Count head coach Kirby Smart among those hoping that potential Covid issues at Missouri will not keep Saturday’s game in Columbia from taking place.

On Tuesday, sister site PowerMizzou.com broke the news that tests taken Sunday revealed that one member of the program had tested positive, and that contact tracing was being conducted with results hopefully to be known soon.

The SEC and officials from Missouri are closely monitoring the situation.

“I will say this, we need a game. We want to play,” Smart said. “If we are given the opportunity to do that, then we will. If we do not, then we have to work to get better. We get to go against each other too. We have a pretty good defense and a pretty good offense to go against each other and compete as well.”

SEC guidelines state that a team should have 53 players available, including at least one quarterback, seven offensive linemen and four defensive linemen to play the following week.

“I don’t even want to think about that. I know there are rumors out there and things like that, but I don’t want to plan on that,” said Smart, when asked what his plans for the team would do if the game was called.

“I don’t want to say what I am going to do because a lot of that can be dictated by what the next week is, what we’re going to do,” Smart said. “We have talked about it as a staff. We have a plan we feel comfortable with, but we have to get our team better.” Linebacker Nolan Smith said the team cannot wait to get back on the field, despite last week’s disappointing loss to Florida.

“It’s like when you’re a kid, you fall off your bike, you don’t tell him to stay down and never ride the bike again, you tell him to get back up and keep up riding,” Smith said. “You can’t just fall down, lay down and sulk, you’ve got to get back up and get back in the groove of things.”

Smart said so far, he is liked the way his Bulldogs have responded.

“We’ve had two really good practices. I thought Monday was good. It was really light because obviously we are lower on numbers and banged up, but today was good. We had a good Tuesday practice,” he said. “We were forced to go inside for a little bit with the weather here in Athens. I thought it helped with the speed of things, in terms of guys were really popping and moving fast. It was good. I was really pleased with the practice. We will go and get ready now for third down and red area.”

Besides Bennett, Smart said safety Lewis Cine remains in concussion protocol following his hit on Kyle Pitts Saturday.

"Lewis is still in concussion protocol, but he’s exercising. He’s able to work and run,” Smart said. “He just can’t have contact right now and hopefully will get cleared.”

Smart also had an update on nose guard Jordan Davis, who missed last week’s game with an elbow injury that he suffered against Kentucky.

“Jordan is working extremely hard. The most important thing with Jordan is obviously keeping his weight down,” Smart said. “He’s done that. He is getting more yardage and more miles per hour and more sweat than any of the D-linemen, but he has not been in full pads. He’s getting a lot of work, and I’m proud of the way he’s working.”

…Smart said he has not totally ruled out safety Richard LeCounte returning before the end of the year.

"We’re hopeful. I have asked Ron (Courson) the same question, but he would not put a timetable on it of four to six weeks. It is more when he heals right now. He is getting more exercise now. He’s able to do some things on the bike,” Smart said. “He’s still got some open wounds, so he’s not able to get up and train, which we’re hoping we’ll be able to get him in the pool before the end of this week. He has been out at practice. He enjoys being around at the meetings. He’s making his way back to more normalcy, but whether or not he makes it back depends on how long the season goes.”

…Smart also revealed that redshirt freshman wide receiver Makiya Tongue has been dealing with a hamstring injury.

…George Pickens (strained pec) continues to practice with the team.

Although freshman wide receiver Arian Smith traveled with the team to Jacksonville, Smart did not sound like the speedster was quite ready to play much of a role.

“He is just coming back. He got injured before camp. When you come back from that injury, it is not like you just jump right in. You do not do that. He has not caught a ball. He has not been able to do much. He has been working his way back in,” Smart said. “He certainly has a trait that we are looking for in vertical speed. He is young. He is raw. I love his attitude and his energy."

Even with injuries to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Tongue, Pickens and Tommy Bush, Smart said coaches are taking it slow with the Florida native.

"Can he help us? Hopefully. Right now? I do not know if he can help us right now because it is not that easy. He has to develop," Smart said. "He is a player that came from a really small school to Lakeland. He’s gotten better and better and better, but he still has ways to go to get to where he needs to help us.”

News that quarterback Jamie Newman had accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl was the talk of Georgia fans early Tuesday.

Newman, who opted out over the summer, has been away preparing for the NFL Draft. Tuesday, Smart was asked if he has had any recent conversations with the former Wake Forest quarterback.

"I haven’t seen Jamie,” Smart said. “We communicated obviously when he left and a couple times since then, but he hasn’t been with us. I do not know if he has been with the players outside the building, but I have not seen Jamie here. I think he’s training.”

"I don’t remember, in the Florida game, how many (snaps). I know Bill was in one snap, because I remember it, but Zion played in quite a few. They are getting better. What kills those guys like that is they never had an off season. They never got like the really heavy lifting. We were concerned going into the game they would not be able to hold up, because Florida is really big in the run. They did a decent job in stopgapping the run and holding up. We did not get a lot of great pass rush out of the guys inside, which we needed, but they did hold up against the run, and Zion made a couple plays. I was really proud of him going in and trying to get through those growing pains I talked about and some added depth.” Smart on the play of redshirt freshmen defensive lineman Bill Norton and Zion Logue.

"Justin is getting better. He is learning. He is competing. It has been like a cycle in there. It has been guy in, guy out. That, kind of packaged with new terminology and new words, has been a struggle getting enough guys to play at what I call an ‘above-the-line level.’ We’re hopeful to get some more of those guys back and be able to help us at receiver.’ Smart on freshman wide receiver Justin Robinson.