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Olivia Sayer
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart celebrates after the Aflac Kickoff Game between No. 1 Georgia and No. 14 Clemson at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024. Georgia defeated Clemson 34-3. (Photo/Laney Martin; @LaneyMartinPhotography)
Fresh off a season-opening 31-point win against Clemson, head coach Kirby Smart and defensive back JaCorey Thomas addressed the media. The Bulldogs discussed injuries and the defensive play, among other things.
Bulldogs battling injuries
If there was a negative to come out of the game, it was that multiple Bulldogs suffered injuries. Smart said Warren Brinson, who was hurt midway through the first quarter, has “a bit of an ankle contusion.”
Fellow defensive lineman Mykel Williams is week-to-week with an ankle sprain he suffered while being on the receiving end of an illegal block below the waist. Smart said he is “probably questionable” for this weekend, but he likely will not play.
Defensive back Joenel Aguero missed the game with an injury he sustained in practice. Aguero worked out prior to the game, and Smart said he thought the sophomore “might have been able to go in an emergency.”
Defense setting the tone
Clemson’s three points tied its 2021 team for the lowest scored in a season-opener since 2003. Both veteran and younger players contributed to the Bulldogs’ dominant performance.
Malaki Starks continued to showcase why he is a projected first-round pick. Against the Tigers, Starks played the STAR position and snagged his sixth-career interception in the fourth quarter. The play was reminiscent of his first-career pick against Oregon in the same stadium.
Smart said Starks did not practice at STAR much leading up to the game, but the All-American did a “good job of jumping in and filling that role.”
Freshman KJ Bolden also made an impact for a Georgia defense filled with some new faces. Bolden made a key stop on Clemson’s opening drive and came up just short of his first-career interception. Smart said Bolden has “played more football than most seniors,” which contributed to his calm demeanor in a big environment.
“KJ is very confident,” Smart said. “He’s played up against older kids all his life. He’s extremely athletic. The moment is not too big for KJ. He’s very gifted athletically, but he also has football instincts and intuition.”
“Going to the doctor”
Despite the final score of their season-opening game, the Bulldogs are not satisfied. Thomas said Georgia has a saying — “going to the doctor” — that signifies going to practice and “cleaning some things that need to be cleaned up.”
Smart non-shockingly agreed. When asked to pick an area he would like to see the biggest improvement with, Smart said “all of it.”
“There’s just a lot there that we want to improve on,” Smart said. “Some of what you’re doing is dictated by who you play. People just think it’s a stat game. It’s not a stat game. It’s who you’re lined up across from and how good is that football player because that does dictate things, the matchups.”