There are pros and cons to Georgia’s new-look practice schedule, Kirby Smart says
Like much of the world, football practice looked different for the University of Georgia when practiced started Monday.
For one, the Bulldogs have 40 days of to hold 25 practices, rather than the usual 30 days before the season opener. And student-athletes get two mandatory two off each week.
Head coach Kirby Smart noted that the practice scheduling, which was advised by medical experts, has some drawbacks such as fewer days before the start of classes and a lack of time for guest speakers to meet with the team.
However, Smart did note some silver linings with the adjusted calendar.
“When you track concussions and health care and the injury rate, soft tissue injuries, head injuries, (they) typically happen early in camp because it’s the first time kids have gone back to having contact,” Smart said. “So by spreading it out over more number of days, you’re giving guys more time for recovery.”
The Bulldogs will also be sporting some new equipment when they take the field. The official Georgia Twitter account shared a video this weekend that highlighted the new plastic shields players will wear on the bottom of their facemasks in an attempt to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Concerns have been raised about these types of shields, with critics saying it’s impractical to have players breathe into them for an entire Saturday afternoon on the field. However, junior offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer said the team is trying to put mind over matter.
“I just go out there and control what I can, make sure my conditioning level is to a point where I can control that and do fine with the mask or without it,” Salyer said. “I try to make sure that’s not something that I try to factor in as something I have to worry about.”
UGA students are moving in this week. Classes start Thursday.
Even with the altered schedule and the precautions in place, Smart said his team has plenty of time to prepare for the 2020 opener in a little over a month. Georgia opens the season Sept. 26 at Arkansas.
Scott Cochran bringing the energy
As far as special teams coordinators go, they don’t get much more high-profile than Scott Cochran.
Georgia hired Cochran on Feb. 24, prying him away from Alabama where he had been since 2007 as the strength and conditioning coach. The two-time National Strength Coach of the Year garnered a reputation as one of the most critical cogs in the football machine Nick Saban has built in Tuscaloosa.
Smart hasn’t had too many opportunities to see Cochran in his new on-field role, given that the team hasn’t been able to hold much more than walkthroughs since his hiring. However, he already knows that the Bulldogs will benefit from the new coordinator’s energy on the field.
“He’s an energetic, very demanding coach and has done a good job in front of the team and the units,” Smart said. “I think he’s very comfortable doing that because he was always in front of the team in his past jobs through being a strength coach. He’s done a good job with that and the players respect him.”
Energy was the first word out of Salyer’s mouth when asked about Cochran. It permeates the entire program, from the practice field to the hallways of Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall. It’s that kind of spark that could be what the Bulldogs need to take that next step as a team.
“He’s just always going to get that extra out of you, that last one percent that you don’t think that you have,” Salyer said. “He’s always going to get that out of you. I’m really excited to go through a season with him.”
Georgia’s 2020 football schedule
Bold denotes home game
- Sept. 26: at Arkansas
- Oct. 3: vs. Auburn
- Oct. 10: vs. Tennessee
- Oct. 17: at Alabama
- Oct. 24: at Kentucky
- Oct. 31: OPEN WEEK
- Nov. 7: vs. Florida in Jacksonville
- Nov. 14: at Missouri
- Nov. 21: vs. Mississippi State
- Nov. 28: at South Carolina
- Dec. 5: vs. Vanderbilt
This story was originally published August 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.