ATHENS — Kirby Smart has a lot going on this week. There’s the early signing period, the looming transfer portal and the upcoming College Football Playoff.
Smart also has to get his team ready for the 2025 SEC Championship Game against Alabama.
It’s a busy time of year. Yet there is no place Smart would rather be.
Smart spoke about the joys of getting to play in the SEC championship game, along with a host of other topics ahead of the 2025 SEC Championship Game.
Below is a full transcript of everything Smart said. Saturday’s game against Alabama is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET on ABC.
Everything Kirby Smart said about Alabama, 2025 SEC Championship Game
Opening statement...
“Yeah our guys are excited and honored to be one of the two teams to get to play in this game. It’s you know something that all these kids grew up watching talking to players that are from this area and they know the significance of it and so many guys have watched it growing up. It’s one of the most viewed games of the year every year. A couple of years it has been more viewed than even the national championship game. So I have a lot of respect for it and our guys earned their right to play in it by the way they led and competed in some really, really tough conference games throughout the year. It’s a goal of ours each year to make this game and we’re excited. We’re going to play a really talented Alabama football team. A lot of respect for Coach DeBoer and the job they’ve done and they’ve gone through a really tough season as well in terms of the teams they’ve played even through last night. So both teams didn’t back their way into this thing. They earned it and should be a great game with both a lot of talented players in a great venue to get to go play so we’re looking forward to it.”
On if he had an update on Drew Bobo...
“No, no more update. We’re still looking into things with him.”
On how Gunner Stockton played against Georgia Tech...
“He did some good things. He made some good decisions. He had a couple times he had some pressure in his face where we probably missed some guys that were open that he’s going to navigate the pocket a little better or just get rid of it you know and try not to take a sack. I thought he forced the one ball for the interception but that’s not like him. So he probably played better than I actually thought after the game. You know the ability of the offensive line and the run game really helped set the tone for the first half and then the second half wasn’t as good and they did some different things to hurt us.”
On where this Georgia team has changed since the first Alabama game...
“Man, I don’t know. It seems like ages ago. Well, we’ve improved in some areas. We’ve gone full circle in other areas. We’ve got different, you know dealing with different injuries now than we probably were then. But you know the growth of Gunner would be one thing. He’s played in more games. He’s played in a lot of tough environments. Defensively, we’ve got guys a little more experienced. I think that’s the biggest difference probably is that we don’t like the guys that were young when we played them last time, they’re a little more grown up now. They play more games. I mean their guys would be the same way. So you grow and get better as the year goes on. You get more comfortable with who you are and you tweak some things. We’ve moved some things around and tried to make some things better.”
On changing head coaches at this point in the calendar...
“I mean, if you’re not playing a game it’s not that demanding. I think it’s the playing of the game and everything we’ve got going on. You put this game and you put you know the playoffs along with any conference championship, along with the signing class and the portal, that’s really hard. When you talk about someone coming in and taking over a program, if all they’re doing is managing the roster, they’re probably ahead of the rest of us that are playing. You only have so many candles in the fire that you can burn and you can’t do everything at once. So I know you have to be really careful and prioritize your time right now because there’s a lot going on right now including an SEC championship. I guess you’re asking about schools that are hiring people. That wouldn’t be this conversation because the schools that are playing a conference championships aren’t doing that.”
On Malachi Toliver’s performance in the second half against Georgia Tech...
“Yeah, like I said the other day, he did some good things. He’s got to continue to work and improve on some others, but I was really glad he got to go in the Charlotte game and play as much as he did and get the experience of that time and continue to grow and get better.”
On Cortez Smith and if he could potentially help Georgia...
“Yeah, he’s working. He worked last week. He’ll continue to progress and get better. He’s been banged up, but he’s been able to practice.”
On what this game against Alabama means for the players, especially the seniors...
“Well, it’s a chance to win an SEC championship, and that’s a very rare thing. The history of Georgia, I don’t know what that total number is, 14, 15 — I think it’s 15 or something. So, I mean, these opportunities are hard to come by, and the SEC we’re talking about now was not the SEC that we were talking about for the last, I don’t know, almost 100 years. So it’s a challenge to win that trophy, and it’s a mark of toughness, of battle scars. The team that wins it has been through a gauntlet and has been tough. So I think it’s a great chance to win a championship."
On if the challenge against Ty Simpson is similar to Haynes King in terms of toughness and dual-threat ability...
“Oh yeah. He’s a very talented passer, very intelligent, great mobility, athlete in the pocket. He made some huge plays in the last couple games with his legs. They’ve been in some really tight ballgames like we have, and in the fourth quarter games he’s made a lot of big-time plays with his legs. I mean, a little different than Haynes King, but similar.”
On anyone else besides Cortez Smith or Malachi Toliver that Georgia could turn to at center...
“We’ve had other guys snap during the year. During training camp we always [have] multiple guys playing it. We’ve had other guys rep in there. Glover, Malachi — I mean Micah has been in there and done some things and so has Glover. But we feel good about the guys we have there that have played it the most. It’s not a position that you want to be changing out a lot."
On the challenge of going up against Alabama defensive tackle Tim Keenan...
“Yeah, he’s a really strong, stout, physical player. Does a great job, always has, and he’s a force to be reckoned with. Really good football player.
“I mean regardless of who’s there, Drew — whether it’s him, Cortez, Malachi, Donnie — whoever it is, we’ve got to block the people in front of us. And you know a lot of times on the offensive line, it’s not a single block all the time. So there’s guys that can help you there."
On if Kyron Jones or Talyn Taylor will be available this week...
“Not sure yet. Still working through that. We haven’t practiced, haven’t done anything since Friday.”
On the biggest differences he’s seen from Alabama in September and Alabama now...
“That’s a hard question. I mean, I haven’t had enough time to do film study. We’ve been working on them today and working on ourselves, so that’s one of the things that I think I’d be better suited to answer that question when I get to watch more tape.”
On if both teams have already done enough to earn a playoff spot...
“Yeah, I certainly feel that way, but it’s not something that I like to comment on and judge. I mean, the eyes of the beholder are people that have seen people across the country. I don’t get into speculation, hypotheticals. I don’t get to truly sit back and view that. I don’t know how someone that does view it can measure it. It’s hard to be objective on that and see the whole thing, the whole picture. I certainly know the level of talent at this conference and the schedules that both these two teams played.”
On how he’s dealt with coaching a younger team, specifically this season...“Yeah, you just have to be ready to play more young guys. You have to have a little more patience for anxiety, mistakes. Young guys don’t always play with great conviction and without mistakes, and so there may be talent there. They have to get through those, and the best way to get through them is play through them. And I think the teams and staff that do the best job if they’re a youth program — if they’re going through high school ranks — they’ve got to do a good job getting those guys ready to play quicker. And the team that does that and avoids injury may be at a competitive advantage to get those guys out there and get them experience earlier."
On if he watched the Iron Bowl and his thoughts...
“Yes… It was a good Iron Bowl. I mean, they’ve been that way, extremely physical, extremely well-coached, hard-fought rivalry game, which has been that way for a long time.”
On if there was any reason Nate Frazier didn’t get the ball as much in the second half against Georgia Tech...
“No, there was no reason. I thought he did a good job both halves. He ran really hard, really physical. There were a few times that the other guys’ numbers were called or it was just rotation or third down, but he’d done a good job. Sometimes you get to be the beneficiary of good blocking as well, and sometimes the other guys don’t get the beneficiary of the good blocking. That’s just the way it goes. Sometimes the plays fit. I think everybody makes it about the runner and not about the play call and how it was blocked. But certainly us being explosive or efficient in the run game is important to our offense.”
On the team’s reaction to finding out they’d be in the SEC championship game…
“Yeah, not a lot. I mean, I watched a lot of football games. I mean, I was tuned into a lot of high school games that night across our state that we got back to Athens and obviously saw the score and knew that we would be in the game, but didn’t know who we would play. So not a real huge reaction either way. It just felt like we would be playing in this game because one of those two things would probably happen, and it did.”
On what it says to have made 5 SEC Championship games in a row...
“Yeah, it’s a credit to have a really good administration, a really supportive athletic department, and some incredible players. We’re very demanding of the players in our program, and a lot of those guys that played in those five games are playing in the National Football League, and they earned that right. They bought into what we preached and what we sold, and it was important to them to get to that game, and they achieved it through their hard work. We’ve had really good coaching staffs here, and I think the best thing you can say about our program over those years and the time we’ve been here is consistency. We are going to be physical. We’re going to be tough. We’re a tough out, and we play consistently, and that’s important. If you do that, then you give yourself a chance if you’ve got good players, and we’ve had good players.”
On if that means anything to him personally...
“As far as what? Making five in a row?… No, I mean, if we didn’t make it in some of those years, I mean, we still had successful seasons and played well. You know, it’s the goal that we want to achieve, but I don’t look back on it personally and reflect about any of that because it’s obviously in the moment. We’ve got to prepare for this game.”
On Daniel Harris’ intended transfer and if he’ll be with the team the rest of the season...
“You know as much as I know about that, Connor. I’m not, I’m worried about the guys that are here with us, and are going to be here as of Sunday right now.”
On the biggest strides his defense has made since the first Alabama game...
“I don’t know. We’re playing a little more together in terms of execution. We’ve got more experienced players. Biggest thing to me is we’ve got young guys who’ve had to grow up while playing together. They’re playing with a little more confidence. We call it the cumulative effect. You know, we do a lot defensively. As you go throughout the year, the cumulative reps of hard things get easier, and there’s enough overlap between these offenses and carryover of our defenses that allows repetitions to mount up and help us. But, you know, humility is a week away.”
