Georgia Looking to Prove They’re an Elite Program in Sugar Bowl

Georgia wanted to start the new year in the national title game, and not the Sugar Bowl.
While that’s a little disappointing, the Dawgs promise to make the most of their opportunity tonight in New Orleans against Texas.

Last time Georgia traveled to Louisiana, their playoff dreams took a huge hit, losing 36-16 to LSU.
Said head coach Kirby Smart:”We played in a tough hostile environment in LSU, and we didn’t play our best game. We didn’t coach our best game. Me in particular. So I think when you start with that. That you’ve got to be at your best every single game because in the end, they all matter.”
Reporter:”Rebounding from disappointment. What do you learn as a coach?”
Said Smart:”Disappointment is apart of life. I think everybody in this room could say that they’ve been disappointed at some time or another. They’ve been let down. But it actually makes when you do things well that much grandeur.”
Star players skipping bowl games is now apart of life too.
Dawgs DB and Jim Thorpe award winner DeAndre Baker is sitting out the Sugar to avoid possible injury ahead of the N-F-L draft.
Smart:”As far as the difficulty of preparing for it. The difficulty comes tomorrow because he’s not out there.”
Said linebackers coach Dan Lanning:”You don’t replace a DeAndre Baker. He’s a great player. We have a lot of guys that have gotten significant snaps this season. So I think that piece or transition will be smooth.”
Georgia’s defensive backfield will be tested.
The Longhorns top two receivers are 6’4 and 6’6.
Said Lanning:”They are big guys. They can really stretch the field and have connected on a lot of explosive plays this year. You know you talk about plays over 20-yards. They’ve had a lot of those.”
Hard for Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger to miss those targets.
Ehlinger went 10 games this year with no interceptions.”
Said Lanning:”He’s a good decision maker, and he’s not careless with the ball. I think the threat that probably shows up to us on film is when there isn’t something there, he has the ability to run with his feet.”
Wheels up.
Horns down.
That’s how Georgia wants to leave the Bayou this time around.
Said Smart:”You know everybody plays the SEC with a chip on their shoulder, so we are coming to make. Play to a standard and make a statement to ourselves that we are an elite program.”