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Kirby Smart talks quarterback situation, defense after scrimmage
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Georgia coach Kirby Smart met with the media following a closed Saturday scrimmage in which the Bulldogs got a pep talk from UGA legend Herschel Walker. The first-year coach offered a performance assessment and other updates.
Smart wanted the current Bulldogs to appreciate Walker’s commitment to return to Athens long after his playing days according to Chip Towers of DawgNation.com:
“I’ve enjoyed it every chance I’ve had to be around him,” Smart said. “I think he represents and embodies what this place is about and I think it’s important for the players to understand that. I don’t know how many players know what this guy has done in its history for the University of Georgia, what he’s meant. To come back to a track meet and be back for that, he’s giving of himself. I don’t think enough of our guys are willing to give of their time for whatever it is. This guy has given so much to this place. I think that’s important for them to know and we told them that.”
As for the actual scrimmage, the Athens Banner-Herald’s Marc Weiszer notes that Smart wasn’t happy with the defense, the head coach’s area of expertise:
“We either have a long way to go on defense or we’re better than I think on offense,” Smart said. “I don’t know how to answer that because the offense, I won’t say dominated, but they definitely won the scrimmage.”
No statistics were provided for the closed scrimmage, but Smart said the No. 1 offense had the upper hand against the No. 1 defense and ditto when it was No. 2 offense vs. No. 2 defense.
“It is what it is,” Smart said. “We can’t sugarcoat it. …Just a poor performance all together.”
Smart implied that confusion could be leading to some of issues:
“ I was really disappointed all together with the scrimmage and I told the kids that,” Smart said. “Frustrating. Some explosive plays we gave up. …We’ve got too many busts. A lot of confused kids.”
Seth Emerson of DawgNation.com notes that Smart doesn’t see the quarterback job being decided this spring:
“I think it’s going to go into August. I think it has to,” Smart said.
Jason Butt of The Telegraph (Macon, Ga.) noted Smart’s take on the NCAA’s decision to ban satellite camps:
“We were gung-ho, we were going to do what we had to do, we were going to go and compete and go do some satellite camps,” Smart said. “But to be honest with you it’s probably a sigh of relief as far as the stress of having to go out and control the uncontrollable.”
The Bulldogs will play in their annual G-Day scrimmage next Saturday.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
