Georgia head coach Kirby Smart met with the media on October 8. Here are the key points from his press conference ahead of the matchup with Mississippi State.
Smart said the situation regarding receiver Colbie Young and his arrest on Tuesday morning is a pending legal matter and he has no answers. He has not spoken to Young as of Tuesday evening about 6:30 p.m. Smart did add that, like driving-related incidents, the team has speakers come in to talk about assault and domestic violence-related issues. He said it's probably the most talked about topic and has been the hardest thing to deal with as a coach in his career.
Smart said he reads something about the costs of leadership every day when he comes into his office. It hits harder on days like today. Smart said things will never be perfect with this many young kids around, and he takes a lot of responsibility. He knows he will be judged by the players he leads and he is trying to find better ways to make a difference off the field.
Smart did say "he's not with us right now" in response to a question about Young's availability for this weekend's game. He also reiterated that it is a pending legal matter and he doesn't know much more right now.
Defensive lineman Christen Miller has been able to practice. Center Jared Wilson is better than he was, but not taking his full load of reps. Defensive lineman Jordan Hall is trying to get out there and go, pushing hard. He's doing more than he did last week, but Smart couldn't say if he's ready to play this week.
Mississippi State's offense goes very fast, something Smart said is very hard for defenses to get comfortable with. But he added the Bulldogs don't have to rely on that to be successful on offense. He compared it to preparing for a triple-option offense in the sense that it's not something the Bulldogs do themselves.
Freshman running back Nate Frazier is getting better in pass protection. Smart said he has both the courage and the strength to hold up in pass protection. He gets a lot of different looks in practice and hasn't been perfect in that area. Frazier takes a lot of pride in his performance and wants to get it right.
Smart said Malaki Starks has gotten much more comfortable working at star. He doesn't feel Starks would be able to rotate between safety and star in the past, but he is able to now. He has handled it very well mentally.
Defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins' work ethic has been one of the biggest things leading to his bigger year. Smart said he has been down in the dumps in the past and even considered transferring at one point. But Smart now reminds him in practice that he is able to play when he could be working off to the side instead.
Tight end Lawson Luckie has brought a nastiness to the Georgia offense. Smart feels he doesn't play with anxiety and is a "little bit of an alpha" in that group. He did say that Luckie can get a little better with in-line blocking, but he'll go in there to get the ball when you throw it his way.
Smart said he felt like a shortened portal window was coming in response to the NCAA making those windows shorter today. In regards to their recruiting of the portal, Smart said it is sometimes easier to get information on portal players because you can contact their previous school for information.
