Monday UGA News and Notes

Kirby Smart took issue with a question posed by a reporter who asked if his Bulldogs might consider morphing into more of a zone defensive team.

“I would totally disagree with you, first and foremost, because I don’t think we're a man team. It depends on how you define 'man,' to be honest,” Smart said. “But in terms of coaching, we don’t define it, maybe, like you guys do. We play very little just straight man. That's not what we play a lot of. We play match-up zones a lot, and we have a lot of different coverage multiples. But in that game (Mississippi State), it was completely different than anything we've played altogether.”

Regardless, Georgia’s defense has certainly been more suspect than many thought it would be.

Injuries haven't helped.

Losing players such as nose guard Jordan Davis (elbow) and safety Richard LeCounte (motorbike accident) hasn't helped the situation.

Nevertheless, the Bulldogs had their issues against Mississippi State freshman quarterback Will Rogers, who completed 41 of 52 passes for 336 yards, much of that coming on short-yardage passes to the backs.

“Our guys are completely comfortable breaking on the ball. You're just not going to stop those routes playing zone all the time. They're going to throw them and catch them. The idea is to stop them before they get more than five, and then hopefully bring up some third downs and some batted balls,” Smart said. “So, we're comfortable playing zone, completely comfortable playing zone, but it’s hard when you drop eight and they throw it underneath. ....They didn't have a lot of the mistakes they've had against other teams.”

To Georgia’s credit, the Bulldogs did hold MSU to seven second-half points.

“In terms of what Mississippi State did, they were very efficient in their ability to throw those underneath patterns. There were a lot of things we could have done, but the teams that have done those have not been successful doing them. You have to have changeup; you have to have pitches. We felt like we were going to be able to stop them,” Smart said.

“Sometimes we did. In the second half, we played the same defenses and stopped them. So, we didn't change anything; it's no magic potion. It's the way we chose to play them, which is exactly how several other teams have chosen to play them. It doesn't make it right, wrong, or indifferent.”

Saturday was not the best of days for Georgia’s offensive line, after the Bulldogs were credited with only eight yards rushing on 23 attempts Saturday.

So, what happened?

According to Smart, it was a simple matter of getting whipped, and not simply missing blocks, as some might have thought.

“I wouldn’t say there were very [many] times that we missed a block—I'd say [we were] whipped or beaten a lot of times,” Smart said. “It’s not like we didn’t have a hat for a hat in some instances.”

Smart said MSU’s defense did a lot more than simply stack the line of scrimmage with as many bodies as it could.

“Most of the time, it’s always the case in the run game—you have one receiver that’s going to get one of their hats, and that makes you even. But when you bring a receiver, that brings another defender. They're always going to have a little bit of an advantage, especially when they play us,” he said. “Everybody we've played has been that way. The difference has been the movement inside, and some of the stunts they ran to murk the picture up—kind of make it unclear and slant and angle guys. We didn’t do a good job handling their movement, more than anything else.”

Fans are apparently the only ones talking about Saturday’s matchup at South Carolina between Smart and good friend and former teammate, interim Gamecock coach Mike Bobo.

“It doesn’t change a lot for me. It’s a game we’re trying to win, based on the players on the field,” Smart said. “It’s not between Mike and me.”

That's true. Still, it certainly adds to the interest in Saturday night’s game in Columbia (7:30 p.m., SEC Network), as Georgia tries to avenge last season’s loss in Athens.

Bobo is coaching the Gamecocks for the rest of the year, following the recent firing of former head coach Will Muschamp.

“I have a lot of respect for him. He's one of the best football coaches I know in terms of motivation, passion, and energy for the game; recruiting. All of those things. I have a lot of respect for him and the job he does and has done throughout his career,” Smart said. “His record speaks for itself in our conference for what he’s been able to do, and I know he'll have those guys ready to play. As far as our history, I don’t think it really matters in this game.”

Smart said he hopes nose tackle Jordan Davis (elbow) will be able to play after missing the past two games.

“We're hopeful on Jordan,” Smart said. “Jordan has a chance, and that's promising. We're hopeful to get him back and get him back out there going.”

Smart also responded to a question as to how long he thought Richard LeCounte may be out following his accident three weeks ago.

“Richard isn't able to get out there and practice yet. I don't honestly know with Richard. I’ll find out more today,” Smart said. “I know he's trying his best to get back and come back as soon as he can. I'd say that he is probably doubtful for this game.”

… Quarterback JT Daniels and freshman receiver Jermaine Burton have earned weekly Southeastern Conference honors following Georgia’s 31-24 win over Mississippi State, according to a league announcement. Daniels was named the SEC Co-Offensive Player of the Week, while Burton has been named the conference’s Freshman of the Week.

… The SEC announced that the kick time and televising network for Georgia’s Dec. 5 SEC football game with Vanderbilt in Athens will be announced on Monday, Nov. 30. Kick times and networks for all SEC games will be announced on that date.