ATHENS — Kirby Smart isn’t satisfied with where his Georgia Bulldogs are at this stage of the preseason and wants to see more enthusiasm and playmaking.

Smart, entering his ninth season as the Bulldogs’ head coach, shared some insight into the team’s first scrimmage and how Georgia has been preparing for the 2024 season.

Home run threats

Florida transfer Trevor Etienne and freshman Nate Frazier have exhibited the sort of running style that has Smart confident Georgia can break off some dynamic runs.

“I think we’ve got the backs to be an explosive run team, we’ve got the perimeter blockers to be an explosive run team, and we’ve got the offensive line to be an explosive run team. I hope that we’re more capable of longer explosives, meaning when we get through there to 10 to 12, we can turn those into 40-50 and not 20–30-yard plays.”

Offense vs. Defense

Smart indicated there doesn’t seem to be a clear edge when his offense faces off with his defense.

“I’ve seen both sides of it: One day it’s one way, and the other day it’s the other way,” Smart said. “There’s not been a dominant side of the ball if that’s what you’re asking. There have been explosives, and then there’s not been explosives. A little bit of that is predicated off of eye control, execution, depth, who’s in practice and who’s out of practice.

“But at the end of the day, both units have had glaring moments of success and moments of not success….. it’s a balance.”

Tight schedule

Smart shared that classes begin at UGA on Wednesday, which one might surmise might not give Georgia football the optimal preseason practice schedule.

“Unfortunately, our academic calendar doesn’t match up perfectly with what we’ve got going on, so school will start for the players tomorrow (Wednesday),” Smart said.

“They’re getting their books, they’re back to being student athletes, and it’s hard to do that in camp early on. So, we get them for a lot more time up until tomorrow, and it makes it a little bit tighter schedule for us.”