ATHENS — Kirby Smart is all about time management, as such, Georgia isn’t wasting any time moving on to Auburn.
The No. 5-ranked Bulldogs have a successful system in place, and Smart has no plans to deviate after the 41-34 loss at Alabama.
There’s no panic in Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.
“I think we have a very set routine here, and we don’t make our routine based on outcomes,” Smart said at his Monday press conference.
“So whatever number of wins we’ve had prior to this one, we’re going to do the same thing we do today. I really believe in that process.”
Georgia is set to kick off against Auburn (2-3, 0-2 SEC) at 3:30 p.m. at Sanford Stadium in only its second home game of the season.
RELATED: SEC football odds, Dawgs a big favorite over Auburn
The Tigers, meanwhile, will be playing their first game away from Jordan-Hare Stadium coming off back-to-back losses to Arkansas (24-14) and Oklahoma (27-21) to start their SEC slate.
Here are three telling things from Smart’s Monday presentation:
Rivalry Respect
Smart is all about honoring the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, and he’s not about to underestimate Auburn.
Smart noted how different AU’s season could be if not for turnovers — the Tigers rank 132nd in turnovers committed (15).
“The record doesn’t speak for what this (Auburn) team is,” Smart said. “…. when you turn the tape on and watch their defense and their offense, outside of turnovers, they’ve got a really good football team.”
Freeze made it clear at his press conference that his team is ready to embrace the challenge of playing at Georgia.
“Every week is a new life of its own, every day, and you expect your staff to and expect your team to be ready to go fight again,” Freeze said. “We’re not going to blink as a staff, and I don’t expect our kids to, either.
Freeze and his Tigers were a headache for the Bulldogs last season on The Plains.
Auburn, with Freeze’s vaunted RPO game, out-rushed Georgia 219-107 in a game that was tied entering the fourth quarter before UGA pulled out the 27-20 win.
“He’s added new wrinkles and twists that you see in the NFL, you see across college football, using motions and eye candy and sorts of things to create an advantage or create a leverage or a mismatch,” Smart said. “He’s done a good job evolving while keeping the RPO game.”
Raising all boats
Smart indicated there were things that jumped off the Alabama game film that Georgia is eager to fix but stuck to generalities.
“We’ve got guys that we’ve got to do a better job as coaches,” Smart said, “(and) we’ve got to do a better job as players, we’ve got to do a better job as an organization … "
A lot has gone into getting the Bulldogs to this point of the season, still in the nation’s Top 5 as the nation’s highest-ranked one-loss team.
Smart indicated Georgia will check all the usual boxes, from quality control
“I believe in telling the truth about the opponent, telling the truth about the strengths and weaknesses of who you’re about to play,” Smart said, “and then you coach every week the same.”
3. Back to business
It has been said that “simplicity is the genius of it all,” and Smart might be leaning toward that theory after some broken assignments at Alabama.
Smart noted in the second-half comeback at Alabama, the defense “made some good adjustments, we settled down and made some calls we could execute.”
Carson Beck roared to life in the second half as the score dictate Georgia shift to a high-volume pass game, the Bulldogs trailing 30-7.
Georgia reclaimed a 34-33 lead with gritty defense and clutch execution, converting on four fourth-down plays on a touchdown possession.
“Certainly, proud of the resiliency they showed to do it,” Smart said of the comeback. “But just as proud as I am of that, I’m disappointed at the start of it.”
Smart indicated there are ideas on the table for having faster starts on offense in the game.
“Put together packages of plays that sequence” Smart said, referring to a pre-determined order.
“Making sure the players understand exactly what the plan is, how to do them.”
But as the head coach also pointed out, regardless of the play calls, it still comes down to execution.
“I think it’s very clear that we’ve got to execute and communicate better, but I also think we have the players to do it with,” Smart said. “I’m very confident in our offense and our offensive players.”
