ATHENS, Ga. – Kirby Smart said he expects his Georgia team to be “full tilt” for the opener against Clemson, and he didn’t even knock on any wood when he said it.
After two weeks of negative injury-and-personnel news dominated the headlines for the Bulldogs’ preseason camp, their coach Saturday said pretty much everybody who has been out either is back on the field or will be by the time that game kicks off in Charlotte on Sept. 4 (7:30 p.m., ABC).
“We don’t have an injury that’s got us out for a long amount of time,” Smart said Saturday after the Bulldogs’ second scrimmage at Sanford Stadium. “We hope to get all those guys back. Every one of them was day-to-day, and some of them are practicing now. Each one of them is a different situation, but I expect to be full-tilt when Clemson comes.”
That supposedly includes tight end Darnell Washington and defensive back Tykee Smith. Though Smart did not address them specifically, those two were the latest projected starters to go down with injuries. Each reportedly suffered foot sprains in practice Tuesday.
While neither participated Saturday, Smart said Georgia “had more guys healthy today than we did in the last scrimmage.”