Kirby Smart downplays impact Donald Trump, weather could have on Alabama game
ATHENS — Kirby Smart is well aware of the extra logistics that are required when the sitting president of the United States comes to watch your team play.
Donald Trump will be among those in attendance for this week’s game against No. 6 Alabama. He was also on hand to see the last time Georgia visited Tuscaloosa, Alabama, in 2024. Trump was also on hand for the 2018 National Championship Game between Georgia and Alabama, though that game was played in Atlanta.
As for Saturday’s game, Smart knows what to expect.
“Nothing different for us,” Smart said. “As I understand it or been told, it’s more security and checking and doing things before we go to the stadium.”
This is the second college football game this season Trump has attended, as he was at the Sept. 26 game between Texas and Tennessee. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made national headlines when he pointed out that in-stadium communication cuts out any time the president is on the move during the game.
That was the case during the fourth quarter of the national championship game that was played between Miami and Indiana earlier this year. Indiana ended up winning that game 27-21, which was played in Miami’s home stadium.
Alabama has won each of the previous two matchups that Trump has attended. That past history, though, doesn’t have much bearing on Saturday’s game between the No. 2 and No. 6 teams in the country.
“We don’t really dwell on the past or anything,” Georgia offensive lineman Earnest Greene said. “Just get ready for this game today.”
For starters, Georgia did beat Alabama the last time these two teams faced off. The Bulldogs dominated along the lines of scrimmage, overwhelming Alabama in a 28-7 victory.
The Crimson Tide also had a different quarterback in Keelon Russell. Even though Ty Simpson was taken in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Russell is playing at an extremely high level for Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer.
The second-year quarterback has thrown for 11 touchdowns to just two interceptions while averaging 10.7 yards per attempt. He’s added another four touchdowns on the ground while rushing for 187 yards.
He is easily the best quarterback Georgia has faced to this point in the season.
“I knew about him in high school and watched his high school tape,” Smart said. “Knew he was an elite player, probably the best quarterback in the country coming out. Then he goes away and kinda disappears for a year. Reappears, and is just unbelievable. Savvy, arm strength, pocket awareness. People will make him out to be a runner. He doesn’t run unless he has to. He can. He scrambles to throw. He scrambles to run. He’s accurate. He’s smart. He’s very talented.”
The Georgia defense knows it will have its hands full against one of the best offenses in the country.
Weather is expected to be a factor on Saturday as well, with heavy rain and strong winds in the forecast. Add in all the extra attention that comes with this game, and Georgia is making a point of building Saturday’s game into an even bigger deal.
“I always try to keep the main thing the main thing,” Greene said. “I’m playing a football game, whether it be at 12 a.m., 3.30 p.m., 6.30, whatever the kick time may be. It’s still a football game, 22 people on the field. So I feel like keeping the main thing the main thing is always the best thing, a football game, regardless of the matchup or the game.”
Saturday’s game is set for a 7:30 p.m. start time on ABC.