What Was Said: Kirby Smart closes out Kentucky prep with media

ATHENS, Ga. — Tuesdays in Athens mark the end of in-person media ahead of Georgia’s next game. This week, that’s UGA-Kentucky, and next time Kirby Smart speaks with reporters, it’ll come from the Kroger Field and the Bluegrass State.

The hay isn’t quite in the barn yet when it comes to Georgia’s preparation though, and Smart said as much on Tuesday. While it’s been a better week of practice so far, he wants to continue to see progress from his top-ranked Bulldogs before they take on the upset-hungry Wildcats at their home stadium.

DawgsHQ was on hand for Tuesday’s interview session with Smart, plus two players (DB Joenel Aguero and WR Cole Speer). We’ve got a full transcript of Smart available for you below and links to view player interviews on our YouTube channel listed at the bottom!

Kirby Smart on practice this week…

“It’s good. It’s been good.  I thought it was a lot better than last Monday. I think I told you all last Monday was a bad deal just because it was coming off of Labor Day. They were good Monday and good today. We had two good practices and got after it today like we like to do.

We’ll get after it tomorrow and then start dialing back some.”

Smart on injury updates for Nate Frazier, Jordan Hall, and Xzavier McLeod…

“Yeah, Nate’s great. Jordan and Xzavier have got pads on and got running and moving around, doing some functional movement stuff. Got to do indy and doing some stuff, so we’ll see how it goes. But I’m proud of both of them because they’re pushing. They’re pushing hard.”

Smart on how much Kentucky has changed through the various offensive coordinators…

“No, I mean, when you change coordinators, then you change offenses, right? I mean, there’s different tendencies and things like that, but their coordinators have been really successful. They’ve had good quarterback transfers.They’ve had guys come in there and play, and, you know, he’s had coordinators move on. He’s made some changes. But, you know, you prepare for the guys that’s there. When you look at history, too, we go back and watch games against them and things like that. But we’re preparing for the coordinator that’s there now.”

Kirby Smart on playing eight SEC games in a row starting with Saturday…

“Yeah, I mean, most people finish their season with a rivalry game, right? We’ve got a lot of interstate rivalries. I’m thinking Alabama-Auburn, but other people play rivalry games to end.

We don’t – we have an ACC game, so our rivalry game is out of our conference, so that makes it difficult. You open with Clemson. That makes it difficult, and they fall where they fall, you know? I don’t have much control over that. 

Smart on Kentucky’s run game this season…

“Yeah, really physical. They add the extra element with the quarterback. Both quarterbacks are good runners and throwers. They’ve done a tremendous job of mixing that up and using those guys’ legs, and they’re a physical team. I think they had 18 consecutive runs against South Carolina. I don’t know that I’ve played against a team that had 18 consecutive runs in a long time. They’re physical up front. They’ve got good backs. They’ve got good scheme.

They have a – you know, Mark has a workman-like, blue-collar toughness, physicalness, win-the-line-of-scrimmage mentality, and that carries over into his offense. So, you know, we’ve always said this has been the physical game – the most physical game we’ve played in most years, especially when we played up there. Our kids have come out and said that, so we’re preparing for a super physical game with a really physical run game. 

Smart on Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins… 

“I want to see him lead. I want to see him continue to practice with great effort so that he can play in the games with great effort and sustain more snaps. You know, he’s practicing a few more reps now. With Mykel being out he’s played more reps. He’s got to be able to keep the high level of conditioning, playing more snaps. And I thought he did that the last game.”

Kirby Smart on Joenel Aguero coming off the injury and what he brings…

“He’s tough. He’s physical. He seeks contact. He has learned our defense. You know, he was a kid that was really talented coming out of high school. He was talented last year, but he wasn’t knowledgeable of the football concepts we do. He’s taken a lot of reps, man. He went every rep last year behind Tykee. Usually in our defense if you can do that for a year, you can grow and get better, and he’s done that. I mean, the jump he made this past spring was just really incredible. 

And, you know, he and then JaCorey doubles as a safety, but JaCorey also plays STAR and gets a lot of work, and the two of those guys have really given us good physical STARS that can also cover.”

Smart on Georgia’s cornerbacks and how they’ve handled rotating in and out…

“Well, they do it all day of practice, so, it’s not like a handle it [situation]. It’s the same way they practice every day. They’re in sometimes and they’re out sometimes, so I think they handle that fine. They’re doing a good job of what we’ve asked them to do. There’s a lot of areas they can clean up, play better, and we’re in constant pursuit of getting better with those guys.”

Smart on how the travel roster is set week after week… 

“Just a numbers game of special teams. I mean, with 74, you’re not usually talking about starters. You’re talking about a travel roster of guys that are going to be, you know, emergency players, have to go in, lose somebody. We’ve been up there before and had a couple injuries and had to fill in with guys back at Kentucky. So, the 65th to the 74th guy are special teams picks and guys that can play on special teams.”

Kirby Smart on Joenel Aguero learning a lot from Tykee Smith and if that’s typical…

“Yeah, I hope it is. I mean, that’s the older player’s job, right? You know, set a standard, set an example, help those guys. You know, it’s happened before where that guy takes their job if he’s more talented and can learn fast. But, you know, that’s the unselfish nature of our business. I watched Dan really help Malaki, and Malaki ended up taking over for him and got a lot of playing time in his place. But Dan never blinked about it, and that’s just the culture of our place.”

Smart on the physicality Kentucky plays with and if it’s why Mark Stoops and Smart have had success over long tenures…

“I don’t know about that. We’ve had some really physical teams and the coaches haven’t lasted. I mean, it’s not a guarantee. A lot of things that go into sustaining a good program, and Mark’s done an incredible job at a place which, you know, it’s tough at Kentucky. It’s got a great basketball program. They don’t have the recruiting base we have. He’s gone out and done it. He’s gone into other areas to do it. It has a lot more to do, to me, with recruiting and size and the line of scrimmages than it does just physical nature.” 

Smart on what has changed in Will Muschamp’s responsibilities…

“Yeah, he coaches. He’s here. He does a good job game planning. He does ideas. He works with the players. He coaches the coaches. He helps me. He does what he did last year. I wouldn’t say any change in that dynamic other than he gets to be with his family.”

JOENEL AGUERO
COLE SPEER