What Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about Tennessee State

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What Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about Tennessee State

What Georgia coach Kirby Smart said about Tennessee State

James Morgan, UGA Wire · UGA Wire

Wed, Sep 2, 2026 ·

3 min read

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The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs begin their 2026 college football season against the Tennessee State Tigers in Week 1. Georgia is not the first opponent of the season for Tennessee State.

The Tigers lost 26-24 in Week 0 in a heartbreaker to Jackson State . Tennessee State muffed a snap on a late fourth quarter field goal attempt to take the lead.

"They (Tennessee State) play a really tight, exciting ball game," Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. "They had a tough loss on Saturday night, but played really well against Jackson State, so we'll begin to prepare for these guys today."

Tennessee State is a Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent and has never played against Georgia. Tennessee State is coming off a rough 2-10 season, but is optimistic this season despite a close loss in Week 0.

Georgia is massive favorites against Tennessee State and will look to play a ton of players on Saturday.

What Smart said on Tennessee State's offense

"Their quarterback (Daylin Lee) does a great job," Smart said. "He's very smooth, hard to tackle and gets out of trouble. He's a great, efficient passer.

"I thought he played with a lot of moxie and confidence the other night. You can just see that he understands what they're trying to do offensively and executes well. Excited to see. He's a transfer guy that has played well, and he gets an opportunity to come out and play against us."

Lee passed for 265 yards and threw a touchdown in Week 0. He did not throw any interceptions and added 13 carries for 40 yards and a rushing touchdown.

What Smart said about the Tennessee State defense

"They're a group that knows how to play blocks and strike blocks," Smart said. "They gave up a couple of explosives early in the game and went back and forth for a couple of quarters with those guys (Jackson State).

"They do a tremendous job. I know some of the defensive guys, some of their staff. They're going to play hard and physical. This is an opportunity for their kids to play even on a bigger stage. They just got to play at Vanderbilt's Stadium. They got to play on TV at night, and they are going to have an opportunity to come in here and play at our place."

Tennessee State will try to play its best in front of a big Sanford Stadium crowd on what is expected to be a hot Saturday afternoon in Athens. The Tigers allowed over 400 total yards including 180 rushing yards in Week 0. Tennessee State did not force any turnovers and allowed Jackson State to convert six of 13 third downs.