Kirby Smart still mum on QB plans
Kirby Smart may have hoped to have made it through Monday’s press conference without having to answer a single question about quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Justin Fields.
No such luck.
Not only did he get asked about the two QBs, but it was Monday’s topic du jour, with Smart getting quizzed on the subject four times, including what he meant after Saturday’s 38-12 win over Tennessee that there was no plan as far as Fromm and Fields are concerned.
“I think that’s the most important thing — that we grow. And you have to understand that the plan is there is no plan means that we don’t have a plan going into the game. You can’t have a plan, because we don’t know how the game is going to go,” Smart said.
“That doesn’t mean we don’t have a plan in practice and it doesn’t mean we don’t get certain reps for certain guys.”
Both quarterbacks played well in Saturday’s victory over the Vols, with Fromm completing 16 of 22 passes for 185 yards while Fields provided a nice spark, scoring touchdowns on runs of 12 and 15 yards.
“When he’s in the game it’s something different that the defense has to adjust to,” running back Elijah Holyfield said. “When Justin comes in the defense has to be light on its feet.”
As for what the plan might be Saturday against Vanderbilt), Smart told reporters their guess was as good as his.
“If you sit here and think that we know exactly when Justin (Fields) is going to go in or when Jake (Fromm) is going to go in going into the game or the third series of the fourth snap in the second quarter, the game doesn’t work like that. It just doesn’t work like that,” Smart said.
“We don’t know how they’re going to play us, what front they’re going to play us in, what pressures they’re going to run. So, a lot of that is determined in game, and that’s why we practice.”
Smart did say both quarterbacks have goals they are asked to achieve.
“Yeah, the goal is to protect the ball. Jake is one of the best I’ve seen at management in the pocket, movement in the pocket. There have been a couple of times this year where he’s had nowhere to go, and one of those caused fumbles the other day,” Smart said.
“There was a free guy coming right up the middle; he couldn’t step up really well. But we work really hard on that. We actually do more than any place I’ve ever been where we have pass rush in practice so that the quarterback has to move in the pocket. Both quarterbacks are working hard on that.”
Smart dismissed the notion that rotating like they did Saturday affected either quarterback in a negative way, blaming the media for making a bigger issue out of the situation that necessary.
The way Smart sees it, both quarterbacks are handling their roles just fine.
“I think it’s a bigger deal made by you guys than by them. I think when you talk about Jake Fromm and Justin Fields, you’re talking about two huge Georgia fans that love Georgia and love the University of Georgia. They love their teammates. They want what’s best for the team, and they’re both competitors,” Smart said.
“The one quality that they both have is, No. 1, they’re both good leaders, but they’re really good competitors, and I don’t think they would be where they are in their careers if they were not great competitors. What do great competitors want? No. 1, they want to win. No. 2, they want to do well.
“But when you’re in a team format, sometimes doing well may mean the combination of those two guys, and Jake continues to improve and do good things, and so does Justin.”