Kirby Smart details topics of interest after Georgia’s second spring scrimmage
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Georgia held its second scrimmage of the spring on Saturday, and it left Kirby Smart with plenty of talking points when he met with reporters after the Bulldogs came off the field.
“I was really pleased with the scrimmage,” Smart said, according to a school release. “It was the first scrimmage since I’ve been here where I thought both sides of the ball did some things well. There were some momentum changes in the scrimmage, where one part of the scrimmage the defense did a little better, then one part of the scrimmage the offense did a little better.”
Smart has been critical of his defense so far this spring. Georgia possesses a good amount of young talent on that side of the ball, but the Bulldogs’ energy level hasn’t met their head coach’s requirements.
That began to change over the course of the week and seemingly continued during the two-hour scrimmage.
“Tuesday wasn’t real encouraging, but Thursday was much better and then today,” Smart said after the scrimmage. “I can’t say that we dominated defensively out there. They certainly made some good plays. There were a lot of good hits, spirit, run-to-the-ball. When you’ve got good backs, there will be some missed tackles. When you’ve got a quarterback that can make some throws, there will be some one-on-one battles outside that you just don’t win. But I was very encouraged by how hard they played.”
It can be difficult to determine just how talented a team is during the spring because there are no external benchmarks. For example, if a team possesses elite talent at running back, its defensive line and linebackers might look worse by comparison.
While Georgia’s defense figures to be a strength in the fall, the coaching staff is working hard to draw more creativity out of their offense. The individual talent is there, but the offense has to prove it can put it all together on Saturdays.
“We’ve got to be creative and get the ball to our playmakers in space and allow them to do things. We’ve got some plays to do that with,” Smart said. “I think Jacob (Eason) specifically has taken good strides, but he has to continue to make good decisions and get the ball in the right spot.”
It’s no secret that the Bulldogs have an elite running back duo in Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, but they are far less proven at wide receiver.
Junior Terry Godwin, a former 5-star prospect, has drawn praise from Smart this spring and is capable of becoming a No. 1 receiver, but Georgia will need other players to step up alongside him. One such player could be true freshman Jeremiah Holloman, who has made an early statement after enrolling in January.
“The number one thing is, he’s very consistent,” Smart said. “Most of these freshmen come in and they’re very up-and-down, emotionally. ‘I’m really good one day and really bad another.’ This kid is just like that (Smart made a straight-line motion with his hand). He just stays level-headed, doesn’t get affected by criticism. He’s had some days where he’s been inconsistent catching the ball, but he’s never inconsistent with how hard he practices.”
With 12 practices in the books, Georgia is nearing the end of its spring practice period. The Bulldogs will end the spring with their annual G-Day Game on Saturday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
