Kirby Smart will face a familiar face this Saturday. Yes, his Georgia Bulldogs will visit rival Tennessee, but Smart’s defense will square off against the offense of former Bulldogs coordinator Jim Chaney.

But during his Wednesday press conference, Smart squashed the idea that the game would be about him and Chaney, saying the matchup is “going to be about guys blocking and executing and making plays.”

Chaney served as Georgia’s offensive coordinator during Smart’s first three years as coach of the Bulldogs from 2016-18. During that time, Georgia reestablished itself as one of the top places for running backs and developed quarterback Jake Fromm into a star.

Here’s what else Smart said during his press conference on Wednesday:

  • Kirby Smart on UGA’s WRs: It has been a committee and we’ve had some injuries… I think they are starting to establish themselves…
  • On UGA’s OL and Jake Fromm helping play calling: the toughest thing about that is playing in the SEC and the quality of the DLs, it’s hard. A lot of times, you have to help those guys, can’t let them tee off on your guys and Coach Coley has done that.
  • On UGA’s blocking on the edge: Versus ND, we won some we lost some, when we won we got some yards and we didn’t, we didn’t… what we can’t do is have the negative ones.
  • On strength coaches odd stories: I don’t know if anything is bizarre that they do anymore, they operate on a different mindset. I’ve been around some good ones… they are all recognzied nationally as the top guys, each different in their own right. Bizarre is normal for them
  • On improving in the bye week: I don’t know if we know that… I think the proof is in the performance, we have to do it on the big stage in front of an opposing crowd. I will reserve judgment until we see it
  • On his coordinator hires: Each decision is independent of one another… can someone internally help more or someone outside and in each situation we went the way we went and that’s just the way I felt
  • On Nick Chubb: He is an amazing athletic… he is a legend.