Kirby Smart pinpoints reason Brian Kelly has been so successful in year one

It took Kirby Smart two seasons as Georgia‘s head coach to take the Bulldogs to an SEC championship game, and this weekend he will be facing a head coach that did it in just one. LSU head coach Brian Kelly has turned things around for his program fast, leading the Tigers to a conference championship matchup versus the Bulldogs in his first season at the helm.

Leading up to the game, Smart was asked how he believes Kelly was successful so quickly at LSU, and if the new ability to flip rosters has an impact.

“I don’t know what to attribute that to,” Smart admitted. “I would usually start with what did they inherit and who’s their quarterback.”

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has played big for the Tigers, helping lead them to a 9-3 record behind his arm and his legs. This season Daniels has been one of the most efficient passers in the SEC, ranking second in completion percentage, completing 68.8% of his passes, and only throwing two interceptions. He also leads all quarterbacks in the conference in rushing yards with 824 and ranks third among all players with 11 rushing touchdowns on the season.

“So much of the success is tied to that position as a whole, being able to make good decisions. Their guy has done an elite job of doing that,” Smart said.

Daniels will be facing a Bulldogs defense that is the top-ranked in the country, holding opponents to 11.3 points per game. It will surely be a critical point of the matchup this Saturday, as Kelly and Smart’s squads will face off in Atlanta this Saturday at 4 p.m.

Kirby Smart on potential College Football Playoff berth: We’re worried about winning an SEC title

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have done it again, securing their second straight undefeated regular season after their 37-14 win over Georgia Tech. Like last season, UGA has secured a spot in the SEC Championship, and likely the College Football Playoff as the No. 1 ranked team in the country. Smart was asked about handling the psychology of likely being a lock for the playoffs despite their conference championship still being ahead of them, and if he discusses that with his team at all.

“No. We’re worried about winning the SEC championship. That’s the most important thing on our agenda, is to have an opportunity to do something that rarely gets done,” Smart said.

Last season the Bulldogs were crowned National Champions, but did lose to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, something that is still clearly fresh on the mind of Smart.

“I mean, it’s tough to win an SEC championship. I’ve been part of this league for a long time. I have almost as many national championships as I do SEC championships,” Smart explained. “They’re really hard to come by. We’re focused on LSU.”

The Bulldogs will be looking to get their conference title redemption this season, as they face an LSU team fresh off of an upset loss to Texas A&M, a game they lost 38-23 after entering 10-point road favorites.

The SEC Championship game will take place at a neutral sight this Saturday, but will be pretty close to home for UGA, as the Bulldogs and Tigers will face off in Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 4:00 p.m. in Atlanta airing on CBS.