HOOVER, Ala. — Kirby Smart was not in the building -- he wasn't even in the state yet -- but the new Georgia football coach drew a couple of mentions from rival coaches on Monday in the opening exchanges of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
Both Florida coach Jim McElwain and Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who have plenty of experience coaching both with and against Smart, were asked about the new man in Athens.
McElwain, who was on Nick Saban's staff with Smart at Alabama, spoke plenty to make Bulldogs fans smile.
"I'm so excited for Kirby. He's one heck of a ball coach. He's a great guy. He's going to do it the right way. It's a place obviously near and dear to him, being a native there, obviously playing there, all of the things that go into it. And long and well deserved," McElwain said. "He'll do a great job. That is a great job. I think everybody that's ever kind of talked, you know, has always thought that University of Georgia job was outstanding. And, you know what, he's put his time in and deserves it."
Malzahn, meanwhile, will be hoping the Smart-led Bulldogs will be less successful than former Georgia coach Mark Richt, who was 2-1 against Auburn under Malzahn.
"First of all, Mark Richt is one of the better coaches in all of college football, I think. And he's one of the true professionals in all of college football. I think he's a great example for young guys getting into that profession of what – how you're supposed to act, how you're supposed to, you know, go about your business. So, I'll say that first. And it was an honor for me to coach against Coach Richt," Malzahn said.
"Kirby Smart, like you said, we have a lot of history. I have a lot of respect for him as a football coach. We've had some pretty good battles. We know each other pretty well. And that's always been a pretty good rivalry and continues to be a good rivalry."
AUBURN LOOKING TO REV UP OFFENSE: Malzahn briefly discussed the three-way battle for the starting quarterback position at Auburn -- a race that includes junior John Franklin III, redshirt sophomore Sean White and senior Jeremy Johnson.
"The positive is we have three guys that we feel like can execute our offense. The challenge we have is defining and figuring out who that guy is that gives us the best chance to win games," Malzahn said. "The good thing is we do have experience in this before. Three years ago we had a wide-open job. That's when Nick Marshall won the job and we ended up having a pretty good year with that."
Malzahn will hope that whoever takes the reins can get the Tigers back to winning close games, which he noted -- several times -- is a must in the SEC and was a big part of the magic of that Marshall-led team of 2013, which went 5-1 in one-possession games.
The Tigers are just 6-6 in games decided by eight points or less in the two seasons since.
"There's going to be a lot of close games in this conference. And I think that's what really separates this conference or one of the things that separates this conference from others. You got to bring your lunch every week," Malzahn said. "You know, when I look at last year, really the thing that stands out to me is we lost close games. The two previous years, we were one of the best in the country at winning close games. And we had opportunities. And usually it comes down in this league to two or three plays in these close games, and you got to find a way to make them and you got to have your guys prepared and you got to be able to execute."
Malzahn also noted that he wants his offense to play faster.
"Offensively, one thing we have focused on in the spring and will in fall camp, getting back to playing with pace," Malzahn said. "That's the edge of ours in the past, and that's got to be the same this coming year."
FLORIDA MORE COMFORTABLE AT QB: The Gators' offensive struggles were offset by an outstanding defense last season. But the offensive-minded McElwain seemed pleased with how things are progressing for his offense this preseason, especially at quarterback.
"I think the key there is having that right mix. Obviously in Austin Appleby, someone who played in big games, he's played in big stadiums, having started in the Big Ten. That's something that's invaluable. You know, in Luke's (Luke Del Rio) case, familiarity he had kind of with what we do offensively," McElwain said.
"The key is to see that competition, and what those guys do to give of themselves, to help those two younger guys in Kyle Trask and Feleipe Franks, how they help them develop. That's what has been kind of fun, is to see some veterans who know how to study a game plan, know how to study install. Kind of from that standpoint help those younger guys come along. Here's the good thing. We've really got good arm talent. I'm excited about being able to stretch the field vertically. (It) should be a lot of fun."
VANDY COACH SAYS LINEBACKER TOUGHEST POSITION IN SEC: Apart from an overall impressive presence at the podium, Commodores coach Derek Mason also had an interesting take when asked which was the most difficult position to play in the SEC:
"Nowadays, I believe it's linebacker, just because what's happening -- the run-pass conflict. I believe those guys are constantly under stress and duress, because of what you're seeing. The sleight of hand with quarterbacks, the deception of formation adjustments and how things change, bumping gaps, being able to communicate what happens with empty sets.
"There's a lot of stimuli, you know, going on, and those guys have to deal with a lot of ground. I'm not saying that because I'm a defensive guy. I coached 14 years on the offensive side of the ball. I think I understand what it looks like. Defense is about reacting, anticipating and reacting. And now with these (run-pass-option) teams and how teams are attacking you off the line of scrimmage, guys coming back across the formation, there's a lot of things that draw your attention. You have to focus, anticipate, react well, and that job is made increasingly tough and increasingly hard by the tempo of the game."
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