Below is the full transcript of head coach Kirby Smart‘s comments following practice Tuesday afternoon. Also included below are selected comments from players Nakobe Dean and Eric Stokes.

On Tre’ McKitty’s rehab and whether he will play Saturday against Arkansas…
“He’s doubtful for Saturday. He’s up and running and moving around well. He got on the AlterG and been able to run some. We don’t think he’s going to make it in time for Saturday.”
 
On the direction of the offense under Coach Monken/whether it is influenced by the success of other programs’ and their RPOs (Run-Pass Options)…
“I don’t think that the offenses that are highly success aren’t necessarily RPOs—I would disagree with that… Yeah, it’s built around what we think we can do and be most successful with the players we have. Certainly, [we] study a lot of teams that were successful last year, as we do every year. [We] look [at] what we have similar to other teams that might have something similar to us—meaning if there is an elite receiver or an elite tight end or maybe [defensive] backs or a really good, featured quarterback. Whatever it is that we think we can simulate with the players we have that teams have been successful with. You have to be careful when you talk about that because our league is very different than many others. The outlier for me would be obviously LSU last year, being what they did. You can see on every Sunday what they had, and what they were capable of with the ammunition they had. Everybody tries to copycat to an extent, and do what people do well. We have to build that around what we have and what we are capable of doing with what we have.”

Read more

The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Arkansas Razorbacks

Game & Broadcast Info

Read more

University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart and several Bulldog student-athletes offered the following comments on Monday.

Head Coach Kirby Smart

Opening statement … 

“It’s game week. I am excited to have game week, that is for sure. It has been a long time coming and there has been a lot of things that have happened and transpired since we were on the field last for a competitive game. I know our guys are excited. We saw a lot of excitement out Saturday and Friday when we started to work on our Arkansas prep. Our players are excited, I am excited, our coaches are excited. There are a lot of new faces that are going to get their first opportunity to compete at the SEC level. We are excited to do that, going against a very good friend of mine in Coach Sam Pittman, who did just an unbelievable job while he was here. He and his wife, Jamie, meant so much to the community here in Athens and for so many of our kids. He helped build the foundation of what we have now. I am extremely happy for him for this opportunity he has gotten. I know he always had a special place in his heart for Arkansas, and he got this opportunity to go back.

“He’s got two really good coordinators on his staff. I know Barry [Odom] obviously from the SEC meetings and the SEC experience, him being in the SEC East. Barry is a good friend and a really good football coach. He did a great job at Missouri. His defense has always created a lot of problems. Then, obviously, Coach [Kendal] Briles is a really good football coach, and you have seen what he’s been able to do historically with offensives in terms of numbers. He does a great job. He presents a lot of problems and issues because the pace at which they play and a quarterback that we all know. They have multiple guys that can play. It’s a little bit, for us, a guessing game who we will get to see at their quarterback position. With that, I’ll open it up.”

On the status of QB JT Daniels … 

“We hope JT will be cleared by Saturday, officially.”

On the quarterback situation … 

Read more