Kirby Smart says he didn’t realize he pushed Mississippi State QB on sideline late in Georgia’s win

Kirby Smart said after No. 5 Georgia’s win over Mississippi State that he was unaware that he shoved Mississippi State QB Michael Van Buren late in the fourth quarter.

Clips of Smart pushing Van Buren circulated on social media late in Georgia’s 41-31. Van Buren ended on the Georgia sideline after a play on MSU’s last drive of the game and Smart made contact with him as he said he was trying to get defensive coordinator Glenn Schuman’s attention.

“No. I think the play I was going after Schu, I was trying to get Schu’s attention,” Smart said in his postgame news conference. “We were trying to change personnel … trying to get Schu’s attention. But no, didn’t remember it.”

It’s hard to see any malicious intent in the clip. Smart wasn’t looking at Van Buren as he was clearly fixated on Schumann. It could easily be an instance where a Georgia player or staffer would have been on the receiving end of that shove if they were where Van Buren was.

Smart wasn’t thrilled with his team’s defensive penalties at times on Saturday, however. Georgia only committed five penalties but Smart found them to be significant as he said Georgia committed some “dumb, dumb, dumb penalties.”

“We gifted them basically 14 points on two error plays and we gifted them three first downs, I think they were all third-and-longs which I’ve never been a part of that, ever since I’ve been at Georgia.”

Carson Beck was 36-of-48 passing for 459 yards and three TDs, though he threw two interceptions. Georgia had over 600 yards of offense against Mississippi State ahead of its massive Week 8 trip to No. 1 Texas.