Everything Kirby Smart Said After UGA Football's 63-3 Win Over Tennessee State

ATHENS - Here is everything UGA Football coach Kirby Smart said after the Bulldogs’ 63-3 win over the Tennessee State Tigers Between the Hedges in Sanford Stadium.

Opening statement...

“I thought, you know, for three quarters there, first, third, and fourth, we did what we needed too. Second, we had some sloppiness, didn't do some things well, but I thought the guys played really hard. I thought they beat the heat. I didn't feel like the heat impacted us. You know, a lot of credit and respect for Tennessee State. He's trying to turn his program around an that's tough to do. They played a really tough battle last week and then came in today and fought.”

Q: What can you say about Nate?

“Excited for Nate. He's worked really hard. Really he just hit some big holes, and he did a nice job being explosive through them. He worked really hard this off-season to earn that. Those runs sometimes fall on Dwight and then Chauncey, and they all had some good runs. I thought that by committee, that group worked really hard to have a, a good outing today.”

Q: What kind of growth have you seen in the second year, uh, with Taylor and Elyiss?

“Both have been great. You know, Elyiss has been a weapon two ways with the blocking and the play action pass, and really he's had an outstanding camp. He and Jaden Riddell both have had great camps and have been explosive in practices. And Talyn’s a wonderful talent. We've known that. We didn't get a chance to grow that with the injury he had last year which was very unfortunate.

“We thought he was going to be explosive and he's had really good practices. He works really hard. He believes in practicing hard. I love that about him and it allows you to play at game speed in games when you've practiced that way. He loves the game. He enjoys the game. I thought he did some really good things.

On Jaden Reddell...

“Jaden Riddell's an interesting story because he was highly recruited and came in with a lot of expectations. And it didn't happen right away, I'll be honest with you.

“He wasn't ready to block. He would tell you. He wasn't physically ready. He wasn't mentally ready. He had so many things, it was a shock to go play at this speed,but he never pouted. He never whined. He could have played somewehere else. He didn't choose them. His mom stood firm. His mom said, "You're gonna stay there. You're gonna out- outwork average, and you're gonna compete." And man, has he flourished, flourished. When it comes to development, this guy is the embodiment of development, and he's still getting better. So a lot of credit goes to Coach Harley, a lot of credit goes to his mother, and the most credit goes to him because he, he works his tail off every day, and, um, I still think his best is ahead.”

On the quarterbacks...

It's great for them. It's really not so much about the development 'cause they get those same reps every day in practice. I'm glad for them and their families and the work they do and all the work they put in that they got to play and see a little bit of a reward, reward for what they do.”

On Middle Georgia players...

“That’s a tough community. It's one of the best football areas in the state when you look across the Warner Robins, the Macon area, the Peach County, all the kids in that central Georgia area. They're tough. They like contact. When you think about Dink, Isaiah Canion, all the guys we have. They go out there and compete and play each day, and they're fun to coach 'cause they love football, and they've got great football programs in that area that support locally, and kids grow up wanting to play football from that area.”

On PJ Dean..

“I think PJ acclimated. I don't know that his brother helped him acclimate. They didn't share any time together. I'm sure he gave him advice, but they played two different positions. They're very different young men. They have a wonderful mom who has done an incredible job raising all her kids.

“They're both very respectful but they're different. Jared's a little more mild-mannered and an offensive mindset, and PJ's a little more of a fireplug and a defensive mindset, but they're both great kids and great individuals. I'm glad we were able to get him. He's been a big plus for us.”

Has anybody- I know it's very hot out there, but what would you overall say about the crowd and the attendance today? It was great. I mean, I thought to, to, to come out in 120 degree, uh, feels like, I mean, whatever heat index, it's, uh, you can't ask everybody to do that. I mean, look at some of the other programs around the country, I mean, they got out there in that heat.

We don't have that problem here. So, uh, our, our, our fans love it. I think they love coming to see each other and, um, and they'll be here. They'll be here next week too. You guys got- You said you wanted to have a selfie-

And a pretty passionate one Yeah. I, I think when, uh, mudita is our word that we use, that you celebrate in the joy that others have, and you, you show joy in the success of others, and I saw that all over the field today. We had so many players get to play and make plays. The guys on the sideline were, were cheering.

I mean, a story like Jeremy Bell, he just lost his brother within the last week, had to go home for a funeral, bury his brother, take care of his family. He's been dealing with extreme emotions, extreme emotions. At a point, I didn't even want him to practice, but yet he wanted to practice, and to go out and do what Jeremy Bell did, he's, uh, he's a really talented player that we're, we're...

He's been developing for a couple years now, and he's starting to come into his own. You got several different tight ends involved today. How much of what they were able to do today is what you saw through fall camp? Uh, I don't know. I don't know how many catches they had, what they did. I mean, I felt, wish we could've gotten Lawson more involved.

Uh, he's, he's had a, a good camp. But I mean, some of that tight end room is just, they have to learn to sh- to share. And, uh, they have so much respect for each other. They, they're such good weapons that it can't be about individuals in that room. It has to be about the production of the unit. And, uh, we'll build around the production of the, the, the, the unit and grow that.

You guys got Jordan Hall back out there on the field today. Just how much does having a veteran like that who's been through some things here at the University- I missed the total, the first part there. What did you say? Jordan Hall. Yeah. How much does having him back help? Jordan's been practicing really good.

You know, he's, uh, he's more of a vet now. His rep load has been a little lower in practices. I think his, uh, conditioning is better. He plays really hard. Um, he runs to the ball. He sets the tone for running to the ball, and that's what makes you a good defense. It's not talent, it's effort. You know, we have a saying, "Effort counts twice."

If you have talent, that's great, but effort counts twice. And he's a high-effort player. And if he holds the standard to other people to run to the ball like that, w- we'll be pretty good. You mentioned the quarterbacks and how deserving they were to get the-

I have to watch the tape. I couldn't sit here and tell you. I mean, I could go through and tell you something each one did right, and I could tell you something each one did wrong, and they could probably do the same. But we'll watch the tape. We'll grow those guys. They'll continue to work. And the hardest job we have is, is promising those families and kids that we're not gonna sit your kid on a shelf and not let him grow.

So, you know, Ryan Montgomery took reps with the scout team last week, so did Budda, so did, uh, Bryson. So like, Colter, again, we, we, we, we, we get guys reps and don't let 'em sit there and not do anything, and I think it helps keep them engaged. It keeps, uh, morale up, and, uh, that's important. We saw Craig in

Yeah, he missed a window of camp, probably four to five days, that, uh, really stunted his growth. But his, his growth was on a high trajectory. It continues to be. He's smart. He can play multiple positions. Uh, he has a little bit of something that we don't have in that room with his acceleration and his ability to, to get open quickly.

Um, he's very intelligent. He's very conscientious. He's tough. I mean, he's what you want in a wideout. So, uh, he's a, he- he's been a pleasant surprise that has to continue to get better as the competition goes up. What do you say that?

Well, I mean, all the backs earned it. He just received it, you know. Like, he, he, he was blessed to do it. And I know you guys wanna give him all the credit in the world, but some of those runs were, were, were you need to give the credit to the O-line. You need to give credit to Gunner who saw pressure and checked.

These things that you don't know about that they do, and that's not to take anything away from, from Nate. He did a tremendous job. But honestly believe that, that, that any one of our backs could've done that. What happened there on the field goal attempt at the end? It looked like we dropped it. I don't know.

I gotta see a replay. Looked like we dropped it. I mean, I didn't think it was a bad snap. I thought we just dropped it. But I'll watch it and see. And the penalty on the attempt before that? Two of the same numbers on there. We got two guys. We had a guy go down, and we had to put a sub in. And when you put a sub in, you can't put a sub in with the same number as the snapper, so it's common sense.

Kirby, I saw you get in Sakove's

ear, I think it was after a punt in that second quarter. How would you assess how you guys, like, took care of the little details, stayed locked in for four quarters against an opponent like Tennessee State? Good, mostly. I mean, there was one mistake by Sakove. He does a, he takes a lot of pride in his, uh, his performance and his job of securing the ball.

There's punts all over the country people don't catch, they drop. They do all these things. He's, he works really hard at it. I ride him hard. I think that's one of the least coached positions and, um, you can't let a ball roll 20 yards, 'cause it's two first downs that we gotta recover from

Uh, great toughness, great leadership, uh, works hard, very quiet and, um, he's, uh, uh, he, he, he helps that room because of his, uh, his experience and his physicality. Jim. But you said this wasn't an SEC opponent, so how do you kind of keep your team level-headed and maybe preventing false confidence when you have such a big- Practice.

We don't have a problem with that at practice. Jaylen Waddle, I heard he had a fumble problem during, during the fall. I mean, where does that come from? Where'd you hear that? Let me, let me, let me, give me your source. No, I didn't. I mean, is, you heard he had a... You talk to a player? You talk to a coach? Who talked to you?

Not at all. Well, I don't think he has a fumbling problem, personally, so I don't- He's not- I would not like it if you don't speculate. If you want to ask me, say, "Coach, does he have a fumbling problem?" No, he doesn't have a fumbling problem. Can you talk about just how proud you are of him if he did figure he'd have that fumble problem-

to get in the end zone? Yeah, I, I, I didn't... He didn't figure it out to get in the end zone. There was some really good... Graham Houston had a huge block. Give Graham Houston the credit. 'Cause I like to look at a play and say, "Who did the hard job? Who did the job that was hard?" Elias Williams on one of Tylan's plays, he did the hard job.

Graham Houston did the hard job on Jay's. So y'all give Jay all the credit, but, uh, it's, it's a credit to the offensive line and, and, and, and, and Jay as well for doing what he did. Coach, you got one message for Georgia fans heading to the season world to beat. Excitement. Have a little PFE. Um, love the game like our players do and, and show passion, energy, and, uh, uh, you know, make it hard to play at home.

I, I think that's the key is be one, one Dog Nation and pulling in the right, the right and same direction as a group. Got time for one more question. Coach, just want to ask about John Teske. You were talking before a game like that Yeah, he had a, a... I don't know exactly what the bone is, but he had a finger of one of his metacarples, metacarpals there that, that he's gotten injured.

So he just had surgery on it, should be back playing next week. Thank you. Thank you.