A big crowd is not the only objective Georgia football coach Kirby Smart has for his second G-Day game.
“I want it to be tight,” Smart said Thursday night in a news conference. “I’m hoping we can get these quarterbacks into two-minute situations.”
Today’s G-Day contest in Sanford Stadium will start at 2 p.m., and it will be televised by the SEC Network. Sanford’s gates will open this morning at 11, with the letterman’s flag football game scheduled for 11:30.
G-Day will contain a running clock except for the last four minutes of each half. The Black team will consist of the first-team offense and the second-team defense, while the Red unit will contain the starting defense and the second-team offense.
Running backs Nick Chubb, Sony Michel and Brian Herrien all are listed on the Black team, as are tight ends Jeb Blazevich and Isaac Nauta. Blazevich (knee) is doubtful for today’s game, while Nauta (shoulder) is questionable.
Most eyes this afternoon will be on Black team quarterback Jacob Eason and Red team counterpart Jake Fromm, but Smart already knows this spring has been more productive than his inaugural go-around.
“We have scrimmaged more, meaning tackling live more, where we didn’t do that as much last year,” Smart said. “We have done more situational football – just putting it out there, saying ‘Here is the situation,’ and making the offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator call it.
“We have also practiced more end-of-game situations. I think every head coach I talk to talks about how you can’t practice those enough.”
The Bulldogs ranked 113th last season in red-zone defense, allowing opponents to score 90.7 percent of the time after reaching Georgia’s 20-yard line, so that has been a point of emphasis as well.
Smart said particular attention was placed this spring from the 12-yard line in.
“Our offense needed it, too,” Smart said. “Both sides needed it.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.