Kirby Smart makes strong statement about Tennessee Vols' running backs
After a tough loss to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, there's no reprieve for the Tennessee Vols this weekend. Tennessee will host the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville. And Georgia, a program that's attempting to win a third straight national championship, appears to be hitting their stride in the final month of the […]
After a tough loss to the Missouri Tigers on Saturday, there's no reprieve for the Tennessee Vols this weekend.
Tennessee will host the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon in Knoxville.
And Georgia, a program that's attempting to win a third straight national championship, appears to be hitting their stride in the final month of the regular season.
On paper, this looks like a game that Georgia should win. But Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, unsurprisingly, isn't taking the Vols lightly.
Smart met with reporters on Monday and he made it clear that he thinks the matchup with Tennessee will be tough. The UGA head coach specifically had some high praise for the Vols' running backs.
"They're very physically tough," said Smart when asked about the Vols. "Their O-line plays that way. Their backs are easily the best stable of backs we've seen this year, in terms of the package of backs they have. And that includes the quarterback with the backs. It's a really tough prep."
Tennessee has the No. 2 rushing offense in the SEC at 213 yards per game (the Vols are No. 9 in the nation). Despite a tough game against Missouri last weekend (UT rushed for 83 yards on 23 carries against the Tigers), Tennessee's rushing attack — led by Jaylen Wright, Dylan Sampson, and Jabari Small — is still incredibly dynamic.
It would be easy for Georgia to take the Vols lightly after a "down" game against Missouri. But Smart knows that Tennessee can quickly get it going — especially at Neyland Stadium (where the Vols seem to be a completely different team than they are on the road).
A win against Georgia would drastically impact how the Vols' 2023 season is viewed. But Tennessee clearly won't be getting the benefit of playing a Georgia team that's looking past the Vols. The Bulldogs are taking their trip to Knoxville very seriously.
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