No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs are gearing up for a important matchup with the Florida Gators. Ahead of the game, head coach Kirby Smart had a special message for star Trevor Etienne who is set for an emotional game against his former team.
Etienne tranferred from Florida to Georgia through the portal during the past offseason. Before this season, the running back played 24 games in Gainesville rushing for 1,472 yards and 14 TDs, he added another on a reception. On Saturday, the Dawgs leading rusher will face a familiar face on Billy Napier’s Florida.
“Focus on the task. You don’t want to be caught up in the emotions and be emotional,” Smart said. “I don’t think that helps any. Dom’s gone through it with Missouri a couple times, different players. That’s part of college football now. We’ve had kids go down there. We don’t get caught up in it a bunch. At the end of the day, what’s gonna make you play well? It ain’t worrying about that.”
Through the first six games of the year, Etienne tallies 552 total yards and seven touchdowns. As Carson Beck struggles, the Bulldogs will rely on their number one carrier to establish the ground game.
August 31, 2024: Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart walks the field before the game against the Clemson Tigers in the 2024 Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
Kirby Smart on Carson Beck
The Bulldogs quarterback has been irregular throughout the NCAA season. After a promising start, his production has halted and his turnovers have taken the spotlight. Recently Beck has admitted to the issues on the offense and took responsibility for them. On that note, Smart made something clear about Beck’s performance.
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“We need to coach better, we need to execute better, we need the people around him to play better,” Smart said. “That’s the ownership that a quarterback takes, and I wouldn’t expect him to answer any questions like that any other way.”
Last meetings between Gators and Bulldogs
These two schools have a long history of epic clashes in college football history. Though the game is rarely referred to as “The World Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party”, the hatred between both sides is ever-present. Georgia leads the all-time record 55-44-2.
The Bulldogs have won each of the last three encounters and the games have not been particularly close. The Gators last win over their neighboring foes was in 2020.
