ATHENS — Kirby Smart won’t share specifics, but Georgia’s coach is not wishy-washy about being intensely concerned about the possible effects of COVID-19 on the Bulldogs’ ability to compete in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
The No. 9-ranked Bulldogs (7-2) take on eighth-ranked Cincinnati (9-0) in the New Year’s Day bowl at noon at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium (ESPN). Georgia players and coaches underwent their first round of COVID-19 tests upon their return to campus on Saturday afternoon. Smart said he has been apprised of those results but also acknowledged that, at this point at least, they’re inconclusive.
“It’s a thrill a minute,” Smart said during a Monday morning video conference call with reporters. “We’ve had good information, bad information, information that changed [laughs]. So, it’s been a struggle, I can say that. But that’s really all I can say about it. I’m not going to get into details.”
Smart said upon the Bulldogs’ return to campus Saturday that the team would be subjected to the normal pregame testing protocols it has utilized all year heading into Friday’s game. That is three rounds of PCR tests ending 48 hours before kickoff, plus individualized testing for any players or staff exhibiting symptoms at any time.
Of course, test results aren’t always accurate. False positives and negatives have been one of the complications of the college football season being played amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Georgia has been considered one of the SEC’s success stories during this season. The Bulldogs had no COVID-based personnel scratches during the nine-game regular season, according to Smart. But the team dispersed for Christmas break late last week and therefore effectively abandoned their “bubble.” That left players unmonitored via Kinnexon tracing technology for the first time all year.
Meanwhile, Smart said Georgia would have had “one or two” players out due to exposures had the Bulldogs’ final regular-season game on Dec. 19 not been canceled by Vanderbilt. He indicated Monday that they are encountering some “issues” this time around as well.
“Take it for what it’s worth,” Smart said Monday. “It just changes every day. I’m not saying that’s the case. I’m just saying that we’ve dealt with a lot more things here recently than we have in the past.”
The Bulldogs were to undergo another round of tests Monday and still another on Wednesday.
Credit: UGA Sports
Credit: UGA Sports
The Music City Bowl was canceled Sunday because COVID-19 issues forced Missouri to pull out. That followed opt-outs by South Carolina (Gasparilla Bowl) and Tennessee (Liberty) from their respective bowl games.
“Definitely not knowing is the hardest part,” senior defensive end Malik Herring said.
Said junior noseguard Jordan Davis: “It’s hard, because the latter part of the season some of our games got postponed or canceled. It’s not hard, but we’ve just got to adjust to that. That’s what this season has been all about, adjusting.”
Georgia is treating Friday’s bowl game more like a regular-season road game. The Bulldogs aren’t heading to Atlanta until Thursday and will spend only one night in a hotel. Normally, UGA would spend at least a week at a bowl site.
Meanwhile, they Bulldogs are not participating in any typical bowl week activities such as touring attractions and making appearances. Practices and meetings at UGA’s Butts-Mehre football complex are really no different than they’ve been all year, with the notable exception of the players not having any classes to attend.
“There’s not a lot you can do,” Smart said. “Everything you think about doing that’s fun, you have to put a mask on and tell them they can’t go to public places. What are you going to do? Play kickball, play whiffle ball in the indoor? They’re over here a lot already.
“So the fun we try to have is in the meetings and our walk-throughs and our focus on the game. The fun has always been in winning.”
About the Author
