Kirby Smart on Jordan-Hare Stadium: 'Auburn is one of the hardest places to play in the world'

Georgia battled some unexpected adversity in their first SEC road game last season, coming from behind to defeat Auburn 27-20 in a Week 5 game they entered as 14.5-point favorites as the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.

Bulldogs’ head coach Kirby Smart was asked about that matchup in Jordan-Hare Stadium on Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Dallas. Speaking on the challenge of squaring off as the away team against the Tigers and giving his flowers to Auburn’s road environment in the process.

“Let’s start with this, Auburn is one of the hardest places to play in the world. And I know that from 25 years of being a common opponent at Georgia and Alabama,” Smart said.

“When you step in that stadium, you better be laced up, strapped up, and ready to go, regardless of their record, regardless of the expectation, regardless of what the people in Vegas say. You better be ready to play.”

Jordan-Hare is notoriously one of the most historic and iconic venues across the country in college football. Opening up in 1939 and since then being renovated to a capacity of 88,043, making it the 14th largest football stadium in the country. Also tabbed by EA Spots as the 14th toughest place to play in the new College Football 25 video game.

Auburn’s SEC home opener against the Bulldogs last season was a sellout, and Smart believes that games against the Tigers moving forward will only get more difficult ahead of the program’s second season under head coach Hugh Freeze.

“And I think Hugh does a tremendous job motivating his team. He does a tremendous job in the recruiting aspect and as he gets more and more of his players and his style of play in there, which he got some guys this year, they’re going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Smart said.

After posting the No. 8 recruiting class in the SEC and the No. 17 class in the nation in his first offseason at the helm according to On3’s Industry Ranking, Freeze boasted the No. 5 recruiting class in the conference and the No. 8 class in the nation this offseason. With various signs pointing towards Auburn trending upward in the future.

“But that game helped give us confidence that we could play from behind and also let us know that we’re vulnerable in some areas and we had to improve on those. So I enjoyed playing in that venue, always have. It’s one of the toughest places to go play,” Smart concluded.

Georgia finished last season 13–1 to post their third straight double-digit win season and undefeated year in regular season conference play. Meanwhile, Freeze led Auburn to a bowl game with a 6–7 finish in his first season on The Plains. As Georgia hosts the Tigers between the Hedges in Athens on October 5 this season.