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Kirby Smart wants Georgia to be near full strength against Michigan.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said that he expects the team to be full strength for the Orange Bowl and that he talked about the team's approach with rising COVID-19 cases. There is a time and a place for it.
11:50 AM
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said his team was dealing with some issues a couple of weeks ago, but he expects them to be ready for the Capital One Orange Bowl against Michigan.
During a news conference with reporters on Wednesday, Smart wouldn't say which players were dealing with COVID-19 issues.
Smart said that the national news is the lead-in story across the country. It's had an impact on other games, whether that be the NBA, NFL, the bowl games that it's impacted, or something in between.
Some players received booster shots while others didn't, according to Smart. Smart said that the SEC championship game increased their precautions when the cases of COVID-19 began to increase in the U.S.
"We increased a lot of things around our building and our awareness of our players and understanding what's going on," Smart said. They've followed the policies we've asked them to and been able to steer clear. We lost a few guys, but we got most of them back. Being at full strength when you have to is the biggest thing.
Walker said the team is trying to stay safe in South Florida by wearing masks indoors and avoiding crowds. Both teams have eaten at the beach. In-person interview sessions and a media day were canceled.
The players have been able to do outings. It is very safe for them to do that. The worst thing you could do is have these kids come to a hotel and stay there for four days and not do anything. They've made it safe for our players to function, and as a matter of fact, being outside probably helps them more than anything else as long as they're in a safe environment and not around crowds of people they don't know.
Smart said on Tuesday that the starting quarterback will be a former walk-on named Stetson Bennett. The app is available on the Disney and ESPN websites. Bennett has started every game since he replaced Daniels in a 62-point victory at Commodores.
"Stetson is our starting quarterback," Smart said. Is the situation right in the game and is he healthy enough?
Daniels, a onetime transfer from USC, has attempted only 23 passes in two games since he injured a lat muscle.
Smart said that he thinks that Stetson has played at a high level and done a good job with the offense. He has played well, even though he hasn't played perfect. It's a decision that we make as a coaching staff, and for whatever reason there's fans that may not agree with it.
"Our team understands that we're going to give our team the best chance to win, and we feel like Stetson does that." That's not to make fun of him. The media want to ask us as coaches questions, and I want to answer them as honestly as possible. Every time you ask a question, you drive the comparison home. At the end of the day, they're both good at what they do and they're different quarterbacks.
