Kirby Smart and No. 2 Georgia will put their undefeated record on the line when they host No. 10 Ole Miss this weekend.

It will be a matchup between Smart and Lane Kiffin, both of whom served together on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama prior to their respective roles. Smart has tremendous respect for the way that Kiffin has revitalized Ole Miss since taking over in 2020.

“He does a great job. He’s extremely intelligent. He doesn’t overthink things. He keeps it simple. You don’t have to overthink things sometimes as a coach. He probably doesn’t get enough credit for that,” Smart said. “He wants to beat you with fundamentals. He wants to beat you with his players doing things within their system. He looks for matchups.”

Ole Miss is second to only Alabama in the SEC West in large part because of an offense that ranks 13th nationally in points per game (38.8).

“He looks for explosive opportunities. They’ve been 1 of the most explosive offenses run and pass in really the last 10 years in the SEC. They have broken some numbers that are out there…But it’s not like he’s trying to be scheme of the week,” Smart said. “He does what he does really well. He knows what they do well. He also knows what you don’t do well and he’s looking for a matchup most of the game.”

Smart diffused a question about whether beating Kiffin would matter for bragging rights.

“Not anymore than it would last week. We’re not going to build it up to be something it’s not. Every win in the SEC is critical. It’s critical for them. They’re in a hunt for the West, for playoffs, all the goals and aspirations they have,” Smart said. “It’s not about he and I. It’s really about the players that go out on the field and make plays.”

Ole Miss at Georgia is slated for 7 p.m. EST (ESPN).