Coach Speak: UT-Martin's Jason Simpson this week on Georgia

UT-Martin coach Jason Simpson is in his 18th season with the Skyhawks. He’s been in this situation before – the overmatched FCS team traveling to take on an FBS program in a “pay game.” Last season, UT-Martin travelled to Knoxville where Tennessee handed them a 65-24 loss. This time it’s a trip to Athens, Georgia to take on the two-time defending national championship winning Bulldogs. Here’s what Simpson had to say this week about Georgia ahead of the opener on Saturday.

Opening Statement

“Year 18 here at UT-Martin. Certainly excited about it. New challenges, a lot of new players, excited to see us to get an opportunity to see where we are, the growth of this team. Certainly a tremendous challenge ahead of us, but that’s the way the schedule laid out. Kids are excited about the opportunity and challenge ahead.”

Simpson on if there’s a preference when a game like this is played

“I don’t know if I’m right either way, but if you made me choose, I would say early. You can kind of get focused back on conference play going forward instead of that looming down there at the end of your schedule. Sometimes that can affect your momentum if you’re in the Playoff hunt or on a conference championship run. So if you made me pick, I would early, but the challenge is the same either way it goes … Our kids have done a pretty good job of bouncing back and moving to the next week. We’ve only won one of these against Memphis in 2012. You go and compete and the scoreboard is unforgiving. It doesn’t say, this is the two-time defending national champions and this is an OVC team, but there’s so much opportunity to grow, opportunities throughout the game for your team to get better. In my experience, that helps you the next week, three weeks from now with things that can get accomplished this type of competition.”

Simpson on Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott who got his start in coaching under him at UT-Martin

“I love Tray Scott. He’s a great person, great family man, great wife. I was telling somebody the other day, and I’m sure he’s just like that at Georgia working with Coach Smart, he had been at Ole Miss as a graduate assistant working with Coach Orgeron, really great experience and learned how to recruit at a high level. I remember I’d walk into the building, and Tray Scott would be waiting for me in the morning at 7 a.m. with the cell phone. You know how Tray is, he’s funny and animated and he would scream at the top of his voice, ‘Coach Simpson! Hunting! Recruiting!’ He’d put it in my face, basically, ‘Get on the phone with a recruit.’ The guy is a tireless recruiter and he’s great at it and he gets a lot of recognition for that, but if you look at the evaluation of players at his position at Georgia, they’re developed and they’re coached and he did the same thing here. I’m very proud that Tray worked here with us. I still consider him a friend. We talk, and I think the world of him.”

Simpson on how much he kept tabs on his son Ty who’s in the middle of the Alabama quarterback battle

“Every day. I’m a dad first, and whether it be my daughter playing high school basketball or my youngest son playing eighth grade middle school football, I’m a dad first. I’m there to support them and be a sounding board for them. Whether it’s a cheerleader and encouraging them or just be a reference point for them. Some days it was multiple times a day, others it was a late five minute conversation at night during camp before his curfew. It’s difficult, very difficult, but we find a way to make it work.”

Simpson on UT-Martin’s new quarterback Kinkead Dent

“Kinkead is a great kid. A young man, graduate of Ole Miss who’s been around Coach Kiffin and some quality offensive coordinators there. This is his first time to get an opportunity to be the starter, and he’s been fun to work with. It’s a work in progress. As you follow us and keep with us later in the season, you’re going to see him continue to grow with us. He wasn’t here in the spring, so you’re talking about 20 practices. As I was watching practice tape this morning from last night, yesterday was probably his best practice from functioning in our terminologies and looking comfortable. I’m excited. I wish we had another three weeks of practice before the first game, but we’re excited about him, and we need him to play well.”

Simpson on Athens area native and son of former UGA player, Cal Camp

“Cal’s a great teammate. We’re glad he’s here with us. He’s working really hard. His teammates have a lot of respect for him. We lost a quarterback a couple of weeks ago that left the team, so everybody kind of moved up a rung. I look out there, and between Cal’s classes he’s out there on the field. When you’re the scout team quarterback sometimes you don’t get a whole lot of reps. So he’s out. there between classes, going through base plays by himself. I think I saw another young running back with him just working on handoffs in case his opportunity comes sometime down the road, he’ll be able to help the team.”

Simpson on process, philosophy headed into a hostile environment like Georgia

“My philosophy, our team’s philosophy, there’s a lot of new guys – like 11 new guys on offense playing significant roles, got more experience on defense – so right now we’re focused on us. I would tell you probably 80% on us. How do warmups look? Are we dressed correctly? Can we get lined up correctly? I’m concentrated on us. Obviously when you turn the tape on and you see the amount of talent and high level schemes, how kids are coached, effort and physicality, yeah I see it. I’m sure everybody in the country does, and tremendous credit to Coach Smart and that program for what they’ve recruited and developed there. First and foremost though it has to be about us to give us a chance to be successful by not beating ourself before the play’s even snapped.”