Kirby Smart ‘very concerned’ about 9-game SEC schedule next year

ATHENS — One would think Georgia coach Kirby Smart would be in a cheerful mood following a 28-7 win over Alabama.

Yet when Smart spoke to reporters, he issued a stern message to the rest of the league against the coming nine-game SEC schedule.

“Those two teams were beat up tonight,” Smart said. “That was the ninth game of the year. We’re looking at next year having another game. I mean, the coaches in our league are concerned about it. Very concerned about it.

“I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t speak my piece and say it’s concerning.”

Injuries were an issue on both sides of the ball Saturday. Georgia was without starting center Drew Bobo and saw wide receiver Noah Thomas leave the game with back spasms.

With the win, Georgia clinches a spot in the College Football Playoff and earns some well-deserved rest. The Bulldogs won’t play again until Jan. 1 in the almost-certain event they earn a bye.

The future of the SEC schedule was not the only thing Smart touched on following Saturday’s game.

Below is a full transcript from what Smart said.

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart recaps win over Alabama

Opening statement:

“Yeah, start with thanking the SEC and the leadership in this conference. They do an incredible job with this event. It’s so well run. Both fan bases passionate. One of the greatest championship games you can play in. I have respect for that.

“Our administration — (athletic director) Josh Brooks, (President) Jere Morehead — do an incredible job supporting these players, helping them out. All the credit goes to the players who have had a very long, tough, hard season. The kids in our program buy into hard. I appreciate their toughness in the way they do things. That pays off in the long run.

“To win back-to-back SEC championships, it’s every kid in this footprint’s dream, and an honor to be at Georgia and to be the head coach here and win games like this.”

Q. Could you talk about what a huge momentum change the blocked punt was. Then talk a little bit about how special the journey is that the kid (Cole Speer) who blocked it had.

SMART: “Just, unbelievable kid. I mean, he sacrificed so much for this program. Gets me emotional thinking about it because we had a team meeting on Friday, and we spoke to the team. I spoke to the team. And (team psychologist) Drew (Brannon) picked five players. It was a very moving talk. He had coaches come down and talk about the five seniors.

“He had Micah Morris. Well, actually he had Daylen Everette talked about by his coach. (Defensive backs coach) Donte (Williams) came and talked about him. Dillon Bell and Cole Speer, (wide receivers coach James) Coley came and talked about him. And then Oscar Delp was actually the fourth. So it was four players.

“He put on the screen how many days they had been at Georgia. He put on the screen how many days potentially they had left. They had 1%. I think they had been there 1,200 days at Georgia because they’re all fourth- and fifth-year players.

“Basically coach Coley talked about Cole Speer’s sacrifices. He got to be a really competitive receiver in the spring. He was playing really good, then got an injury in the spring game. It set him back. He never flinched, never complained. He just does what he’s asked to do. He’s extremely fast and physical.

“Think about those players that Drew talked about and had their coaches come talk about. Dillon Bell scores a touchdown tonight. Huge in the game. Daylen Everette gets an interception. Huge in the game. Cole Speer blocks the punt. Oscar played well also.

“Before he finished, he said, ‘Stand up if you’ve beaten Alabama in a game.’ None of ‘em stood up. So it was a very moving piece.

“Micah and Cash were there for the national championship game, but they didn’t play. I thought it hit right in between the eyes of doing it for the seniors. So many of them have been through heartbreaking losses that they wanted to do it.

“ (Special teams analyst) Kirk Benedict had a great rush plan, came after the punt, got a huge block there.”

Q. The level of physicality and aggression that your defense played with tonight, how proud are you of them to see that? How big of a difference do you think that made tonight?

SMART: “It was a huge difference. It was the domination on that side of the ball. A lot of it came with a chip on their shoulder from the last one. It came with a chip on their shoulder from improving.

“We told them after that game there wasn’t a lack of execution in that game at home. They outplayed us. They out-executed us. They probably out-coached us. We weren’t going to let that happen again in terms of the way we played.

“They’re getting better. Young kids are growing up. There’s a lot of naysayers out there for (defensive coordinator Glenn) Schumann and his staff. They never flinched. They kept getting better, kept growing the players. They played really well tonight.”

Q. Talk about Rasean Dinkins stepping in today, how much of a challenge it is against that offense.

SMART: “Yeah, a lot of motion, a lot of adjustments. Dink has been practicing really well. If you go back, we got him a series against Charlotte. We considered getting him series against Georgia Tech. Joenel (Aguero) was playing. Joenel is dealing with a wrist. He practiced all week. Joenel practiced and was good to go.

“We were like, look, if Joenel is going to have this glove on, maybe we should give Dink a series or two. Dink went one series, another series. Things were going our way.

“He’s a good football player. He’s got some safety characteristics from his high school. He reminds me a little bit of (Javon) Bullard. He’s got a potential to be able to move to safety and play. He’s got a really good skill set.

“He is the greatest kid. I’m so hard on him at practice, and at times, he gets quiet. I appreciate the way he takes hard coaching because it has not affected him. It paid off tonight.”

Q. The talk all week was about Malachi (Toliver). What did you see from him during the week in prep for this? How do you feel like he held up?

SMART: “The biggest thing is getting the snap there. That’s 50% of the battle. Get the snap there and get it accurate. That was my concern.

“I knew he would play well, hard, physical. He did that. I think the way we practice and what he went through last year prepared him for this year. He was prepared for this game because of everything he’s been through.

“That kid had an injury, an ankle injury, then he was out for another two, three weeks with an injury. I mean, the kid’s been through it. He stepped up tonight, played well in Drew (Bobo)’s absence. I’m proud of him.”

Q. How has this team been able to survive and thrive when guys have gone down, young guys stepping up?

SMART: “Toughness. Strength program. Look, guys, both those teams tonight were beat up. You guys need to do a deep dive and deep study. I’m going to jump on a soapbox now because I’m going to take your question and run with it.

“I’m going to give you a hypothetical. That was the ninth game of our SEC schedule. Just imagine that was the ninth game of the season for everybody in the SEC. Everybody played another SEC game. I’m not saying it was on this week. I’m saying it was on a previous week.

“That’s eight more losses, right? 16 teams. Eight more losses in our league. So one team, two teams. Let’s say this last weekend was Oklahoma and Ole Miss, whoever hadn’t played yet. They played and they got losses. Then they’re going to go to the SEC championship and play another game.

“Those two teams were beat up tonight. That was the ninth game of the year. We’re looking at next year having another game.

“I mean, the coaches in our league are concerned about it, very concerned about it. I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t speak my piece and say it’s concerning.

“If that game affects Alabama … I don’t know if it will or not, I have no say so in it. I sat in those shoes many times where that game cost you an opportunity.

“Hypothetically, every team just played another game in their ninth game. There’s eight more losses. Who just dropped out? Then there’s another game, SEC championship.

“It was tough, physical out there tonight. They were wounded. We were wounded. Noah Thomas tried to go. He had back spasms. He wasn’t able to go. We were without multiple guys. Zion (Branch), he was just beat up.”

Q. Back to Cole Speer. In this era of people leaving quickly when they’re not getting playing time, how rare are guys like him going to be? How much did you enjoy seeing him produce that moment?

SMART: “Yeah, I mean, I almost teared up in the locker room afterwards. We called him up to the top. That’s going to be gone, guys. That’s going to be gone. I mean, Cole, we recruited Cole. Cole is on scholarship. Different than Dan Jackson and Cash Jones. Those stories …

“We’re going to get 105 (scholarships) now, I support. I’m glad. Everybody will chase 105 four- and five-stars. The stories of that kid, you got to be a bold coach to say I’m going to take this kid who loves the University of Georgia, do anything, sacrifice.

“London Humphreys had one of the best blocks I’ve ever seen on touchdown runs. He sacrifices every week for our team by blocking. He might get a catch, might get two. Man, he doesn’t care. He does it for his team.

“That’s why I coach. You look guys at Kansas State. Guys walking away from it. That’s lost in our game as we move further and further away from it.

“Cash Jones has played so well for us this year. Cole Speer. Those guys are incredible role players for us.”

Q. Coming into this week, everyone has talked about the third down conversions last game for Alabama. How do you explain the difference tonight?

SMART: “I explain it by a great game plan by coach Schumann. He studies a lot of tape, has confidence in his plan. The defensive staff got those guys to believe and played hard. They had a little chip on their shoulder. They wanted another shot.

“We executed better, affected the quarterback more. He played almost out of his mind the last time we played him. A lot of the calls were the same. Calls wasn’t different. The execution was a little better. The rush was a little better.”