Due to a COVID-19 outbreak at Florida, the Georgia Bulldogs schedule has been altered. Georgia is now set to take on the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 31, the SEC announced. The game will be played at Noon ET and air on the SEC Network.
Originally, the game against Kentucky was set for next weekend, Oct. 24. However, Kentucky will now play Missouri next Saturday. The Tigers were originally set to play Florida on Oct. 24 but the Gators now have an open week for both this week and next week.
NEWS | The SEC is adjusting dates and times of several games on its upcoming football schedule following the postponement of two games this week due to positive tests and quarantine of individuals related to COVID-19.https://t.co/Kt3HpXq16C
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) October 16, 2020
Georgia was originally set to have its off week on Oct. 31, the week before the Florida game. Now both teams will be off next weekend, and both teams will play on Oct. 31. That is when Florida’s rescheduled game against Missouri will take place.
The Gators announced that 18 scholarship players tested positive earlier this week shortly after the suspension of the Florida-LSU game. That contest will now be played on Dec. 12.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart was asked how his team was doing with regards to COVID-19 earlier this week.
“Really no way to tell. The biggest thing is you’re one day away, one test away, one situation away from a possible situation like Florida is in,” Smart said. “We’ve been very fortunate. I think Ron (Courson) and the medical staff has done a great job for us. ”
Smart added that he felt like his team was doing a good job to this point.
“We feel like our players do a good job but I’ll be honest with you when they’re not here at the facility I don’t always know what they’re doing,” Smart said. “The biggest concern we have is post-game, Sunday. Then they’re back in a routine Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
“You’re one exposure, one outbreak away from losing some guys. We’ve been fortunate so far but we don’t have all our test results back this week.”
Georgia’s opponent this weekend is dealing with its own COVID-19 issues, as Alabama coach Nick Saban tested positive on Wednesday. A second test that was conducted on Thursday came back negative on. If Saban’s test results, taken 24 hours apart, on Friday and Saturday come back negative there is still a possibility for him to coach on Saturday.
Alabama has not announced any positive COVID-19 test results for its players and as of the publishing of this article, the Georgia-Alabama game is still on. It is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on CBS on Saturday night.
Georgia posted a video from its Twitter account on Friday evening indicating it got on the plane to head to Tuscaloosa, Ala.
