NEW ORLEANS (WALB) — Georgia football continued Sugar Bowl preparations Tuesday, Dec. 30 as coach Kirby Smart and players met with media ahead of their College Football Playoff quarterfinal rematch against Ole Miss.

Smart said the team’s playoff mindset developed throughout the season rather than at a specific moment.

“I don’t know that there was never a point where I said, ‘Okay, this is a playoff team.’ It was a team that was in the playoffs during the year, because every game, every road game and every home game we play in our conference, is one game away from being out of it, and you don’t control a lot of the outside wins and losses of other teams, so all you control is how you practice and how you prepare,” Smart said. “I was really proud of the improvement this team made at last year’s Sugar Bowl.”

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Georgia lost to Notre Dame 23-10 in last year’s Sugar Bowl, ending their season.

Defensive back Daylen Everette said the loss left a lasting impact on the team.

“Yeah, that was, that was probably the worst feeling. Just you know, going off because, like, you know, playoff series, you know, it’s winter. Go home, you know. We lost that game and we couldn’t— Season was over. It was just, it was a real bad feeling,” Everette said.

Quarterback Gunner Stockton said returning to New Orleans brought back memories but feels different this time.

“Yeah, just when we drove down the street and just seeing that —where we were and everything. It’s definitely brought back some memories, but just being here, it’s— it feels like it’s a whole different game. So I’m excited to go out there and play,” Stockton said.

Georgia faces Ole Miss Thursday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

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