Michael Van Buren reacts to being shoved by Kirby Smart

Late in the Georgia Bulldogs‘ win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, quarterback Michael Van Buren went out of bounds along the Georgia sidelines and caught opposing head coach Kirby Smart apparently running into and shoving him.

Following the game, Van Buren shared his reaction to the incident, explaining that he wasn’t focused on it in the moment.

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“I’m not sure what that was,” Michael Van Buren said. “I was just trying to play my game. I didn’t really see it.”

Kirby Smart shoves Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren while arguing with official.

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On the play, it appeared that Kirby Smart was running over to argue with an official. The initial contact also did appear to be incidental, with Van Buren looking to return to the field while Smart ran up the sideline. However, the broadcast did appear to catch Smart shoving him once the two were next to one another. There was no flag on the play.

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The incident didn’t escalate from there, with Van Buren not retaliating in any noticeable way, showing his maturity despite being just a true freshman.

Michael Van Buren came to Mississippi State as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2024, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the 24th-ranked quarterback in that recruiting cycle. Van Buren was forced into action thanks to injuries at the quarterback position, with Blake Shapen going down. Now, there is hope he can develop into a successful quarterback with the program, growing from the experience he’s earning this season.

Georgia would go on to win the game 41-31. Meanwhile, Van Buren went 20-of-37 passing for 306 yards and three touchdowns in a strong effort against one of the best teams in the entire country.

Following the game, Kirby Smart shared what happened during the incident with Michael Van Buren from his perspective.

“I think I was going after [defensive coordinator Glenn] Schumann,” Smart said. “I was trying to get Schumann’s attention. We were trying to change personnel. I think it’s the play they came over to our sideline and trying to get Schumman’s attention. But, no, I don’t really remember it.”

Georgia’s next game is going to be a massive one. The Bulldogs will travel to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns. That’s a potentially must-win game if Georgia wants to compete for an SEC Championship given that the Bulldogs already have a conference loss. Meanwhile, Mississippi State has another tough one, hosting the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday.