Kirby: Sometimes It takes a loss to make them really understand
ATHENS - Following two days off, No. 8 Georgia practiced for two hours on Tuesday, marking the start of “work week” prior to the Bulldogs’ bye on Saturday.
Tuesday's practice report: D'Andre Swift Not Seen During Open Periods
Georgia offers 2020 In-state Linebacker
After the bye, the Bulldogs head to Jacksonville, Florida for their annual matchup with the Florida Gators at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart
On when is the right time to insert Fields into the game against LSU...
“We consider that a lot. We talk about that a lot. The point there after Jake scored the one touchdown, we considered it once they went back and scored on us. To be honest with you, the game was out of hand at that point. They were up 28 or something like that. Justin continues to work. He’s doing a good job. He took some reps today, and he’s getting better. I think both those kids understand they’ve got to play better for us to be able to play better offensively...
On the bye week as a chance to assess players in different positions...
“I thought today Malik Herring, Robert Beal, Jordan Davis – all three played more snaps than they’ve been playing. Jordan and Beal, especially, a lot more than they’ve been playing. Those guys have been on scout team a ton. We use them as examples to say this is your opportunity to leapfrog a guy. We’re getting three groups of reps. We’re getting a lot of reps out there this week to say ‘How far has Chris Smith come? How far has Deangelo Gibbs come? How far has Justin Shaffer come?’ We’re getting a lot of guys reps to get better. That’s how you improve your team. That’s how you improve your program from the bottom, up. You get tons of reps, and you just get to work. That’s what we did today.”
On Robert Beal Jr...
“He’s still on scout team. He still gets reps; we really believe in those reps. What I’m finding is guys that are down there sometimes play better than the guys that go against the scout team. And Jordan’s a great example of that. He played really physical in the game. He held the point, so we played him more. We did a little better against the run with him in there. Robert has had an opportunity to continue to grow on scout team. Robert works really hard. The biggest thing, is Robert’s getting a little bit of confidence in the calls. It was the first time in the game the other day you have two pass-rush situations where he beat his guy pretty quick, and I feel like he knows what to do a lot faster now, and it shows up on the field and helps him.
On when the Florida game plan is introduced to the team...
“We do as coaches. We’ve been working on it since Sunday. But we don’t with the players till Thursday. We don’t get into that. We work on other opponents, but we have in the future. During the morning and nighttime, when we’re not preparing for practice, we’re doing Florida game plans.”
On Justin Fields’ development...
“Justin’s getting better each and every day. I think his maturity is getting better in the meeting room – he’s picking things up, he’s developing. He’s certainly eager to get that opportunity, and he continues to progress and do good things in practice. You never know when the opportunity’s going to present itself. We’re never closing that door at all, because we have to play the guy that gives us the best chane to win.”
On what comes out of defeat...
“It exposes some of your weaknesses. I think wins can do that. I personally think that the games we’ve won that so many people have talked about, I’ve seen some of the same mistakes, and we’ve highlighted them to our team. Sometimes it takes that loss to make them really understand. I certainly think our guys recognize that we have to get better. We’re going to. The only way to get better, guys, is to work. And that’s what we’re doing now. It’s time to grow. There’s no magic pill; you don’t take a magic pill and say ‘We’re just going to get better.’ No, we have to go to work. We have to go to work as coaches, and go to work as players, and work as a team to do that.
On the Georgia-Florida rivalry...
“It’s a very passionate rivalry. You look over the history of the SEC, especially the two divisions of the SEC East, it’s a great rivalry. It’s a neutral-site game. It’s a unique game because it’s 50-50. All these other rivalries, it’s one way or the other, but it’s not really that way with this one. It’s 50-50. I like it. It’s a unique setting; it’s a great stadium. It’s very passionate. It’s a very important game for us right now. We’re worried about us. We’re trying to get better at us, and that’s the most important thing.”
On non-football plans this weekend...
“I haven’t talked to my wife to see what I have permission to do. Whatever she says, I’ll do. I wish that I could go watch my kids play or do something, but their games are on Friday and Sunday, so we’ll be working those days. Saturday, I’ll be watching some games and probably watching some tape as well.”