Kirby Smart Praises Mark Stoops Ahead Of Game

Head coach Kirby Smart had some glowing remarks for Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops ahead of their game on Saturday.

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops has the Wildcats at 6-0 for the first time since 1950, and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart is certainly taking notice.

Smart acknowledged the tremendous job that Stoops has done since arriving at Kentucky. Stating that the two have competed against each other both on the field and on the recruiting trail for many years; and said that he is very impressed with where Stoops has the Wildcats.

"When you look at what Coach Stoops has been able to do, it's pretty remarkable. First off, he's a really good football coach. I've known him a long time, recruited against him. It seems like we went head to head on a lot of recruits back when he was the Florida State defensive coordinator and I was at Alabama. He is a tremendous coach, a tremendous builder of men, to see what he's done in the consistency in which they perform at such a high level."

He went on to explain that being a good football coach goes beyond Saturdays. Smart has stated on occasion that to coach a college football program successfully, you have to win at several different levels.

"I say it all the time, but to be a good football coach you've got to have all the phases. The recruiting phase, the organizational phase, the development phase, the three phases - offense, defense, special teams - and they are really incredible at all three."

Kentucky is one of the hardest challenges left on Georgia's regular-season schedule, after cruising to victories in the last five weeks, not to mention two of those five victories coming against top-25 opponents along the way.

The Wildcats are the No. 11 team in college football and maybe the best team Georgia has left on their schedule. In week five, Kentucky took out the Florida Gators, making them the No. 2 team in the SEC East after week six.

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