Kirby Smart says Georgia needs a game, Bulldog players can't wait

College Football is unique in many ways with one of those being the lack of preseason games against other opponents. In high school, there are scrimmages and jamborees. The NFL has joint practices and preseason games. But for a College Football player, it’s all you and your teammates. That’s why its a big deal that after weeks of long, hot summer days hitting each other – and really months if you consider spring practice too – Georgia Football finally gets to suit up against another team this week. And according to many, it’s much needed, but the reasons might be different.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said that his team needs experience. Sure, the Bulldogs are talented, but the only way to really test where his team is at, especially on defense, is to see them against somebody other than the guys they’ve gone against in practice each and every day.

“Where are they right now? They’re inexperienced, and hopefully as talented as we think they are players. At some positions more talented than others, but they’re in need of playing a game,” Smart said. “I guess you could say that’s experience, right? So they’re in need of experience, but more so than experience they need to play in a game. They need good things to happen and reaffirm their good habits, and some of them need maybe something adverse to happen and see how they respond. I’ve never coached a defensive player that didn’t give up a play or get beat. How are they going to respond to that in a game atmosphere? It happens every day in practice. How will they respond in a game atmosphere? I don’t know if we know that yet, and that’s going to be the resiliency factor of where is this group, because I don’t think you really know until you go out in the game and have to execute it in front of the fans and against a really good opponent.”

That’s just about the answer you’d expect to get out of a coach. He wants to see how his players will respond. But the players themselves are excited for other reasons. Ranging from readiness to see some young guys get their opportunity to playing in front of his home town, and of course simply getting to hit somebody different, the Bulldogs said it all.

“I think it’s amazing, the simple fact of finally being able to watch film and see these guys and see how good they are,” Sedrick Van Pran said. “I was really impressed with their defensive line and their interior linebackers. We’re really excited to go out there and compete and have a good game.”

“We’re hungry, and I feel like our young guys are hungrier because I a lot of people doubt them and say that there’s going to be a difference,” Nolan Smith added. “I’m just really excited to see that kickoff and those first couple of plays.”

Christopher Smith has reasons of his own too. A native of the Atlanta area, he’ll have plenty of family and friends on hand to watch as Georgia kicks off its National Championship defense.

“I’m definitely going to have family there. For sure,” Christopher Smith said. “My mom, my dad, my sister, unfortunately my brother (TJ Smith) can’t be there because he plays at Kansas State right now so he has a game that day. Definitely looking to have a lot of family and support there. Even if they’re not there, I know they’re going to be tuning in and watching me. I can’t wait. I want to go out there and do big things for them, and that’s the plan.”

“It’s super exciting,” he continued. “Anytime you get to go out there and step on the field and show what you’ve been working on all offseason, it’s super exciting. We’ve built and worked as a team to get to this point. The job’s not done. The hay’s not in the barn. We’ve got to keep putting in work for us to go out there on Saturday and put our best foot forward on Saturday … I can’t wait. It’s super exciting to be able to go out there and play another great team. Yeah, I can’t wait.”

Smart and those Georgia players will have to wait a little bit longer to get the action underway. Kickoff on Saturday between the No. 3-ranked Dawgs and Dan Lanning’s No. 11 Ducks is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.