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UGA Football Receiver Talks About "Personal" Rivalry With Florida Gators

October 28, 2024
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ATHENS - Georgia Bulldog wide receiver Arian Smith doesn’t like the Florida Gators. That’s clear.

The former four-star from Lakeland, Florida had every opportunity to keep his game-changing speed local and play for the nearby Florida Gators. But the Florida native wanted something different. He saw the machine that Kirby Smart was building in Athens, Georgia.

Smith decided to leave his home state and head north, giving Georgia a speedy playmaker in their 2020 recruiting class. Now, several years later, Smith will be playing in his final game against the Florida Gators. He’s having his best season as a Bulldog and spoke with reporters this week about the rivalry, his play this season, and a lot more.

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On playing in Jacksonville…

“I’m pumped to see that we’re bringing your own juice, coach said. When we go out there in warmups, it’s quiet. You don’t hear anything until you take off your headset. I just put some music in and just try to get myself up and energized for the game. When we come out of the tunnel, it’ll be packed and loud.”

On what it means to beat Florida…

“It is personal. That borderline rivalry, you already know that it is going to be a physical game. It feels like a good win when we come out of it and our fans are right there cheering for us. We see the other side clearing out. It is just one of those games where we want to come out as a dominant win.”

On being experienced with the offense…

“Easier to play in and be in the offense and to understand all the concepts. Where we ask for stuff and are able to install. I am surprised when the defense does something and Carson (Beck) has a check, or the offense has changed. The whole thing can go in different ways. So, it is easier to anticipate and pick up on. One thing encourages and being in the positions where I play, which is all of them. So, it is easier to do that.”

 

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