Kirby Smart regrets what he said about safety Jake Pope.
On Monday, Smart said Pope was “an idiot” for celebrating with old high school friends who had rushed to the field after Ole Miss’ win over Georgia on Saturday. Video showed Pope jumping around with some Ole Miss students after the game, a move Smart also called “just stupid.”
Pope apologized a statement on social media on Monday, and Smart had also said the backup safety had apologized to the team. On Tuesday it was Smart’s turn to apologize. He said he shouldn’t have called Pope an idiot.
“I don’t like to talk about the internal things that happen in there; he talked to the team and did a great job,” Smart said of Pope on Tuesday. “I will say I shouldn’t have called the boy an idiot. That was a mistake on my part. I appreciate Jake. He’s a great kid, he works very hard, he’s a team player. I think he knows it was an emotional mistake and he told the team that. I appreciate the way he handled it.”
The loss dropped Georgia to 12th in Tuesday night’s College Football Playoff rankings. The Bulldogs are one spot behind the Rebels and are the first team out of the twelve-team playoff field with three weeks left in the regular season. However, Georgia has a good chance to be back in the field after Week 12. The Bulldogs host No. 7 Tennessee on Saturday night. With a win, Georgia jumps back into the top 10.
Tennessee could also be without star QB Nico Iamaleava for the game. Iamaleava reportedly suffered a concussion after missing the second half of the Vols’ win over Mississippi State in Week 11.
