Kirby Smart said in his press conference Monday that he and his coaching staff would make sure that the Georgia players don’t overlook Murray State this upcoming Saturday. It was a sentiment sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Davis echoed in his interview after the press conference
“It’s something that we definitely keep in our minds is not to slip,” said Jordan Davis. “In college football you have to be on your game every week, and if you get caught slippin’ then it can be detrimental. I think Coach Smart is going to preach about playing to a high standard no matter who the opponent is. It could be Murray State or anybody in the SEC.”
In his mind, Davis thought that the team played really well on Saturday night against Vanderbilt, but stated that things are only going to get better throughout the season. Davis also said that even though this past Saturday night felt like a home game, he is ready to be back between the hedges in Athens.
“I can’t wait, and it leaves me starstruck every time. The fans did a great job traveling, but there’s nothing like being back at home,” said Davis. “I love the fourth quarter. I also like how us players feed off the energy from the crowd.”
Davis had two tackles against Vanderbilt but showed potential for how great of an impact he could be on Georgia’s defense this year. He said that one player that he thought had an even bigger impact than him was redshirt freshman Azeez Ojulari.
“Azeez is a really great player and has really developed since last season. We practice hard, and we are always beside each other,” said Davis. “If my game is slacking he picks me up, and vice versa. And our defense is a whole is a very complementary defense. We always are picking each other up.”
Davis then said when the team all plays together everyone improves. He said he hit his potential because everyone else on the team helped him reach his goals. Davis doesn’t think that his full potential has been reached yet, and will strive to better himself for the greater good of the program.
“I couldn’t have done it without guys like Mike B (Michael Barnett), and last year we all know I didn’t travel the first two games. Michael Barnett and Julian Rochester helped me out big time,” said Davis. “I felt really comfortable Saturday night going into to game knowing that I had playing time last year.”
Going into practice Monday, Davis said he is excited to see what the team can do better. Davis said that Kirby generally makes practice harder than a game, and come game days the whole team is well prepared. He also added that during week one there are always jitters, but those jitters will get worked out in a short amount of time.