Kirby Smart Postgame Interview - Georgia vs Tennessee Tech - September 07, 2024

really uh proud of our guys today um came out with good energy good uh passion to be able to play at home um in front of our our crowd which you don't get many chances you know I think we average six maybe home games a year and um that was one of them so we took advantage of it guys played hard um I thought we had uh es and flows that were really good and then some that weren't and I was really proud of the guys I challenged them at halftime you know we had lost uh a couple third Downs on defense we had lost two minute um and we had lost some Red Zone and been stopped so I I thought that they came out in the half and the first drive was really important to me I thought the offensive line handled that uh they overpowered a group they should overpower um and we were able to play a lot of players today we subbed out probably earlier than anybody in the country and I think that helps us down the road we've played a lot of players today played a lot of players last week we play a lot of players every year and I think that helps grow our team in our depth so thanks to our crowd for for sticking it out and it was uh it was warm like I anticipated and I think that affected both teams yeah he he continues to get better I I don't know that today is a good judgment of Kobe young you know he he had a mesh pattern that that that that they didn't cover you know it wasn't a wow play it was just a an error on their part and a pretty easy throw so um the one last week was impressive um he continues to grow and get better and we're going to need him um in our offense we need him to be able to play even more snaps um and be in the best shape of his life to to to play enough snaps yeah didn't really didn't really say we were looking for that we just looking for guys that fit our culture you know it wasn't like it was a this is the cookie cutter we want big we won't mean we want good and we want good people for our culture and he is that he was very clear in his reasoning for uh why he wanted to come and um I I think he fits what our culture is and and it was more of a fit than it was just looking for specific type yeah we played a different team that was the difference I mean I I would love to sit here and tell you that we just started fast today and everything clicked but that wasn't the same opponent and uh you know we were considerably better than that opponent and um we should execute at a high level and the week before there was a lot of problems out there um in terms of their players and blocking them and when you can run the ball you can do pretty much what you want offensively uh and and you know the success we had running it opened it up for play actions and some shots what what difference make don't think we know that yet it's hard to tell today right like I wouldn't judge that on today I mean I think we've got uh good really good stable of backs uh I'm I'm fired up about our backs I've said repeatedly to you guys that we got a great group good young good old good leadership good depth um I felt really comfortable there all year I still feel that way but I can't put significance of impact on what he did today because I don't I mean I don't know that it matter which back was in there I think the biggest thing is getting game experience so who you play with doesn't matter as much if if you play and uh you probably went against somebody Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday that was probably better than who you went against today so uh I look a lot more at the the practice reps we took last week than those um I want to see you perform when the anxiety hits and when the crowd's out there but you know we had guys go out there and got an opportunity and and make mistakes bust they got to get those things out of the way they got to get them out of the way and uh the sooner we get them out of the way the sooner they can become good players it's awesome it's great Branson works really hard Branson's a good back but still coming back to his old self and thought he had a good cut today and made some guys miss and he's a great back man he's just got to get back to full strength we just missed some open guys I mean whether it was the route was cut short route was cut off or Carson didn't hit them but had good calls they were open um maybe the receiver pulled up short or maybe we just missed them but uh you know we didn't have any timeout so it was a bonus to even get the ball back and uh we went three and out and got the ball back I wanted to see this execute without timeouts we did a pretty good job of that got the one penalty um and and once they had the defensive holding I thought we'd be a still some points um but we didn't yeah he I mean he's I don't know I don't know that I've seen him grow in the last two games you know what I mean I think uh just TR truly honesty he's he's grown he's a good player um he continues to get better and it's not that what you're saying he can't get better absolutely he can get better but today was about a lot of other players not about car uh yeah he had a slight ankle sprain um so we'll see you know I thought he could have gone but they held him at halftime um wasn't able to go today hopeful to get him back yeah he could have come back and we ended up holding him I'm not even sure it was a shoulder but I don't know what significance they came over to me and said he's ready to go back in but at that point we were moved on Thomas some guys about that yeah got to keep getting better we we we we we've got to grow those guys um they work really hard during the week it's critical to Our Success that we grow that that room and develop that room we are not where we need to be and uh we we've got to got to develop that room because of the guys we've had out in that r yeah depth twitch you know we got a really good situation there with uh with him uh Gabe Harris Joseph Jonah ji um you know they they've had to step up in the Forefront with Mel down and um you know Tai's Tai's been a good player since he's been here he's just he's battled some injuries and he's he's healthy right now and and and playing well yeah I thought Gunner played with more confidence if you remember Gunner had to play a lot of games last year in mop up Duty where it was just clock management run the ball get out of the game and and this today he got to play a little more like he did against uh you know Florida State I thought he did some good things made some good decisions uh continue to improve that uh played well with the guys around him he made them look good he makes good decisions he's he's getting wiser and uh and we need him to yeah hard to measure our success today again defensively and that's not a disrespect it's just the truth those guys were going to struggle um up front they don't have big guys um they're starting quarterbacks out you know I mean realistically it's it's it's hard I mean last week was a great performance for our defense today was what we should do no I think that's great Learning lesson it's more frustrating when you give up two third downs and they have a 8 n minute possession and that's frustrating getting opportunities he had a great week of practice and I told him it it may result in that or it may not it doesn't matter we're not outcome oriented we're process oriented and he had four of the really good practices and I was like well you know sometimes that equates to a great game sometimes it doesn't and it didn't Quake to like some record-breaking game but he uh he played well in practice and he worked hard and he continues to improve you talk about yeah Lawson's a competitor man he uh he wants to do well he wants to please he works his butt off really good route Runner tough physical guy he missed a block out on the perimeter today that I know he's upset about but he made some plays with his uh with his route running and really proud of Lawson and and how he works every day how he leads he's tough physical leader I think he understands that uh his growth is week to week getting to play on this team getting to be a part of something big and I mean everybody wants stats everybody wants to put up Brock Bowers types numbers but he's going to get his opportunities there's going to be games um where he has opportunities to make plays and I I I really believe he's going to make them he's a tough physical guy uh aran's great Aran works really hard I think I've told you guys he he's probably the the one player that I've seen in my nine years take the biggest transformation from coming from a small school you know he didn't grow up going to Lakeland he went to a small school down in P County and he just got better better better better he's been through significant injuries three four surgeries and he's just so mature now he knows how to work um he's much more patient when things don't go well and just his maturation process has been great for our program that yeah I mean I don't think we've been up there that it wasn't a just a battle like I can't think of a time I've ever been to that stadium and played in a game that was like well that was easy it's never easy up there never it's never easy on the road in the SEC at all and I don't know if people truly appreciate and respect expect a win on the road at Kentucky how hard it is they're well coached they're really physical um they do a great job I mean they they they they had a really good football team so we will have our work cut out for us not to mention eight straight SEC games I think it is last I don't know that one stood out like that uh I thought uh Mike did a great job with a couple key play calls where he hit shots um you know I I can't think of one particular there were some really good uh crack blocks where the runs got sprung out and guys made good Cuts you know it's probably today with Carson's legs you know he chose to to make some plays with his legs and um and that makes a difference it makes it really hard to defend uh in games like got a holding today so that's not progress but he uh he's getting better he's humongous he's a developmental player that we're trying to develop um we I think we're we're trying to speed up the process maybe faster than it's possible um but he's he's been a sponge in terms of trying to learn what to do I mean you can imagine not playing football since eth grade and then going out there and you're trying to play uh in the SEC and that's you know just a lot of football he needs to play and a lot of practice reps he needs and as long as he's willing willing to do that he'll have a chance to be successful uh yeah I mean he's hurt he's got an ankle so I mean like he couldn't go today I don't know what he'll be able to do uh sure we'll find out on Wednesday I mean I'm hopeful to get him back but we're just got him in a game ready got him getting rehab got him working uh he's getting treatment all day Friday all day Saturday and all day tomorrow time for one more question