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Kirby Smart explains why Trevor Etienne was deserving of SEC Championship Game MVP
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Kirby Smart met with reporters on Saturday night following Georgia’s overtime win over Texas in the SEC Championship Game.
Smart was asked about the night Trevor Etienne had in his return from injury. Etienne totaled over 100 yards from scrimmage and the game-winning score in what was his first action since Nov. 9. In answering a question, Smart volunteered that he thought Etienne should have won MVP rather than Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette.
“No disrespect to Daylen, I love Daylen, Daylen had a big game and he got the MVP, but [I thought] Trevor Etienne was the MVP because he came and said, ‘coach, I want to play in this game. I came to this school because I want to win a championship,'” Smart recalled.
Smart said Etienne also addressed the team and talked about how much an SEC Championship would mean to him.
“He spoke from the heart. I knew right then, I said, ‘this dude is gonna play if he can,'” Smart said. “He plays physical. He’s got cuts. We’ve got good backs, but he made some special runs tonight. He gave us some juice and some energy and took some pressure off of Gunner.”
"No disrespect to Daylen – I love Daylen… but to me, Trevor Etienne was the MVP." 🔥👀
– Kirby Smart on the way Etienne took initiative, played with passion, and helped lead Georgia to an SEC title pic.twitter.com/7Z3wmLpPjU
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 8, 2024
Everette was named MVP of the game as he picked of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers twice in the win. In doing so, Everette became just the 4th defensive player ever to take home that honor.
However, Etienne certainly would have been a worthy recipient of the award. He finished the game with 94 rushing yards, 28 receiving yards and a couple scores on the ground.
Georgia will learn its seed for this year’s College Football Playoff on Sunday afternoon.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
