Kirby Smart blatantly avoids question about James Coley, offensive play calling
With fans and media still dissecting the loss to South Carolina, Georgia coach Kirby Smart is facing questions about offensive play calling and game management. But Smart wanted no part of explaining offensive coordinator James Coley’s role in the loss, and whether changes need to be made.
Smart has maintained multiple times that the 4 turnovers Saturday were the main reason for the loss.
Here is one question at Smart’s Monday press conference and how Smart responded:
“Kirby, big picture, your assessment of James Coley to this point as an offensive coordinator. And also, in general, how much do you sort of immerse yourself in offense, and how much of his play calling is influenced by basically what you want or something maybe you say to him in headphones?”
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Smart replied, “Yeah, we’re definitely looking forward to Kentucky right now. That’s the biggest concern we’ve got, and we’re going to focus on that. I think the most important part of an offense is scoring points, and that’s the most important thing. Now, how do I get to those points? Do I get to them through explosive plays? Do I get them through long, methodical drives, which has so far been our MO. That’s been the identity we have, of long, methodical drives, and we’ve had some really good long, methodical drives.
At the end of the day we’re all judged by, number one, how do I score points, how do I protect the ball and how explosive can I be, and that’s what we’re focused on.”
Smart also didn’t want to focus too much on the mistakes in the South Carolina, outside of turnovers, such as an illegal formation penalty against Georgia.
“But, again, guys, we’re going to Kentucky,” he said. “We’re focused on Kentucky. Out of respect for our team, understand we’re focused on Kentucky for our players. And we’ll grow and develop from the loss. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to bury that hatchet. We got things we gotta do better. We gotta protect the ball. But we’re focused on Kentucky.”
Dunno what I’d do in his case. You can’t trash your OC, but you can’t really try to prop him up as blameless. I think he could’ve said something like “there’s a lot of factors that go into an offense’s performance, and looking back we’re going to evaluate the whole picture both the playcalling and the execution, but we need to look ahead to our next opponent as well, and we as coaches need to do a better job than what we did Saturday or else we’re in trouble.”
Go dawgs
If you’re not adding anything of value to the conversation, you’re simply a troll.
I was listening to the news conference and noticed too he avoided the question by answering the other parts but said nothing about Coley. he had a chance to endorse the offensive schemes but did not. No words are bad words in this case.
Kirby runs the team. The team has motivation problems and some attitudinal issues affecting execution. These are fixed by the Head Coach, not the OC, who takes his lead from the HC. Things are always wonderful until they aren’t. He has to fix some mindsets.
I don’t know about “motivational problems and attitudinal issues affecting execution”. What evidence? It was a bad game. Lot of season left with all goals still intact. I do wish he would just say that it’s on the Coaches and time to move on.That way he avoids players and any particular coach.
It’s always fun to read hot takes from people who somehow have some insider information that no one else has. I love when fans try and explain what’s going on inside a locker room and on a team. Looking at you, virtualkelly
He’s focused on Kentucky..
Title says “blatantly”. So what do reporters expect? A full hour of let me answer every single question you ask whether I want to or not so you can get your stories in?
I don’t blame him one bit. UGA will bounce back. All great teams do.
It’s a legit concern, not just from the media, but Georgia fans as well. Just read through the comments on SDS and you can see that concern. The reporters job is to ask the questions that concern the fan base regardless if the coach likes the question or not. He doesn’t have to answer, and he didn’t in this case. The reporter still had a job to do and yes, part of that job is writing his/get story.
*his/her story
Considering the offenses Georgia would have to face to win either the SECCG or NCG, I would think questions about the offense and it’s production would be a concern for every Georgia fan.
Do you guys think the OC was the problem in that game?
Again, we are focused and preparing for Kentucky. Next question please.
Zip it, crawl out of your hole for beating miss state, stfu
It was a legitimate question for the uga fans. apparently we can’t have a civil conversation without having a petty teenager step in with another ignorant post. How bout you crawl back in your hole and not come back out.
Yes, the OC sucked, but at the same time, the players were the cause of 4 turnovers, 2 dropped passes, and 2 missed field goals. In addition, Kirby is in charge of telling Coley how he wants the offense to operate. Coley just calls the plays based around the philosophical mindset that Kirby is stuck in.
However, while some people rail at Kirby for his old-age offensive stubborness, I know without a doubt that he is also largely responsible for the defense’s solid performances. He’s not responsible for Richard Lecounte blowing his assignments. The defense, for the most part this season, has played sound, safe, assignment football. The tackling issues seem to be improving, and it’s up to the players to make plays on the ball and generate turnovers.
Do you really think anyone, especially other Bama fans, read your trollish comments and support the nonsense you’re spewing? You end up coming across as a punk-ish 12 year old with the intellect of a five year old. And that’s an insult to five year olds!
He isn’t a Bama fan. He posted a reply to himself on another article as if he was someone else… Problem is he didn’t change his account.
Probably Trudawg number 7…
Justafan. No I don’t think the OC was the problem. Lost in all this is the fact that UGA had 468 yards of offense. Kirby deserves criticism for the late game decisions (not taking the field goal shot at the end of regulation). As for the offense, it was the four turnovers.
Yeah, looked like Fromm just had a bad day. I wouldn’t put too much criticism on the OC just yet, but again I don’t watch every game you guys play. Let’s see how they respond. I think Fromm will…
Imagine getting out coached by Will muschamp Hahahah, go dawgs!
Fing idiot Bama fan.
Do you really think a Bama fan would have the screen name Urbanliar?
He’s just an idiot. His fandom had nothing to do with it.
Anyway I love the Georgia Bulldogs win or lose but if this team wants to win a championship the coaches and players gotta step up. Kirby and Coley got to open up the offense if Jake Fromm can’t handle the offense give stedman a chance
Georgia still regrets being turned down by Eddie Gran.
Oh yeah Kentucky is loving that right about now from what I hear.
Remember that time all you idiot Georgia fans hated Mike Bobo and Jim Chaney
mmmm hedges.. delicious
The hedges will grow back but SC will never grow into a contender.
They just won their Super Bowl
I think lost is the fact that we seem to only be able to open up the offense when we get outside passing going. I think the loss of Cager was a big hit. After that we didn’t throw many back shoulder passes. Also Fromm isn’t the best at the long ball.
One of the head scratchers was the WR separation. I thought with SC running the extra LB we would have been able to have many crossing routes open up w/ Blaylock. Sure a few stupid predictable runs up the middle but didn’t see us test the edge with many outside runs either.
The OC coordinator blame should really be around the inability to adjust. While the turnovers didn’t help we weren’t exactly lighting up the scoreboard.