Georgia head coach Kirby Smart faced criticism Saturday after the TV broadcast showed him seeming to shove Mississippi State quarterback Michael Van Buren on the sideline during the fourth quarter of a 41-31 win. Following a six-yard scramble out of bounds by Van Buren, Smart sprinted down the sideline in an attempt to grab the attention of defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann but inadvertently collided with the Mississippi State quarterback. Smart said
“No, I think I was going after Schumann,” Smart said, via Dawgs247. “I was trying to get Schumann’s attention. We were trying to change personnel. I think it’s the play they came over to our sideline. And I’m trying to get Schumann’s attention. But, no, I don’t really remember it.”
No penalty was called on the play as an official quickly stepped in to prevent any escalation from the accidental incident.
Two things you might have missed yesterday…
1. Kirby Smart shoved the Mississippi State QB ?
2. Toledo held Mississippi State’s offense to fewer points than Georgia’s did. pic.twitter.com/HOWYYwpjuG
— Danny Kanell (@dannykanell) October 13, 2024
“I’m not sure what that was,” Van Buren said postgame. “I was just trying to play my game. I didn’t really see it.”
Mississippi State scored a touchdown on the drive to make it a 10-point game. Georgia never fully separated in the win as Mississippi State continued to try and claw its way back after getting down 34-10 early in the second half.
Van Buren completed 20 of 37 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns with one interception in his second-career start. The Mississippi State true freshman took over the reins of the offense last week in a loss to Texas with veteran transfer Blake Shapen out for the remainder of the season with a shoulder injury. Van Buren rated as a high three-star prospect coming out of the 2024 recruiting class.
Georgia turns its focus to a top-five showdown with Texas in Week 8. The Bulldogs hit the road to face the top-ranked Longhorns in a battle with SEC Championship Game implications. Smart said there is not a whole lot Georgia can take away from its questionable performance against Mississippi State heading into its matchup next Saturday.
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“Lessons? I don’t know that much of it carries over to Texas,” Smart said. “You know, defensively, you can’t give people things. I mean, we literally gave 14 points. I’m not talking about the fourth-and-2 that we don’t cover the guy in the flat. I’m saying they earned that. But we gave 14 points. We gave up two back-to-back wheel routes in the first half, and then we gifted them one on three third-down conversions in the second half. So, you take 14 points off the board, you feel a little better, and there’s still things that they did to frustrate us, and they did a nice job.”
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