Kirby Smart, Georgia finally able to turn attention to LSU, SEC Championship Game
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia head coach Kirby Smart takes things one week at a time, and now that the regular season is done, he can finally start to think about his team’s appearance in the SEC Championship Game where the opponent will be LSU. Sure, the Tigers are coming off of a rough loss Saturday night at Texas A&M who won’t go bowling, but you’ve got to do something right in order to represent the SEC West in Atlanta. Smart recognizes that in year one of the Brian Kelly era as he turns his attention to the Tigers.
“He’s an incredible coach,” Smart said when asked about what Kelly has done at LSU, taking over a team that went below .500 last year and barely had enough players to play in its bowl game to end the season. “He was an incredible coach when he was at Notre Dame and he’s an incredible coach at LSU. He came to this league because he wanted an opportunity to play the best and get opportunities to go to the playoffs and win SEC championships. He’s at a storied place that’s got a lot of tradition and history.”
“I’m excited to see our team,” he added. “It’s much easier to coach on a week like this week (LSU) than it was a week like last week (Georgia Tech). It’s different. Nothing against Thanksgiving, but it’s not my favorite vacation. I like to eat but it’s tough. There’s a different schedule. There’s a lot of variables that you can’t control. You know what? Brent Key can’t control it either. It’s not like I’m saying it’s an unfair advantage but you lose a routine as a coach. It worries you a little bit. I like the routine we keep when school’s in and we have our normal schedule. I’m looking forward to watching our guys prepare for LSU. They’re a really good, hot football team.”
LSU is led by quarterback Jayden Daniels, who transferred to Baton Rouge from Arizona State. On the season, Daniels has completed 238 of 347 attempts (68.6%) for 2,566 yards and 15 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions. He’s also added a team-high 824 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
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Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the football is likely SEC Freshman of the Year Harold Perkins. The No. 9 overall player and No. 1 linebacker in the country for the Class of 2022 according to the On3 Consensus, Perkins is top-five in the league for sacks with 7.5 and top-10 for tackles for loss with 11.0. To put that in perspective, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson had 7.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss his freshman season.
Kickoff time for Saturday’s game is set for 4:00 p.m. ET on CBS. It’s the fifth all-time meeting between Georgia and LSU in an SEC Championship Game setting, the second most-played matchup and Georgia’s most common opponent in Atlanta. The Tigers hold a 3-1 advantage including a 37-10 win in 2019 on their way to the College Football Playoffs, a National Championship victory and a perfect 15-0 season. Meanwhile, Georgia last won the SEC Championship in 2017 despite having been there three times since (2018, 2019, 2021). This will be the Bulldogs’ fifth trip in six seasons.
