Kirby Smart reacts after UGA-Auburn: LeCounte ejection, James Cook injury, more

Most coaches would be thrilled with a 27-6 win in a top-10 rivalry matchup. Then again, most coaches aren’t Kirby Smart.

The Georgia head coach opened his postgame news conference after Saturday night’s win over No. 7 Auburn saying his defense didn’t play great on third downs and his offense left some points on the field. Smart’s pursuit of perfection takes no days off, no matter the margin of victory.

Here’s what else the head coach had to say after Saturday’s win:

UGA secondary holds up without LeCounte

The Bulldog defense suffered a big blow late in the first half when senior safety Richard LeCounte left the game after being ejected for a targeting penalty.

Smart said the foul affected Georgia’s defense, and also noted the Tigers suffered after they lost defensive back Smoke Monday.

To the former defensive back Smart, football comes down to 50-50 passes. That’s a tactic Auburn likes to employ in its offense, particularly when targeting tall receiver Seth Williams.

Overall, the Georgia secondary held its own, limiting Auburn quarterback Bo Nix to just 21-of-41 passing for 177 yards and an interception.

“Eventually, you’re going to be one-on-one,” Smart said. “That’s what football boils down to is winning that one-on-one matchup. If you lose some of those, maybe the game is different. If you win more than you lose, you’re usually going to come out ahead.”

Stetson Bennett shines

It wasn’t always a sure thing Stetson Bennett would come back to Georgia.

After transferring to junior college following the 2017 season, Smart said the program had to “fight, scratch and claw” to convince Bennett to return to Athens.

Eventually, Bennett decided to come back. That decision paid dividends for the Bulldogs against Auburn, as Bennett completed 17-of-28 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown.

Smart reiterated that his quarterback didn’t play a perfect game. He did say Bennett executed the game plan well and benefited from the performance of the offensive players around him.

It might not have seemed like it at the time, but to Smart, Bennett spent all last season preparing for this moment.

“The cumulative effect of the number of reps he took last year, I don’t think we can ever measure that,” Smart said. “Stetson taking every single rep with the twos the entire year last year has an effect. I know it’s not the same offense, but it’s the same defenses. It’s the same preparation, it’s just a different word. He did a good job of managing those things.”

Goal line package offers short-yardage boost for Bulldogs

Georgia’s short-yardage offense had a unique look on Saturday night. Twice in goal-to-go situations, the Bulldogs employed 6-foot-6, 330 pound junior defensive lineman Jordan Davis as a blocking tight end and 6-foot-3, 305-pound freshman defensive lineman Jalen Carter as extra blockers. Those two plays both resulted in one-yard touchdown runs for redshirt sophomore running back Zamir White.

Smart said the idea came from offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s days in the NFL, where due to roster restrictions on the road teams often use big defensive players in goal line situations.

“We certainly think that Jordan is a weapon in terms of his athleticism and his size,” Smart said. “Jalen played a lot of that stuff in high school. He’s a really talented guy that’s played some fullback and things. We’ve had it in for a while and thought we would use it when we needed to.”

Kearis Jackson emerges as go-to weapon

The Georgia offense might have found its secondary receiver opposite star sophomore George Pickens.

After setting career highs with six catches and 62 yards in the season opener last week, redshirt sophomore receiver Kearis Jackson exploded onto the scene against Auburn. The Fort Valley native hauled in nine passes for 147 yards, picking up several key third downs in the process.

Smart praised Jackson as one of the team’s leaders. After an injury-plagued season in 2019, the player his head coach called “one of our toughest players” is ready to fully emerge.

“He’s one of the most demanding guys of other people,” Smart said. “He does what he’s supposed to do when he’s supposed to do it, and he deserved that game probably more than anybody. He made plays and did a great job of that.”

James Cook injury

Georgia running back James Cook left the game in the second quarter with an injured right shoulder. Smart downplayed the injury, saying Cook could have come back in the game if needed. — The Associated Press

This story was originally published October 4, 2020 at 12:28 AM.