Georgia HC Kirby Smart clears the air on shoving Michael Van Buren during win over Mississippi State
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart took some heat after a video of him shoving Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren on the sideline went viral. Smart was asked about the incident immediately following Georgia's 41-31 win over the visiting Bulldogs, though he could not exactly recall the moment. "No," Smart said. "I think I was […]
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart took some heat after a video of him shoving Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren on the sideline went viral.
Smart was asked about the incident immediately following Georgia's 41-31 win over the visiting Bulldogs, though he could not exactly recall the moment.
"No," Smart said. "I think I was going after Schumann. I was trying to get Schumann's attention. We were trying to change personnel. I think it's the play they came over to our sideline. And I'm trying to get Schumann's attention. But, no, I don't really remember it."
Smart was asked about the incident again on Monday where he said he went back and watched the video and reached out to Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby on Saturday night.
"I'm glad you brought that up, because after you guys said that in the press conference, I went back watched (the video) and didn't even realize that I had run into him," Smart said. "But I reached out to Lebby that night and talked to him and he said the kid was great. And then yesterday (Sunday) I talked to Mike and told him I had no intentions or ill will toward him at all.
"If you have ever been on the sideline in a game, it's pandemonium. It's really pandemonium when you're trying to change personnel and you've only got three to four seconds to do it. And we were bad off in a bad personnel grouping. We actually messed up the week before and so I was trying to get to Schumann to get that changed.
"But I reached out to the kid. He was great. He's a really good player. He's going to be a good player in this league and he played better as the game went on against us."
Van Buren, a true freshman, logged just his second career start against Georgia last week. He completed 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Mississippi State's loss.
