ATHENS — Kirby Smart was back out in front, leading his players, repping his program, his confidence and energy unmistakable.
One of the things that sets the Georgia football program apart is the fact that its head coach is a former star player at this very same university, a two-time All-SEC selection who knows where his players are coming from and how to lead them where they want to go.
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“He brings all the energy, and we need that so we can feed off him and have a great practice on both sides of the ball,” Bulldogs linebacker Tae Crowder said Tuesday. “He does a great job with what he does.”
Georgia slipped from No. 2 to No. 8 in the AP Top 25 poll, but the Bulldogs still control their own destiny and can still win the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff should they win out.
Smart’s not going to get ahead of himself, the focus on Georgia sharpening fundamental skills while coaches huddle late into the nights in meeting rooms, sculpting game plans and defining an identity for the second half of the season.
“For us, right now, we’re worried about us,” Smart said at this Tuesday post-practice press conference . “We’re trying to get better at us, and that’s the most important thing.”
As for the quarterback situation, Smart indicated it will remain status quo in that there’s still competition and playing time is still fluid.
“We’re never closing that door completely at all, because we’ve got to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win,” Smart said. “Whoever gives our team the best chance to win is what we’ll decide to do.
“I think both those kids understand they’ve got to play better for us to be able to play better offensively.”
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