UGASports - Georgia Football News and Notes for Tuesday (2024)

Brock Bowers isn’t the only Bulldog doing well with his current rehab. So is running back Branson Robinson.

Out for the year with a ruptured patella tendon, head coach Kirby Smart said his fingers are crossed the sophom*ore will be able to take part in spring practice.

“You know, I don’t know the answer to that. The closest thing we had was Rian Davis went through this one year, and it’s a long, arduous process. I can’t answer that. I think he’ll probably be cleared, but I don’t know if he’ll be able to go through live tackling and everything.”

Robinson was set to become a key part of Georgia’s backfield before suffering the injury back in the spring.

Just as he did last year before the game against Tennessee, Smart used Tuesday’s press conference to call on help from the fans.

When asked if the crowd can impact Saturday night’s game against Ole Miss (7 p.m., ESPN), Smart said, you bet.

“Yeah, they can have a huge impact, and we need them to. I’m counting on them to have a huge impact,” Smart said. “Look, Ole Miss has played in some tough stadiums, not only this year but last year. They’ve gone across the SEC West and seen all the tough places to play, and it’s not going to be foreign to them to play in a tough environment.”

That’s where Georgia’s fans need to come in.

“We certainly need to create it for them, and we need to create problems for them on defense and make it hard for them to play against us, along with the crowd. The crowd needs to have an impact and pull in the same direction for our players.”

After spending the previous five years as the defensive coordinator of Alabama, Smart was asked if he noticed any similarities in Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding's current unit to that of his former team.

Per Smart, not as much as you might think.

"Well, he doesn't have the exact same players he had at Alabama,” Smart said. “So, I think he's done a good job making his scheme his scheme, and there's similarities, but you don't just do the scheme. No defensive coordinator just goes, 'Oh, well I'm going to cookie cutter this, this is what I do, this is what I believe in.' You do what fits your system.”

Smart said Ole Miss defenders have adapted well.

“He's taken the players he has there, and he's made them better on defense. They fly around and they attack the ball. They do a lot of really good things,” Smart said. “They're just not the exact same players they have in Alabama in terms of just sheer size and numbers, but they are very talented in what they do."

• Smart had the following to say about his team’s first two days of practice:

"It's been good. Had two good days. Intro to Ole Miss yesterday, then some regular down stuff today and do some more third down red area tomorrow. They've been locked in, and it's a tough prep, because they do a lot of different things offensively and create a lot of problems on defense,” Smart said. “I mean they create TFLs, and they create a lot of havoc. So, trying to stay ahead of the sticks and ahead of the chains. They do a good job, so it's been good prep, though."

• When it comes to tackling Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, Smart said he’ll be treated just like a back.

"No. Once he is a runner, he's no more protected than a running back. I mean, we're going to tackle him like we tackle backs. He's physical. Their backs are physical. They're all hard to tackle in terms of size and stature. You get over 210 to 215 pounds and they're running 4.4s, 4.5s, it's physical, and he lowers his shoulder and competes to play,” Smart said. “I have a lot of respect for the way he runs, but in terms of us tackling him, he's going to be you know, like we do a back."

• Smart said he’s not surprised that linebackers C.J. Allen and Raylen Wilson have played as well as they have.

With Juman Dumas-Johnson dealing with a fracture in his forearm, they could see even more opportunities on Saturday.

"They were both bright kids, and they were both really talented kids. So physically, they had the gifts to be able to play. But I mean, within our defense, there's a mental rep count you got to get and luckily, they had all spring,” Smart said. “They got it down in the spring, then they had all summer and they've had all fall camp. Raylen would be probably at least where CJ is or ahead if he had not had the injury in camp. That set him back, but he's caught up really quickly, and they're both really good athletes."

• Smart was asked where he wants to see Carson Beck improve over the final three weeks of the regular season.

“His leadership to continue to improve and exert his confidence and put his touch on his personality with those guys is something. He’s into all the ball stuff. He could be cleaner on some things in the pocket,” Smart said. “He could be cleaner on some protection things, but he’s going to make mistakes, because we put him in a position to make three to four decisions every play. So he’s not going to be perfect, but I can accept that. I just want him to continue to grow as a leader and commanding of the offense.”