ATHENS — Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said playing Georgia Tech’s option attack requires eye control and discipline, but in the end, it comes down to toughness.
“Some guys don’t like to be physical, (and) if you don’t like to be physical, you won’t like this game,” Smart said following Tuesday afternoon’s practice.
The No. 5-ranked Bulldogs (10-1) play host to Georgia Tech (7-4) at noon on Saturday in Sanford Stadium (TV: SEC Network, Radio: WSB 750 AM, 95.5 FM).
“This is about physicality, toughness, get down in the dirt, backyard football,” Smart said. “ I mean I went and watched my son watch a 6-year-old tackle football championship and I saw the 6-year-old, 7-year-old, 8-year-old teams playing and that’s what they were playing: Eleven people in a box, all of them hitting each other, tackling each other, tackling the man with the ball.
“It looked like a scrum sometimes. That’s what a lot of people don’t do. They spread you out. Tech does a tremendous job of making you defend all 53 yards. And they do a tremendous job of playing physical.”
Smart said Georgia went through its most physical practice of the week on Tuesday, though inside linebacker Monty Rice remained out with an injury and freshman guard Cade Mays has not had contact.
“It’s our day to get after it more than others, and we had some, a lot of cuts out there today, and a lot of guys on the ground,” Smart said. “I thought that our scout team did a tremendous job trying to get us a picture.”
It’s Senior Day for 15 scholarship players on the Georgia football team that will be looking to beat Georgia Tech in Sanford Stadium for the first time in their careers.
The Bulldogs have not beat the Yellow Jackets in Athens since 2012.
“Toughness, physicality, heart … playing Tech is an attitude, it’s a want to hit, not to be hit,” Smart said. “It’s attack, not be attacked. That’s the approach we’re taking with it.”
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