WATCH: Georgia players react to rivalry game win over Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — You’re never going to hear a player upset about a win, but in listening to the Georgia trio made available after UGA’s victory over Florida, it’s clear the Bulldogs understand they need to be better. Quarterback Carson Beck, linebacker Jalon Walker and wide receiver Dillon Bell spoke with reporters Saturday night at EverBank Stadium, and DawgsHQ was on hand. We’ve got full video and transcript of everything they had to say available for you below…

QB Carson Beck

On settling down after the interceptions… 

“Yeah, I mean, I think I was settled down from the jump. I thought we came out, I’m in fire and I thought I was slinging it around. I felt really comfortable. My whole line was protecting really well. We drove it all the way down and then we’re able to punch it in at the end.

I mean, I made two bad decisions. So I tried to make a play, scramble out, didn’t see the guy underneath. And then we don’t get the check down now, probably should go to the check down on the second one.

Don’t see that guy, he falls underneath the in-cut. On the third one, I get hit while I’m throwing, which I keep saying this is part of the game. And obviously, it’s really difficult to move on from that. But that’s what we do. That’s what I do. 

No matter what, I’m gonna keep coming every single play, no matter what happens to play before. And I’ve always been resilient in that way. And when the team needs me, I’m gonna bring that. And obviously, I’m gonna go watch the film, see what I can correct.

In the future, I have to be better. And that’s exactly what’s gonna happen.”

On his reaction to Kirby Smart saying coaches need to do better helping him out…

“I mean, a lot of it comes down to me, honestly. Just in my preparation, which I feel like I prepare well, but there’s just certain situations in games where maybe I try to make a play that doesn’t need to be made. Maybe it’s a throwaway instead of trying to force something and just moving on to the next play.

I think it really comes down to me at the end of the day. There are things that people around me can do to help. They did it tonight, I mean, go watch the film.

There’s a lot of plays that a lot of receivers made. And you’ll look at Cash, it runs through a double team, goes and scores. So when I have guys around me that are gonna help me make plays, I mean, that takes a lot of it off of me.

And puts it on the offense as a whole, which is exactly what it’s gonna be. For me, I just, I mean, I have to be better. And whether that’s in the preparation or when I get into the game and just this in-game decision making, and that’ll come.”

On the fourth quarter pass, third down conversion to Arian Smith…

“Yeah, I mean, that was obviously a huge play in the game. I think it was tied.

They went cover zero, which they had brought a couple times, and we hadn’t really been able to figure it out. We were in a good formation to check the play. So I went up to the line, checked the play. We got to Arian one-on-one with a freshman, sophomore cornerback. I don’t know who it was. But I mean, he went out there, ran a great route, was wide open. So that was a big momentum play for us. 

On if he puts any extra pressure on himself… 

“No, I mean, for me, honestly, this is my dream. I mean, it’s super full circle for me. This is my favorite game of the year. I don’t, I wouldn’t say I ever put pressure on myself. I just go play football. Like, this is what I love. This is what I do. 

I have fun.

Like, all these people around, y’all, the media, the fans, everybody. Like, that’s, y’all see, like, there’s pressure on me. 

But for me, like, I just go play. I just have fun. I don’t, I’m here to win. Like, I’m here to win.

End of the day, it’s a bottom line business. I don’t, I don’t care what happens. Obviously, I want to go throw a perfect game. You know what I’m saying? Like, 30 for 30, four tuds. Like, I mean, that’s what I was thinking about walking into the stadium. You know what I’m saying? Like, I felt like I was, I was the man. I’m walking back into my hometown in Jacksonville. Like, let’s go. Like, no, sir, no, it doesn’t put any pressure on me.

This is fun. This is, like, I got friends and family here. Like, who, what am I supposed to do? We just won. You know what I’m saying? Like, it is what it is, man. I’m happy. I love this team.

I love these guys. And we’re gonna keep on going.”

On what he can do to cut back on the turnovers… 

“I just said it. Like, I think, like, I don’t know. It’s just an in-game decision-making thing. I think there’s times where it, it’s okay to throw it away if it’s not there. And I think that’s something that I did a lot better of last year. And whether that’s me just trying to make a play and thinking that it has to happen every single time, which it doesn’t.

And that’s just me out there, you know, trying to compete and trying to make a play. But, you know, it is what it is, and I can’t go back and change it as much as I wish I could. I can’t, and I just have to go prepare the same exact way next week.

We got another big game next week, and then another big game after that, and then another big game after that. And that’s why you come to Georgia. So, I mean, we’re gonna have another opportunity next week to come out here and play the best football that we possibly can.

That’s why I love the game.”

On what he tells himself after the interceptions…

“Yeah, I mean, it would be stupid to say that I’m not frustrated.

Obviously, I have emotions as much as sometimes it might not seem like I do. No, I get frustrated and I’m mad. But for me and what I can do to help better the team and be the best for the team that I can be, is to move on and throw it in the trash, throw it away.

Leave it in the past, there’s nothing I can go do. We can watch a film, see what coverage they’re in, see the play we had. If we come back to it, okay, maybe we’ll go here instead.

Maybe if we’ll run this play instead, do this protection check, right? Like, you gotta try to see the positives in all negative situations, which is really difficult sometimes. And especially in the heat of the moment. I mean, we’re in a big rivalry game.

The game’s close. We really didn’t get stopped unless I turned the ball over, right? It’s a good thing for our offense and a bad thing for me. But there’s a lot of positives to look at as far as our offense goes. And there’s a lot of guys that made plays and our whole line is playing their butts off. So, I mean, that’s always good. And I mean, there’s just so many opportunities out there.

We’ve got some stuff to fix and that starts with me.”

LB Jalon Walker | WR Dillon Bell

On making explosives in the second half 

DB: “I just feel like we had to reset from the first half. And when the name comes up, you gotta make the plays. We were down during halftime, or was it tied? We were down, so yeah, we needed to make plays fast and quick. Our defense playing their butts off for us to get the opportunities to make the plays on offense, so we just had to complete the plays.”

On the bobbled catch near the goal line

DB: “Oh, man, the ball is in the air, it’s yours as a receiver. No matter where the ball is, you gotta go in there and grab it, you know? No matter if it’s tipped or not, you know? There’s no such thing as a bad throw when you’re a receiver, so you gotta make the play every time, concentrate.”

On the CJ Allen interception

JW: “I didn’t see much. My back was towards it, but when he did catch that ball, my mouth dropped completely. That’s what we needed. We needed that momentum swing to finish out that game, and it was just great to see coming from the linebacker room, a play made. I mean, it was just great to see him execute and have a good interception.”

On forcing three and outs in the second half

JW: “We just executed what our game plan was coming out in the second half. Having some more juice, having some more energy from the second half, and just executing on our plays. Momentum swings and that, you know, one three and out goes to an exit, and an exit, and an exit, you know, just getting off the field, you know, but getting the offense back on the field helps us out as well.”

On what the offense can do to help Carson BeckDB: “Just keeping, the brother keeping, you know, keep his head up, you know. I know it’s probably a lot of stuff going through his head. At the moment, as you say, of course, he was frustrated. You know, you gotta keep him positive, you know, because you don’t want to throw an extra ball. You don’t want your quarterback to be down, especially in a big, tight game, you know.

On being a competitor and not being able to play against DJ Lagway the entire game
JW: “You know, the game is the game. Everything happens for, you know, it just happens in the game. You know, prayers up to, you know, Lagway and his injury, but, you know, you can’t really tell the future on that. You know, just prayers up to him, you know, success for the rest of the season for him.”

On how Florida’s offense changed when Lagway went out…

JW: “You know, just different offensive personnel for the quarterback. You know, just adjusting to that, you know? It wasn’t much. Just a different quarterback change, but the rest of the guys that were still in the game so there’s still a lot of football to be played.”

On the job Nate Frazier did tonight with Etienne out…

DB: “I think he did great, you know? He stepped up. Trevor went down, and he did what he was supposed to do. He protected the ball, didn’t let the ball drop on the ground. That was one of the biggest things, you know? Coach Smart’s telling us to keep the ball up and tight, and that’s what he did. He made the plays that needed to be made.”

On Dwight Phillips Jr…

DB: “Man, so, I’m going to give you the rundown with Dwight. Dwight has a very funny personality. He’s a freshman. We love our freshman, you know, and when a freshman go out there and make plays, it makes all of us proud because every day at practice, no matter if it’s on special teams, scout team, no matter what, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do, working his butt out every time. It was a very proud moment for all of us to watch him score the touchdown, man. We was too lit. We all went to run on the field, but we couldn’t, you know, and get a flag, but, yeah, it was a very good moment for all of us.”

On Arian Smith with another big third-down catch… 

DB: “Man, Arian’s a route runner, as you can see. He was wide open. I’m just like, dang, you know? I was thinking I’m open, but he wide open. But that’s what Arian does, you know? He’s a speedster guy that can run routes, and I wasn’t even surprised. Arian is made for his big moments. As you can look through his past history, he always made big-time plays in a third-down moment or whatever moment it is, he’s going to make that play.”

On if Georgia gets into a comfort level in tight games due to earlier experiences…

JW: “You know, here at Georgia we love the fourth quarter. That’s where we have the advantage. The fourth quarter is what we do, and playing in the fourth quarter and all our close games, you know, we enjoy it. Those close games are part of college football, and college football is going into a whole different era now. We’re just adjusting to it, and we love it. Loving the competition that’s being played.”

On why Georgia thrives in the fourth quarter…

JW: “What we work for. What we earn. You know, we work all week long, all season long, all season for the fourth quarter. That’s what we do. Once we get there, we have to finish.”