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By Olivia Sayer
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart during the second half of a NCAA college football game between Georgia and Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama, on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. Georgia won 27-20. (Photo/Landen Todd @whats_landophoto)
Kirby Smart stood on the sideline in 2007 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The 31-year-old had just accepted a position with Alabama under its new head coach Nick Saban. 17 years later, Smart will return to a full-capacity Tuscaloosa for the first time since becoming Georgia’s head coach.
Smart, along with wide receiver Arian Smith and linebacker Smael Mondon Jr., met with the media on Monday to discuss the highly-touted matchup. Here is a summary of their comments.
New faces in familiar places
For the first time in 17 years, Saban will not be on the opposing sideline against the Bulldogs. Instead, the seven-time national champion will watch from a distance as his successor and former prodigy battle on the field now named after him.
Smart said Saban missing from the sideline does not make the matchup “strange.” Instead, the fact that his kids “were born there and lived there for nine years” elicits the weird feeling of returning to Tuscaloosa.
For the players, Saban’s absence does not indicate a lesser opponent. Smith said Alabama is still “the same Alabama,” while Mondon Jr. said that Kalen DeBoer’s squad is “still a good football team.”
Saban’s presence will still be felt throughout Tuscaloosa though, as he wears a different kind of headset this season. The former head coach is now an analyst for ESPN’s College Gameday, which will be in Alabama for the top-five matchup.
“He’s extremely thorough, and he enjoys what he does,” Smart said of his former boss’ broadcasting career. “I’m really happy he’s still part of college football because he makes college football better.”
Smart is not the only Bulldog familiar with the Crimson Tide. Safeties coach Travaris Robinson spent two seasons leading Alabama’s cornerbacks and interviewed for the defensive coordinator position before fully committing to the Bulldogs.
Smart said the Crimson Tide’s new staff makes it difficult for Robinson to know the intricacies of Alabama’s scheme.
“He really hasn’t been part of their staff, so intricacies into what they do defensively or offensively, not a lot there,” Smart said. “He knows some of their players, but we know a lot of their players too because we recruited [them].”
Despite the storylines and national attention surrounding the matchup, Smart remains adamant that Saturday’s game is just another game.
“It means we’ve got to get ready for Auburn,” Smart said of what winning the game would mean to him.
More than a runner
Smart gave glowing praise to Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, who poses a tough challenge for the Bulldogs. Milroe is tied for second in rushing touchdowns among quarterbacks with six through three games.
However, while his rushing abilities jump off the tape, Smart said Milroe’s “tremendous arm” makes him “as different a football player in college football as I’ve played against in a long time.”
“People think he’s just a runner, and that’s not the case,” Smart said. “He can do things with his arm that other people can’t. He can reach spots on the field and get it there faster than you can brake on it better than most ‘arm talent’ people.”
Mondon Jr. agreed with Smart’s assessment, adding that Milroe’s “explosive” playmaking ability makes him difficult to defend.
The Bulldogs faced Milroe in last season’s SEC Championship, where they lost 27-23. Milroe did not put up eye-popping statistics but was very effective against Georgia’s defense.
Since that game, Smart said he has seen an improvement with Milroe’s on-time, RPO throws. The Bulldogs also know they need to be better at getting him to the ground, which is an area they struggled in against Kentucky.
In order to prepare, Mondon Jr. said some of the scout team quarterbacks are putting on red jerseys, allowing the defense to tackle the typically off-limit passers.
Milroe’s growth can also be attributed to Ryan Williams, the 17-year-old wide receiver who has taken college football by storm. Williams is Alabama’s leading receiver through three games, and the gap is not close.
He has 285 yards receiving with four touchdowns on just 10 receptions. Smart said Williams is in the “same line with the guys they’ve had in the past” and has “naturally jumped right in and made plays in every game.”
Smith, who along with Williams used to run track, said he has “never seen [a] kid” like the freshman wide out.
“He’s going to be a good receiver in this league,” Smith said. “Just seeing him do that at a young age just blows my mind.”