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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 29, 2016

Kirby Smart

Athens, Georgia

COACH SMART: We're excited for the first game. I'm really excited about the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. I've been very fortunate to play in three of those, and I think anytime you get to play in an awesome atmosphere like the Georgia Dome, it gets the kids really excited. It's not hard to motivate them for the first game. You get the chance to do that. Gary Stokan and his staff do an unbelievable job preparing this event, selling it out and the Bulldog Nation certainly deserves a great turnout and great atmosphere to play this game in.

So we're excited for it. These players have worked really hard. I think it's different than the NFL where you get preseason games and you get an opportunity to see guys play before the real game. In college football you always try to simulate that. It's hard to do, especially from a special teams standpoint.

So these guys have done everything we've asked of them, and they continue to work. They're excited for the opportunity, and we're looking forward to it. Got a lot of young guys, an opportunity to go out and play. With that I'll open it up.

Q. Kirby, should Nick be able to go -- you know, baseball has pitch counts. Would Nick be on any kind of monitored thing, and if that's the case, who's kind of in charge of that? Is that Jim, Dell? How would that work out for Saturday?
COACH SMART: He's been cleared. It's a situation where he's scrimmaged and done a lot of things. He's had a lot of practices where he's carried it more than five to seven times, and we feel good about Nick. He feels great. He's ready to go. So he won't technically be on a pitch count by any means.

Q. Now that you said that about Nick, any update on the quarterback? Has a starter been named?
COACH SMART: No. No starter has been named. We'll continue to practice guys and get those guys ready and when it does, we'll let you guys know.

Q. By our count there's 21 oars on the depth chart. Does that speak to indecisiveness, or just the competition is that close or gamesmanship?
COACH SMART: Well, a lot of guys playing. A lot of guys on defense are going to play. When your mom and dad reads the paper, they like to know their sons are on the roster. A lot of oars on there because you gotta play a lot of people, and people play fast. We got a lot of great competition, got a lot of positions. A lot of guys deserve oars.

Q. When it does come to quarterback, do you have any intention of playing multiple guys against UNC?
COACH SMART: We're going to see how it goes. First thing we gotta do is figure out who's taking the first snap before we worry about the next guy coming in. I think it'll reveal itself the next couple of days. Continue getting those guys reps and get both of them ready to play. That's the plan.

Q. How tough has it been on defense to replace the guys that you lost, because you had your primary guys, a lot of your tacklers are gone. How tough has it been to replace those guys, linebackers, three techniques, those kind of guys?
COACH SMART: Yeah, it's tough anytime you lose a good group. They had a really big group that was the big guys. You know, when you talk about Leonard, DeLoach, a lot of those guys, Mayes made a lot of plays. George Jenkins, man, made a lot of plays.

So when you talk about the number of starts and opportunities those guys had, when you change those out, I think that's where you get the anxiety from is a lot of guys playing in their spots and going in for the first time, although some of them may be talented, they're going to be asked and called on to play a more significant role than they've probably ever played when it comes to the defensive snaps.

Q. Just real quick on Sony Michel, has he been cleared to practice yet, and if not, do you anticipate that being the case for Saturday?
COACH SMART: He's been practicing. He's been practicing every day. He goes out there and does everything he can. He hasn't been cleared to tackle live. It's a situation that's day to day and we're getting updates every day, and he's doing more each practice.

Q. On the quarterbacks, you've touched on this, I believe, in camp, but a lot of freshmen have played. Do you have any reservations at all? I think 38 freshmen have played since 2000, and much smaller number started the first game. Do you have any problem with that? And where it relates to Jacob, do you feel he's close enough that you could go that direction if you needed to?
COACH SMART: Certainly. I mean we're going to play the guy who gives us the best opportunity to win. We've stood firm on that the whole way through and whoever that is -- I have no reservations about a guy's age. If you're old enough to play, then you're old enough to start. If you're good enough to play, then you're good enough to start. It comes down to what's the best opportunity for us. It's not about the age factor.

Q. You mentioned about giving Jacob more opportunities, seeing how he'd handle those though the week and a half. How has he handled it?
COACH SMART: He's done a good job. We've gotten a little more into game planning, so he's done a good job managing those, and we'll make a decision based on the next couple of practices.

Q. It looks like Trent Thompson is fully healthy and his ankle is fully healed after this spring. Can you speak about his development?
COACH SMART: Yeah. Trenton's playing really hard. He's a kid that's gotten better with every practice. You forget that this guy was a true freshman last year, so a lot of times they're not on the field as much as he was. He had to kind of grow up in the line of fire last year. And he's come a long way. He's really a good effort guys, he's got a good motor, runs to the ball and covers a lot of plays down for us and kind of erases a lot of mistakes. He does a great job. I'm really proud of where Trenton is and expecting him to be a good leader for this game.

Q. Is there any further update on the battle at place kicker?
COACH SMART: Yeah. You know, at place kicker it's continued on. It'll probably be decided in the next 24 to 48 hours. We've got some good indications there which way we're leaning, but just want to finalize it, talk to the guys and have a couple more kicking periods. Really the same way at punter as well.

Q. What are the challenges in trying to game plan for a guy like UNC's Ryan Switzer, particularly in the return game?
COACH SMART: Yeah. He's a scary guy. First of all, he's a great route runner; he's really savvy, very intelligent. Knows how to attack leverage and get open. Very dangerous returner. He's fearless. He's been a major emphasis for us. He's really good at what he does. Good thing is we got a guy that can simulate him back there that does a lot of the same things. So we'll be using Isaiah to help with that aspect.

Q. You've coached a game or two in your life, but this is your first game as a head coach. Will you be nervous or any different for Saturday than you have been for the last 20 years?
COACH SMART: You know, it doesn't feel that way. For me the amount of pressure that I've put on myself as a defensive coordinator for the last 10, 11 years, I really believe there's a lot more decisions that go into that position than the head coach.

There's 70 plays in a game and you gotta call 70 defenses. It's a lot different when you're the head coach and you're deciding timeouts and to go for it on fourth down or not, you know, the things the head coach has gotta decide. It's a lot different.

When it comes to the game day, yeah. But not week to week, absolutely not. How we practice, who plays quarterback, all that's a whole different story. But when it comes to game day, I don't think the -- I think the confidence in what we've done up to this point allows me to be comfortable with where we are.

Q. Jacob and Greyson, are they the two guys that you're --
COACH SMART: Yeah, they're repping the most. You guys all reported that last week anyway from being at practice. So those guys are repping, and they're getting ready for the game, preparing for the game. And to be honest with you, it's less about what Brice did and more about what Jacob and Greyson did. Both of those guys have done a really good job; and to be honest with you, Brice did, too, but we can't get three guys ready.

Q. When you and Nick were at Tuscaloosa together, you obviously had a lot of success in these neutral side openers. How much have you talked with Nick this month?
COACH SMART: Yeah, Coach Saban has gotta get ready for his game. And to be honest with you, I'm getting ready for North Carolina. So experiences I draw on are from the fact that I played in this dome three times to start off, not from calling or talking to him.

Q. Coach, have you decided which assistants are going to be down on the field on Saturday and which ones will be upstairs?
COACH SMART: Yeah. We're doing that just like we've done the scrimmages. So we practice with the guys up, guys down. We talk about it before.

Q. How much does Hollins, I guess, is going to be suspended for the first half their deep threat. What does that mean, you know, for you guys defensively?
COACH SMART: He's really good. I'll just say that. He's the best gunner, kickoff cover guy, plays on every special teams. He is a dominant feature player.

Now, the thing is they have other big wideouts. They've got Bug Howard from Wilcox County, who's a really good player, too. And they've got other guys that are matchup problems.

But certainly when you've got multiple guys out there, it makes it that much tougher. He's a really good player.

Q. You alluded to this a little bit, North Carolina's offense. Does Mel Tucker maybe have the toughest job that anybody could for a first game, just with the weapons of these guys?
COACH SMART: You're saying compared to what? Toughest job compared to?

Q. Well, we've talked so much about the offensive quarterbacks. Obviously adds a challenge from the speed they go and the frequency they get in the end zone.
COACH SMART: Absolutely. I mean when we tried to watch punt return, our punt return against their punt, we couldn't find many reps. That's usually not a good sign for the defense. So when you start looking at how you want to return the ball, you look at when they punt it, they don't have many punts on record. So it's not ever a real good feeling as a defensive coordinator, guy on defensive side of the ball because they go up tempo; they go fast. We know they're going to go fast. They know they're going to go fast. So it's their M.O.; it's what they want to do, and they feel like they're at their best when they go fast.

So it's a big part of the game, and it's a big adjustment for us because we don't see that every day. So obviously Coach Tucker has got his hands full as well as the rest of the team.

Q. In 2012 last time Georgia played in the Georgia Dome, you were there, too, obviously, on the other side. What do you remember most about that game?
COACH SMART: You know, I really have been so focused on this game that I haven't thought about that a lot. I mean it was a very emotional game for me because there was a lot of ties there across the sidelines. So that's always a challenge. That's probably what I remember the most.

Q. On North Carolina's quarterback Trubisky, what you've seen on him on film. You at least got to see a little bit of him, I guess, from last year. What kind of challenge is he going to bring to your defense?
COACH SMART: He brings a different dynamic. He's a very mobile, athletic kid. They can run the ball with him. He can scramble. Things open up. Played a lot last year in a lot of different situations. They rotated those guys early on, and they got some design quarterback runs that are really hard to stop with him because it's like having the eleventh guy running the ball.

And he's a really good passer. He's probably the best quarterback that nobody knows about, because in my mind it's almost like he's a returning starter because of what he played early in the year, and the guy does a really good job with offense.

Q. You've been through this quarterback thing as a defensive coordinator. How has it been different how you've approached it as a head coach, just kind of everything, managing your time, not trying to make it take over everything you do?
COACH SMART: I think the biggest difference is just watching the offense from the perspective of the offense instead of from the perspective of the defense. So everything we watch, every decision the quarterback makes I'm analyzing what quarterback's making what decision, what broke down, why did it go wrong; did it go wrong because of the decision he made. Did it go wrong because of communication or did it go wrong because the receiver or the O lineman or the tight end messed up or the running back didn't block right.

So you have to make subjective decisions when you watch that, but you have to be objective about the whole process. I think that's the hardest part being head coach is analyzing every play, did the guy do what he was supposed to do to give us a chance to have a successful play. And that's not normal for me; that's not where I've been before, so now that you delve in that area, you sit there and you try to make the best decision for the team, and that's ultimately what these things come down to.

Q. You guys went to the Georgia Dome on Saturday. What was the value of that, and do you guys plan to do a walk through on Friday there?
COACH SMART: Yeah. We went to the Georgia Dome on Saturday, and that was more the value of avoiding the heat. You know, we don't play outside first game of the year. So we don't have the capability to go anywhere and practice.

In the past we've tried to use the Falcons facility. That was down, so we couldn't go there. To be honest with you, I'd have been just fine going there. But we couldn't go there. So it presented a great opportunity. And as of now, we're not planning on walking through Friday there. No.

Q. When it comes to your offense line and your defensive line, do you feel more comfortable with the rotation you're getting there and do you think things are closer to being set on the offensive line?
COACH SMART: They're closer to being set. We've got some guys that are playing winning football. But I'm very comfortable with the guys we've got, the guys that have worked hard. I'm not comfortable with the depth. I don't know any coach that's comfortable with the depth they have on the O line and D line.

So we're going to try to play a lot of guys, both offensive line and defensive line, to keep those guys fresh and let them play. Now, the ones that can play will play, those guys I feel like can play winning football that are ready to play. And I certainly feel better than I did in the spring because those guys have put a lot of work in and gained a lot of confidence. But I wish we had a little more depth, for sure.

Q. You have a litany of decisions to make, but with how frequently you and your players get asked about the quarterbacks, is there going to be any sense of relief, weight off your shoulders once it is over and in the past?
COACH SMART: No. Not at all. I don't think it's about that. I think that the biggest thing is we can give every guy an opportunity to go out and be successful.

It's a burden to you guys, but it's not a burden to me. For me the most important thing is making the right decision for who's going to go out there and be successful and execute for our team and our program and for the other guys so the other guys can be successful.

But it's not -- it's never over. It's a continuous, just like who the right corner is. If he doesn't play good, then we have to change it.

Q. Coach, has Julian Rochester been cleared?
COACH SMART: Julian's done everything we've asked Julian to do. He's done a great job for us and we're excited about where Julian is. I continue to answer that question over and over and over. So Julian's done a great job.

Q. Is he able to play?
COACH SMART: Why wouldn't he? I don't know why he wouldn't. Yeah, Julian's doing great.

Q. And Lorenzo Carter, it seems like almost he's been a personal project for you in a lot of ways. What have you seen from him?
COACH SMART: Those are your words. Those aren't my words.

Q. That's what I said, seems. That's my view.
COACH SMART: Those are your words. Lorenzo Carter is a guy that works hard every day. He gives great effort in practice. We've challenged him to play with more toughness, but I wouldn't call him a personal project of mine. I would say those are your words. But Lorenzo has done everything we've asked him to do.

Q. Obviously you're not satisfied necessarily with anything up to this point, but is there one area of the game or position group that you feel like has made great strides during this fall camp?
COACH SMART: Yeah, a lot of our groups have made great strides. I'll be hones with you, the O Line has come a long way, gained a lot of confidence. I think the receivers are working really hard. It's hard to not call out a group that's not working hard when you're out there for 26, 27 practices, pushing through in the heat, and those guys have all shown progress.

We challenge every guy to play with grit and determination. And that's what we want them to do. And if they don't hold that standard, then we get the leadership and also the coaches to kind of call them out on it. And that's the expectation I think each group has shown improvement and must continue to do so if we're going to get where we need to be.

Q. What is the update on Jonathan Ledbetter in terms of how he's doing sort of not football related? How is he?
COACH SMART: Great question. Jonathan continues to get treatment, and Jonathan's practicing with the team. And we hope he continues to show improvement, and he's given us no indication that that wouldn't be the case. He works out with the football team. He's in school, but he continues to get aftercare and be in some different programs, and we've encouraged him to do so. The progress has been there. Just gotta continue.

Q. You were mentioning Julian Rochester. What do you envision his role being and the other freshmen, do you think you're going to play all four?
COACH SMART: Up front? Yeah. We'll have to play a lot of guys up front. So the plan is not about what year you are in school. It's how ready you are to play. And each one of those guys has repped in camp, so our expectation is that all those guys will be able to go out there and perform to our standards.

Certainly going to be probably a little anxiety for those true freshmen, but to be honest with you, they've all come in and really competed hard and they all play really hard.

Q. I know you said it's not totally different going into this game week, but after your first off season as head coach, watching guys try to come back from injuries and suspensions, off-the-field stuff, how ready are you to just completely focus on the football?
COACH SMART: Well, I really think I've been focused on football since we started off. So game week for us started last week. This is like kind of anti-climatic for me because we've already been in game week. We started that on really Thursday or Friday.

So for us we're into the game week mode. Where most weeks it starts on Monday, it didn't start on Monday in this case. So we're kind of into it, and to be honest with you, my focus has been on this team, getting this team better. There's a lot of things I can't control outside that that have nothing to do with the outcome of the game. So we're focused on the guys that can play, and that's what we're doing.

Q. In the media sessions it looks like that Michael Chigbu has developed a lot as wide receiver and sort of stepping into that No. 2 or even 1A role next to Terry Godwin. Can you speak on his progress a little bit?
COACH SMART: Yeah, Chig's a very smart, bright player that kind of is a lunch pail guy. He comes to work every day, gives you all he's got. He's very intelligent, knows how to line up, physical blocker, great hands. I've really been pleased with him with his attitude. Not only that, he's a guy that takes ownership in the special teams, and he goes out and competes in the special teams and helps our team, especially from a depth standpoint.

Q. So Sony Michel, is it still going to be a game-time decision?
COACH SMART: We'll know when we know. It's not in my hands right now. It's up to the doctors.

Q. And Holyfield?
COACH SMART: He's day to day. Holyfield is out there, going to do as much as he can today. He's still gimpy on the ankle, but we're going to get all we can out of him.

Thank you guys. Appreciate it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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