Smart’s nerves settle down as kickoff nears for title clash

ATHENS — As a player and coach, Kirby Smart has been a participant in a fair number of big games. He was asked earlier this week if he felt jitters as a player and what that feeling transitioned to as a coach.

“I can’t remember much about being a player,” said Smart as No. 4 Georgia contin- ued preparation for its meeting Saturday with No. 1 Ala- bama for the SEC champion- ship. “I was excited, I guess nervous; I don’t know, I’m nervous about everything. I’m competitive, want to do well. Work hard at it. Certainly once you prepare, there’s only so much you can do.

“I get the most comfortable the closer the game gets because I realize there’s not a lot you can do, but I’m more intense leading up to, because I want to get all the hay in the barn. When the hay’s in the barn, there’s not a lot I can do. Let the players go play. Show confidence in the players.”

One player who might feel a little more at home this time around is quarterback Jake Fromm.

“I know what is going on,” said Fromm, who is 23-3 as a starter at Georgia and has thrown for 2,615 yards and 24 touchdowns this season. “I know the trip to Atlanta and what the environment is going to be like. Playing in big games is fun and what you dream of. I am ready to go out and go get it.”

Special teams? In the area of special teams, Alabama has utilized two punters, Mike Bernier (who took over the punting duties in late October) and Skyler DeLong, to mixed success. The Crim- son Tide ranks 14th in the SEC in punting, averaging 35.78 yards per kick. Geor- gia checks in at No. 13, aver- aging 42.31 yards per punt.

The good news for Alabama is the team hasn’t had to punt much (33 times), but Smart was questioned about possible special-teams chinks in the Crimson Tide’s armor.

“I’ve been around Nick (Saban) long enough to know he does a good job on special teams,” Smart said. “I don’t look at it as a weakness because your kickoff returner and your punt returner are two of the best in the whole country. Have they struggled some with some kicks? Yeah, sure. But that hasn’t been something new for them; they’ve dealt with that before. They’ve overcome it with a really strong special teams.”

Alabama has given up six punt returns in 33 attempts, resulting in 3 yards of returns and a No. 2 ranki n g in punt-return defense.

Freshman Joseph Bulovas, Alabama’s primary kicker, has made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts, with a long kick of 49 yards. Alabama is ranked seventh in the SEC at 72.2 percent (13 of 18). Georgia is tied for fourth in the league with Arkansas, having made 19 of 22 field-goal attempts (86.4 percent) with a long kick of 53 yards.

Although Rodrigo Blanken- ship has recorded 74 touchbacks out of 88 kickoffs (84 percent) this season, Geor- gia’s kickoff team allowed Juanyeh Thomas to return a kickoff 100 yards for the Yellow Jackets’ only touch- down in the first half.

Say uncle: Tight end Char- lie Woerner suffered a broken leg in last season’s Rose Bowl and was unable to suit up when Georgia squared off with Alabama in the national championship game. He acknowledged Wednesday that he did not enjoy the lead up to the game or the game because of his injury.

“I hated seeing everything happen and knowing I couldn’t help,” said Woerner, who has played in all 12 games this season and has seven receptions for 109 yards. “That helpless feeling is horrible. You can’t do anything to help out but cheer them on the sidelines, and that’s not the same. When you’re a competitor, you want to be out there.”

Woerner’s uncle is Scott Woerner, an All-American safety at Georgia whose late interception against Notre Dame sealed the deal for the Bulldogs’ last national championship (1980 season) and who in 2016 was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.