"Georgia's Coach Kirby Smart Gets Team Ready to Face Top-Ranked Texas' All-Around Strength"
Kirby Smart typically tries to hide the excitement and nervousness before 5th-ranked Georgia takes on a big game. However, there's no escaping the upcoming trip to Austin, Texas on Saturday to face No. 1 Texas.
\"Clearly a massive matchup,\" Smart stated. \"Two top-10 teams.\"
Smart and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian have a close connection and have traveled together. In July, Smart mentioned that when he found out Sarkisian would be in the SEC, every team's schedule became more challenging because Texas is built like an SEC team.
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\"We go on a trip together every year. I have a lot of respect for the job he does. They are the most well-rounded team we've seen or faced this year, and possibly in the past few years. They are undeniably one of the best teams in the country.\"
After a loss to Alabama last month, Georgia (5-1) has had back-to-back double-digit wins. However, the Bulldogs are one of six SEC teams in the top 14 of the latest Top 25 poll, and November brings a road game against No. 18 Ole Miss before hosting No. 11 Tennessee.
Smart told his players that this week's game is the exact opportunity they came to Georgia for - to face the top-ranked team in the nation on the road.
\"It's a place I've never been, and I assume our players haven't been there either,\" Smart said about playing at Texas.
As Georgia strives to reclaim the top spot in the SEC, Smart addressed the incident where he pushed Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren on the sidelines during Saturday's game. Smart stated that he didn't realize he had \"run into\" Van Buren.
\"I went back and watched it. I didn't realize that I had run into him,\" he said. \"But I reached out to [Mississippi State head coach Jeff] Lebby that night and told him the kid was great. Yesterday, I talked to Mike and assured him that there were no ill intentions or ill-will towards him. If you've ever been on the sidelines during a game, it's chaotic. ... I reached out to the kid, and he was great. He's going to be a great player in this league.\"
Running back Branson Robinson is not available for the Bulldogs due to an MCL injury, according to Smart.
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After praising quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, Smart expressed his admiration for the Longhorns' defense, describing them as elite.
\"They have size and speed, and their two best front guys,\" Smart said. \"Every defense starts with train-wreckers, big and physical guys at the point of attack that are hard to move. They have them. ... They have patched up some of their weaknesses and are the complete package on defense.\"
Former Georgia coach Mark Richt attended Smart's press conference on Monday to discuss the current players' involvement in the Second Annual Dawg Bowl, a fundraiser to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson's Disease and Crohn's Disease. The event, which will take place on October 23 at Showtime Bowling Alley, raised over $750,000 last year. Richt, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2021, stated that several of his former Georgia players have committed to attending. His granddaughter, Jadyn, was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2015.
\"Our players love bowling more than anything. We have several guys who bowl weekly. I know that this year, with the two years combined, they will surpass $1 million in funds raised. We have several players on our team who have Crohn's,\" Smart said.
The funds raised during the event will benefit the University of Georgia's Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research, which specializes in Parkinson's research and its connection to gut inflammation diseases like Crohn's Disease.
