Everything Georgia Coach Kirby Smart Said About Mississippi State

Georgia's Smart talks about Mississippi State's freshmen quarterback and first-year head coach

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on the sideline during the first half of a NCAA college football game against Auburn in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Georgia football coach Kirby Smart met with members of the media Monday to preview the No. 5 Bulldogs upcoming game against Mississippi State.

Here’s what Smart had to say about the maroon and white Bulldogs:

On Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren…

"I'll tell you, he got thrown into the fire quick. I mean, in the middle of an SEC game to have to go in and play and then turn around the next week and go to Texas. That was two really tough games. He's a tremendous athlete. I think they've allowed him to do some things that he's really good at, and they're mixing the other quarterback in with quarterback run. So, they both are capable runners, but they bring Chris (Parson) in and do more stuff with him.

On Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby…

I've got a lot of respect for Jeff Lebby and his offense and what he's done and where he's been. The people he's worked for in his career are really good offensive coaches. They're hard to defend because they space you out, they spread you out, they tempo you, they count your numbers in the box. They're almost always going to be right in terms of what they run. You've got to beat the man in front of you to beat them. You've got to outwork the guy to win two gaps a lot of times because it's hard the way they play. They've got really good backs."

Read More Mississippi State Bulldogs On SI:

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Mississippi State Football: Jeff Lebby Discusses SEC Chaos, Recruiting, and Georgia

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