Hold the Salt: Kirby Smart’s Sugar Bowl Presser

Kirby Smart has some great quotes. These quotes don’t usually come from press conferences. Instead, we get to hear Smart chewing out the offense or defense as we walk by the practice facility. Or we may get a gem when Smart and the Dawgs are ready to hunt before the game, or when he is answering to the disrespect he and his team got before a game. Earlier this week, Smart was asked about a variety of subjects in his Sugar Bowl press conference. We will focus on previewing the Sugar Bowl next week. We’re sure we will mention Lane, but this week we wanted to look at how Smart’s comments reflect his and his program’s attitude toward the changing landscape of college football.

Teams with a first-round bye last year went 0-4. Oregon was boatraced by Ohio State, and Georgia could not get their offense together against a stout Notre Dame team. This had led many fans and the media to wonder aloud if the layoff is actually a disadvantage for teams. Smart was having none of that talk.

“I don’t know that I can provide the layoff with any excuse. That’s what the general public and the people on the outside world want to say that the layoff had to do with it. I think it had something to do with the good football team we played against.” Smart said. “There’s not a lot that I would say the layoff had to do with that. We were young in some areas, inexperienced in some areas. Broke down on special teams. Lost the middle eight. Those didn’t happen because of the layoff. We didn’t give up a touchdown and then another touchdown and a kickoff return for a touchdown right after the second half — start of the second half because of the layoff.”

Last year’s Sugar Bowl was clouded by a terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, which delayed the game by a day. It led to a weird, awkward game for everyone. Georgia’s defense looked the part except for the fifty-seven seconds of chaos between the end of the second quarter and the start of the third quarter. Georgia was going through some internal turmoil last year with who would be their quarterback in the Sugar Bowl. Roster Turnover is a challenge for every team. Smart addressed the issue, noting that it is not an issue in Athens in 2025.

Last year, we were stuck in the Carson Beck saga. How hurt was he? Why was he not with the team practicing? Would he declare for the NFL or stay with the Dawgs for a third season? It was exhausting. This year, we have already seen some big-name quarterbacks and players say they are jumping into the portal, even though it does not officially open until January 2nd. The CFB calendar is messed up. We have conference championships, National Signing Day, the CFB Playoffs, the coaching carousel, and the transfer portal all going on concurrently. While all that mess has wreaked havoc on the rest of college football, Smart showed why he is running one of the elite college football programs.

“No, I mean, we’re focused on this team. I think it would be remiss to say that we’re focused on roster management. We’re not focused on it. We’re focused on prep and getting better, and for a while it’s been, like, intrinsically looking at ourself and asking each player, ‘Did you come here to develop? Did you truly come here to develop because if you did — all your buddies are out there right now. Everybody’s announcing what they’re doing. I’m announcing that I’m going in the portal. I’m announcing that I’m re-signing. How about you announce that you’re getting better and you’re going to practice and, like, actually do what the 20 and 30 years of college football players did before you, which was practice in December when they’re on good teams, and get better?”

Compete. Attack the Day. This is the mentality that Dawgs’ fans look for and expect from their team. Not the drama that characterizes most of college football.

Smart did lose a member of the Georgia coaching staff this week. He lost his analyst and longtime friend, Will Muschamp, to Texas. In a surprising move, Steve Sarkisian fired his current defensive coordinator, Kwiatkowski, and replaced him with Muschamp. Texas has had a strong defense in the five years the two worked together, but Sark needed a change. Smart was complimentary of Muschamp and encouraging of the move.

“Oh, I’m so happy for him. He loves coaching. He loved coaching when he was here. It was hard for him to step away, and he felt like he needed to, and I had so much respect for him. And, shoot, he helped us replace him with the guys we got, and he helped us tremendously in that role. He helped us tremendously this year. And he’s been really good to me personally, and he’s been great to Georgia, and he’s been really good to a lot of players that he’s recruited.”

Muschamp has been a Swiss Army Knife for the Bulldogs. Serving as special teams and defensive coordinator, and as an analyst. Reading the tea leaves, this probably assumes that defensive coordinator Glenn Shumann and Tavaris Robison will remain on staff in 2026.

Ok, here is one little morsel to chew on before we dig into the film for next week. Smart was asked about his buddy Lane and the impact his absence would have on Georgia. Lane, of course, made all the news when he decided to forgo coaching Ole Miss in the playoff and instead take his talents to Baton Rouge.

Smart was quick to point out that although Lane will be missing, most of the staff will remain intact. “The offensive coordinator and the staff is still all there. So, I mean, they’re not going to make an overhaul or make large changes, right?” Smart said. ” They got something that really works well. They got a really high-powered, explosive, great wideouts, a really good tight end, one of the best backs in the country, arguably the quarterback that may be playing the best in the country, in terms of his ability to make throws in all areas. I mean, the guy’s elite.

Georgia is currently a six-and-a-half-point favorite over the Rebels. The Sugar Bowl will air at 7 pm CT on ESPN on New Year’s Day.

Main Photo: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images