Georgia head coach Kirby Smart met with the media on October 14. Here are the key points from Smart's press conference in advance of this week's game at No. 1 Texas.
Smart said he has a lot of respect for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian. They have gotten to know each other well over the past couple of years. Smart called Texas the most complete team Georgia has faced this year and probably over the last couple of years.
As far as Texas' offense, Smart said the Longhorns do a great job of putting the defense in conflict as well as taking deep shots in the passing game. Smart added that Texas is a team built around the offensive and defensive lines, and as those units have improved so has Sarkisian's record at Texas.
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers' awareness is what stands out most to Smart. He's a good athlete who has been in Sarkisian's system for a long time. Like Georgia quarterback Carson Beck, Smart feels Ewers is a better athlete than he gets credit for.
The Longhorn defense has size and speed in Smart's eyes. He used the word "elite" multiple times when discussing the Texas defense. Smart said the Texas defense reminded him of some of Georgia's best defenses during his tenure.
Running back Branson Robinson has an MCL injury that will keep him out for this weekend's game. Smart isn't sure how long Robinson will be out and said it's hard to tell with MCL injuries.
Outside linebacker Mykel Williams hasn't been doing a ton during the week until gametime. Smart said he thought Williams looked better during last week's practice than he has in previous weeks.
Smart said he reached out to Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby and Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren after the shoving incident on the sideline. Smart said he was trying to get to defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann about a personnel grouping when they collided.
Smart said the secondary played well when they used the right technique against Mississippi State. They didn't win every 50-50 ball, which will happen, but they try to win more than they lose. He feels the secondary has to remove the mistakes caused by eye discipline. The challenge presented by Texas' passing offense is different than Mississippi State's, but a challenge nonetheless.
The Bulldog defense uses yards per attempt as its top metric to indicate pass defense success. Smart admitted that number isn't as good this year as it has been in years past, in large part due to the explosive passes Georgia has given up.
In Smart's eyes, teams across the country are struggling with depth in modern college football which is affected by the transfer portal. But he feels Georgia's issues have mainly been with consistency, not depth.
To close the press conference, Smart said he wants Georgia to play its best game against Texas. He does not feel the Bulldogs have played their best football yet.
