NCAAF News: Georgia HC Kirby Smart sends big warning to Alabama ahead of Week 5 showdown

Kirby Smart is feeling confident heading into the Week 5 game against Alabama, set to take place at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Both teams currently boast perfect records of 3-0, with Georgia Bulldogs winning their most recent game 13-12, arriving at the fifth week ranked No. 2 in the nation.

During a press conference on September 23, head coach Kirby Smart answered questions about the upcoming matchup against Alabama. In addition to reflecting on some nostalgic moments, he emphasized his estrategy to play against Alabama.

On Alabama’s explosive offense, Kirby Smart acknowledged they have dangerous weapons and a quarterback who knows how to move. He said, “Our job is to try to prevent those plays and not give up big plays, and a lot of that starts with how well we play around the quarterback [Milroe].”

During the Q&A session, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart made it clear that his players won’t be “chasing ghosts” and are fully focused on the upcoming game on September 28. This came after a reporter brought up their 2023 SEC championship loss in Atlanta.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide shakes hands with Head coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs 27-24 in the SEC Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Smart responded, “No, I don’t think we chase the past at all. If you watch the tape, we were two different teams. We’re focused on what we can do to be our best this week. The ghost we’re chasing is our past performances this year and how we can clean that up to be more efficient.”

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Kirby Smart praises Jalen Milroe

“You look at last year’s game and always analyze it from a personnel standpoint and matchups. You see players from their game and our game that overlap. But with him [Milroe], the challenges are immense because he’s an incredible football player. There’s no play design you can draw up and confidently say, ‘I’m pretty sure this is going to happen’ with him, because you never know what’s going to unfold.”

“Sometimes the worst thing you can do is cover everyone against him. Are you capable of bringing him down? What matchups do you have? He is unlike any player I’ve seen in college football for a long time because people think he’s just a runner, but that’s not the case. Milroe has a tremendous arm and can make throws that others can’t, reaching spots on the field and delivering the ball faster than defenders can react. He’s more talented than most quarterbacks.”