ATHENS —Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said there’s “so many things” it’s hard to zero in on what might be the deciding factor in the opening game.
The No. 1-ranked Bulldogs play No. 14 Clemson at noon on Saturday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in both teams’ first game of the season.
“The deciding factor, I don’t know, that’s hard to predict,” Smart said of this week’s top ‘Thing to Know’ report. “You would think explosive plays, turnovers, and line of scrimmage, those are the three I have to think would be a deciding factors.”
Smart said Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, a rising junior who has started 14 of the 23 games he has played over the past two seasons, gives the Tigers’ a proven player at a key position.
“The scouting report (Klubnik) is No. 1 very experienced, has played in a lot of football games, and when you have a quarterback that has played in a lot of games, it’s an advantage,” Smart said.
“The quarterback is such a key part of every game because he has to make a decision every play and touches the ball every play,” Smart said.
“I think [Klubnik] has done a tremendous job, he’s going to be even better with a year under this belt of this offense.”
Georgia’s ‘biggest question’
Smart was philosophical when asked what the biggest question was for his team entering the Clemson game.
Rather than note key availability being a question at running back, or experienced depth being challenged at defensive tackle, Smart was philosophical.
“How will we respond; how will we respond to something really good happening, how we will respond to something not so good happening, because both are going to happen,” Smart said.
“We just haven’t played in a game yet, where something you didn’t expect happened,” he said. “The response time to that is probably the biggest unknown.”
Clemson homecomings
Clemson has several players who played their high school football in Georgia, including 5 key starters:
• Sr. tailback Phil Mafah, Loganville
• Sr. Linebacker Barrett Carter, North Gwinnett
• Soph. linebacker Jamal Anderson, Mill Creek
• Soph. cornerback Avieon Terrell, Westake
• Soph. safety Khalil Barnes, North Oconee
“They are excited for sure, that’s a natural thing, they are excited to play in their home state, but you have to channel all that,” Swinney said.
“Emotion is part of the game, but you don’t want to be emotional. You want to channel the emotion into your execution and effort.”
Dabo’s QB Confidence
Swinney believes in Klubnik, a former 5-star recruit out of Austin, Texas.
“You expect him to take the next step, that’s why we’re running him out there first,” Swinney said. “He’s demonstrated he’s ready to have a great year…. He’s done all the work, and now he just has to stand on his work and compete his butt off.”
Arkansas ‘picked it up from Kirby’
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman took his team to see the movie “Twisters” the night before a 70-0 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff.
“When we play a night game, since I’ve always been here, we’re always gone to the movies on Friday night (for Saturday games),” Pittman said. “Picked that up from Kirby over at Georgia. Thought it was good for team building, good for relaxing. It’s cool in there. Getting the team together.
“I just enjoy it, the kids enjoy it, and it takes their mind off just a little bit of time of theme for a second and gets them around each other. Really have enjoyed it, Twisters is the one they chose.
Kalen DeBoer’s debut
Alabama will have a new head coach in Kalen DeBoer on the sideline for the first time since 2006 when it takes the field against Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. in Tuscaloosa (ESPN).
Tide QB Jalen Milroe will have a lot to do with DeBoer’s ability to win games, and the head coach likes what he has seen.
“I think this is something Jalen has done a better and better job of since we’ve gotten here …. you know what you’re going to get when you get out there,” DeBoer said of Milroe, who looked spectacular on occasion while struggling other times last season.
“There really haven’t been some crazy highs or crazy lows. I think he’s just continuing to build, continuing to work with his guys …. whether it’s the offensive line and the communication and making sure he’s on the same page with protections, run checks or whatever it might be. The receiving corps with the timing of routes. A lot of communication. I think he continued to grow and evolve as well.
So the consistency, I really have an appreciation for what he’s done.”
Florida hot seat
Third-year Gators coach Billy Napier appears to be on the hottest seat in the SEC at the start of this season after back-to-back losing seasons (6-7 2022, 5-7 2023).
Florida opens at home with No. 19 Miami, which features Washington State transfer and Heisman Trophy favorite Cam Ward, and Napier recognizes the challenge.
“You look at the yards, the touchdowns, the completion percentage …. I do think that his ability to extend the play is a part of the game, will be a key factor in the game,” Napier said.
“But he’s got arm talent. They’ve got a great group of skill, an incredible group of linemen to protect. The tight end group has athleticism and size. They have a really good surrounding cast to go along with a guy who is a very accomplished quarterback. Heck, even as a transfer, they got [Ward] picked to be the pre-season player of the year in the ACC.”
