienne's injury got worse. They think it happened last week in practice despite Etienne being in a non-contact jersey. They believe he felt something while running a route. Smart added they are hopeful to get him back soon.
Running back Branson Robinson is running and has started to cut. He's getting his confidence back and is hitting some good speeds. He is showing progress, but is not taking reps yet.
Freshman running back Nate Frazier has been very mature. Smart noted that he comes from Mater Dei, one of the best high school programs in the country. Frazier came in during the summer, which made it harder for him to get up to speed. But he has picked things up quickly.
Freshman receiver Nitro Tuggle gained confidence from his game against Tennessee. Smart felt he has responded well and had a good practice on Tuesday. Smart did not that he has felt frustrated at points and has wanted to play, but that hasn't been able to happen due to Georgia not being in many blowout games. Smart has met with the freshman group multiple times this year to tell them to stay the course. Smart added that defensive backs Ellis Robinson and Demello Jones are "so close" to seeing the field.
Smart said Carson Beck has been consistent in practice all year. He hasn't seen any change in him after his strong performance against Tennessee.
Smart said punter Brett Thorson adds levity to the locker room with his personality. He recalled a punter who used to talk to the team about opponents at LSU. He's a player who the rest of the team really likes and enjoys. He felt this week provided an opportunity for Thorson to use his personality in a way that also drives home the importance of tackling to the team.
Smart noted that the playoff committee seems to mostly be incentivizing just wins and losses. If that's the case, he feels like the biggest incentive to scheduling marquee out-of-conference games is just the happiness of the fans, who want their team to make the playoffs but also not play cupcakes all the team. Smart summed it up by saying the committee just needs to decide what they want.
