Opposing coaches sound off on Georgia football, Kirby Smart at SEC media days
The Georgia football program was a popular topic among coaches this week at SEC media days.
The Bulldogs have won back-to-back conference titles and will aim to win a third this season.
Although Kirby Smart and company addressed the media Tuesday in Tampa, Florida, Georgia was part of the conversation all week.
From new faces, such as Florida’s Jon Sumrall and Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield, to old foes, such as Texas’ Steve Sarkisian and South Carolina’s Shane Beamer, SEC coaches sounded off on the Bulldogs.
Georgia opens the season Sept. 5 when it hosts Tennessee State. The Bulldogs’ first SEC game of the season is Sept. 19 against Arkansas.
Here are some of the comments made by opposing head coaches at SEC media days.
Sumrall on the Georgia-Florida rivalry: “I think it’s one of the best rivalries in college football. A lot of respect for Kirby and the job he’s done over the years. Been very consistent.”
Even off the field there is a rivalry, as evidenced during the Steve Spurrier Awards. “That was a fun event,” he continued. “I think it was a night we were all able to let our guard down and have a little fun. Kirby and I caught up before the event. Look, it was all good natured. What would you expect at the coach Spurrier award show, other than a lot of jabs being thrown? Right? Like it wouldn’t be his award show if it wasn’t a lot of jabs. No, fun event and really respect what they’ve done, Kirby and his staff.”
Sarkisian on chasing Georgia: “You know, there’s a lot of sayings and quotes in the sports world, in particular, but this one probably is the most fitting: ‘If you want to be the champion, you got to beat the champion.’ It’s no more fitting for us. We’ve played Georgia three times. They’ve beaten us. All the credit in the world to Kirby, their team. They’re tough. They’re good. If we want to be a champion, I’m guessing we’ll probably have to beat the champion to make that happen.”
Beamer on playing Georgia: “When you talk about geographically, right across the river, it’s a big deal in Augusta, Georgia. I know a lot of Gamecocks in the state of Georgia. I know a lot of Bulldogs in the state of South Carolina. And I love being able to play. It’ll be fun. Every year that I’ve played them, it’s always been early in the season when we’ve played them since I’ve been the head coach. So, it’ll be neat to play them later in the year in Columbia in November. I know it’ll be rocking in Williams-Price that night. And I know just like ’21 and ’22 and ’23 when we played them, I know it’ll be a big, big, big challenge for us, too, because of the players on that team and how well coached they are.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables on facing Georgia: “You’re not going to sneak up on anybody in Ann Arbor or going to Athens, Georgia. I think they’ve lost maybe once in five or six years at home. Georgia has been the gold standard in my opinion for college football for quite some time now.”
Silverfield on reaching out to Kirby Smart after Silverfield’s previous comments about the Georgia program: “When it happened, listen, I’ve got the deep, most respect for Kirby Smart and the Georgia athletic department and everything that he’s about. Obviously, he’s done it at a high level, so certainly a lot of respect for him. When it occurred, I reached out to him. He’s always been great to me. Even at my time at Memphis. He allowed us to come be a part of the camps. I think he knew that it was no ill will. Listen, I’ve got a lot or respect for him and what they’re doing.”