Georgia's Kirby Smart channels his inner Norman Dale after arriving in New Orleans

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart takes questions Friday after arriving in New Orleans for Wednesday night's Sugar Bowl against Baylor. / Georgia photo by Steven Colquitt
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart takes questions Friday after arriving in New Orleans for Wednesday night's Sugar Bowl against Baylor. / Georgia photo by Steven Colquitt

There is a scene in the movie "Hoosiers" when new Hickory Huskers coach Norman Dale introduces his basketball team, which has yet to add star player Jimmy Chitwood, and tells the audience, "I would hope you would support who we are. Not who we are not."

That was Georgia football coach Kirby Smart on Friday after his No. 5 Bulldogs (11-2) arrived in New Orleans for the New Year's night showdown with No. 8 Baylor (11-2) in the Sugar Bowl. Georgia will not have its two starting tackles against the Bears, with junior Andrew Thomas and redshirt sophomore Isaiah Wilson having announced earlier this month that they would be skipping the bowl and their remaining eligibility to get a head start on their early ventures to the NFL.

"I know you guys are concerned and focused on who may or may not be here, or who is or is not playing, but that is not the concern of this team," Smart said in a news conference. "This team is focused on who is here."

When asked separately whether senior running back Brian Herrien and senior defensive tackle Tyler Clark had made the trip, Smart responded in each instance by saying, "We're going to focus on the players who are playing in the game."

The Bulldogs are playing in their second consecutive Sugar Bowl, and they are seeking a measure of redemption after last season's lethargic 28-21 upset loss to Texas. Smart repeatedly said the theme of this year's journey is about "this trip, this team and this game," and his players arrived Friday with the same message.

"We're going to go out there with the guys we've got and play hard," junior inside linebacker Monty Rice said. "Not a lot of guys get to play in a Sugar Bowl, especially two years in a row. We're down some guys, but we've got younger guys and this is their time."

Smart said sophomores Cade Mays and Jamaree Salyer have been practicing at the tackle spots and redshirt freshman Warren Ericson and true freshman Xavier Truss have worked there as well. Smart added that new offensive line coach Matt Luke, who was the Ole Miss head coach this time last month, has provided "new energy" at that position.

Junior running back D'Andre Swift (shoulder) and redshirt freshman receiver Kearis Jackson (ankle) are not at full strength, but Smart is hopeful each can play. Sophomore running back James Cook, who was arrested earlier this month in Athens on misdemeanor charges of driving without a valid license and possessing an open container of an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area, has been cleared to compete.

"We don't publicly discuss details of situations like this usually, but we thoroughly reviewed the situation in compliance with our drug policy," Smart said. "We tested him immediately after he had the arrest, and the test was negative. I'm not proud of his behavior, and he suffered some discipline for what he did and that's done."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.

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