Kirby Smart: "We Are Fighting at Wide Receiver"
ATHENS - UGA coach Kirby Smart talks about the Texas A&M game, and UGA's wide receivers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnhH-xyr3lU&feature=youtu.be
Coach Kirby Smart
Opening Statement
“We’ve got Texas A&M coming to Athens for the first time since they moved into the conference. We’re anticipating an unbelievable atmosphere. {Head coach} Jimbo (Fisher) has got a good football team. If you watch them on tape, they have gotten better and better throughout the year. They have as much talent as anybody in our conference. They’ve done a great job recruiting. It’s going to be a big challenge facing them and a quarterback like Kellen Mond who is extremely versatile and athletic.”
On the first things that jump out at you when you watch Texas A&M
“First thing is the multiple formations, the personnel groupings they use offensively. They have a lot of offense to defend. The athleticism on defense would be the biggest thing overall, team speed. They’ve very consistent on special teams. When it comes to special teams, you see all the starters on there. It’s like you’re playing in the SEC, and you go to turn the tape on, and you’re like oh gosh they got good really players at every position and you realize you’re going to be in for a war.”
On the Aggies offense being different compared to other SEC teams
“It’s different when you see the two-back runs. That’s not a thing that everybody uses anymore. A lot of people create two-back runs with their tight end. These guys are almost like three-back runs because they have the two backs and the tight end they use. They move the pocket really. Jimbo (Fisher) does a good job, he changes it up, he keeps you off balance. They’ve got a lot of passing game that they’re able to run in a lot of situations.”
On development of Georgia’s wide receivers
“We’re fighting for number one experience. We’ve got two really young receivers out there that are playing a lot of snaps in George (Pickens) and Dom (Blaylock). We’ve got a lot of inexperienced guys having lost predominately all of our pass catchers. We’d like to see some more consistency, more physical blocking, see some separation. We’re trying to do a good job of helping them whether it’s scheme or opportunities off play action. We’re trying to help them and they’re trying to help us. What I love about them is that every day they go to work they really fight to get better. It’s been a group that’s really been beat up and banged up the whole year. Every guy has almost missed a game or missed an opportunity. We’re trying to gel at the right time and bring these guys along and make some plays.”
On linebacker Monty Rice’s development
“I think number one his confidence in the system is at an all-time high. Early on, he was talented and didn’t really know the stuff. Last year, he knew it better, and he was banged up some. This year, he’s been healthy and been really confident. He understands things. He knows checks. Things are happening for the 100th time instead of the 40th or 50th. He understands how to use the tools of the defense. He is playing with confidence. He’s one step ahead and sometimes one step in football, is the ability to make a lot of plays.”
On the Aggies defense this season
“They’ve gotten better. They’ve done a really good job of improving throughout the year. They’re fast, they’re athletic. They’ve got good experience on the back end. I can’t say enough about the job the defensive coordinator (Mike Elko) has done. He was at Notre Dame. They’ve always created havoc and caused turnovers. They create another tough matchup which seems to be the norm in our conference.”