Kirby Smart hopes Tonka Hemingway comments provide fuel for fans
ATHENS, Ga. — Big games oftentimes bring about a challenge for Georgia fans from Kirby Smart. This time, the eighth-year head coach didn’t need to do that. He’s got South Carolina defensive lineman Tonka Hemingway to provide motivation for them.
According to Saturday Down South, Hemingway said at SEC Media Days that Kyle Field at Texas A&M and Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium were the two loudest stadiums he’s played in across the league. Asked about that on Monday, Smart said that should be just enough to bring out the best of those in red and black.
“People want to question whether our fans are elite, we’ll find out Saturday, right? Sounds like Tonka called them out. Maybe we need to use Tonka for motivation and let him be the one that spurns our group to come out there at 3:30 and be really loud and fired up,” Smart said. “I certainly hope our fan base will be, they’ve answered the bell every single time, I don’t know why they wouldn’t now.”
Recent challenges for the fans have gone Georgia’s way the last couple of years, but really what hasn’t? In a top-10 matchup against Arkansas back in 2021, Dawg Nation arrived early and was loud from the start. Smart issued a challenge before that game.
Then, in a situation similar to this, last year against Tennessee, former Volunteer quarterback Erik Ainge did the talking. He said that he didn’t remember Sanford Stadium being all too loud during his playing days. Fans took that to heart and showed up rowdy for the Georgia victory over the then-No. 1 ranked team in the College Football Playoff rankings, a win that propelled the Bulldogs onto big things down the stretch.
While there won’t be a ranking tied to South Carolina’s name on Saturday with the Gamecocks coming in at 1-1, this one certainly means a lot.
“Whenever you play an SEC opponent it’s different. The mindset is different, practice is different, the grind is different,” Georgia linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson said. “For the older guys, ones who have seen it already, going into an SEC opponent matchup, it’s just different. Especially the first one, it’s kind of like a statement game right now to send everybody a message of what we’re really about.”
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Georgia and South Carolina have played every season since 1992. Since 1958, the two teams have played every year with the exception of five (1965, 1972, 1973, 1990, 1991). In 73 total meetings, the Bulldogs hold a 54-19 advantage.
With the league expanded to 16 teams and ditching divisions in 2024, Georgia and South Carolina are not schedule to play. While he understands the significance of the rivalry, Smart is focused on Saturday’s matchup, not the ones that won’t happen in seasons to come.
“Seems like most of the years, Georgia opens with South Carolina. And this game hasn’t always been that since I’ve been here, but it’s always been early in the schedule, as it is this year,” Smart said. “I have a lot of respect for Shane (Beamer) and his staff, the staff he’s assembled. They do a tremendous job with their players. They play really hard — got a lot of respect for those guys. I know they tend to have players from our state and we tend to have players from their state. As always, a really important game when it comes to playing a school that’s this close geographically to you. I know both teams will be up for the game. It should be a great atmosphere, and I hope our fans can give us a home-field advantage for this game.”
Kickoff time for Saturday’s contest at Sanford Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS as the SEC Game of the Week.
