ATHENS — The last time Georgia hosted Mississippi State, the Georgia Bulldogs came out in black jerseys. Georgia won that day 31-24, which took place back during the 2020 COVID season.

But based on what head coach Kirby Smart said on Tuesday night, don’t expect Georgia to repeat its outfit.

“I don’t think that has one thing to do with the fan base,” Smart said. “I just think that’s hokey pokey. I mean, it’s great for recruiting, and we may do it sometime. I mean, I’m not anti-doing it, but that shouldn’t do anything for your atmosphere.”

Georgia last wore an alternate jersey in the 2021 Peach Bowl win over Cincinnati. Georgia wore an alternate jerseys three times during the 2020 season.

But Georgia hasn’t worn an alternate jersey since then. The Bulldogs do have recruits wear things such as black jerseys and white helmets while on recruiting visits, but since the start of the 2021 season, Georgia has worn its traditional uniforms for home and road games.

“Some of the best places I’ve played, great atmosphere,” Smart said. “They never change their uniform, they’re traditionalist. If it takes changing the uniform to get people fired up, then I’m at the wrong place.”

There have been plenty of discussions around the game day atmosphere at Georgia following comments made by Smart this weekend, where Smart voiced his disappointment with the fan base.

Smart has stood by the comments that he made and stresses that Sanford Staidum is not some lingering issue but rather a recent problem.

“I said earlier last time about, we had coaches play here last year, said it was the greatest atmosphere they had ever been in,” Smart said. “And so for somebody to say that from outside, it’s not like it’s all wrong. It’s really relative to what time the game is and who the game is. But we can’t afford to do that. You know what I mean? We can’t do that.”

Part of Smart’s frustrations likely stems from the lack of juice in a rivalry game like Auburn. This weekend’s game could have a similar vibe as the Bulldogs are a 34-point favorite against Mississippi State.

But with recent upsets in college football and a spirited Tuesday practice that Smart praised as one of the best, he’s not worried about his team playing flat.

“We don’t rely on the motivation of others,” Smart said. “I got a great analogy. Somebody sent me and said, ‘if they’re doing a Netflix documentary on you this week, who would you want to watch it? And would they approve? Would you send it to your parents? Would you send it to an NFL team if they did a Netflix documentary on your performance and your pride, and how you practiced this week?’

“And I was shocked, they must all thought the Netflix documentary was  on them today, because they practiced as good as they have ever done. So just give them a little attention, and they eat it up.”

Georgia’s game against Mississippi State is set for a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff on the SEC Network.

Kirby Smart shoots down any idea of alternate uniforms for motivation

A group of Cherokee County firefighters have just returned from south Georgia where they were helping Hurricane Helene victims.

All of them talked about the incredible damage in south Georgia. They also talked about what a privilege it was to be able to lend a helping hand. 

“The wind was crazy. The amount of structural damage from the trees, roads being washed out, power lines across the roads, it was pretty bad,” said Cherokee County firefighter Johnny Fournier.

Helene swept through south Georgia with a vengeance, leaving a wide path of damage in its wake, and local first responders working around the clock helped those in their community. 

“They served for multiple days, no sleep. So, we came in,” said Battalion Chief Scott Gwinn. 

Nine members of Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services went to Hazelhurst in Jeff Davis County to assist. 

“Provided some more resources for them to allow them to go home and take care of their own people,” said Chief Gwinn. 

They fought fires and responded to medical calls, like usual. But they say it was different doing it in an area they weren’t familiar with.

“To run calls in a county you know nothing about, you don’t know any of the people, and just being able to help strangers was very rewarding,” said Fournier.

In the midst of it all, Firefighter Nick Janflone was able to get to know some of the locals.

“While I was down there, I did get close with a 12-year-old boy who was the son of a firefighter down there. It was impressive to see him working hard and doing everything he could to help,” said Janflone.

Cherokee County’s EMA Director Rebecah Logan also went to south Georgia to help, just north of where the firefighters were stationed. 

She saw the destruction the moment she pulled into town and got to work.

“I was assigned to [Soperton in Treutlen County]. They just needed help. It’s a very small community, small county. I was thinking, ‘What do I need to do to get these people help to survive and live and continue on after this hurricane?’” said Logan. 

“I think everybody came together with a servant’s heart, wanting to serve, wanting to run calls. Everybody did a great job,” said Chief Gwinn. 

Cherokee County Fire Chief Eddie Robinson said it was an honor to stand by our fellow Georgians during their difficult time. 

The Georgia Supreme Court has temporarily reinstated a 6-week abortion ban across the state effective one week after a state court overturned the law, declaring it unconstitutional in a 26-page opinion that compared the state’s abortion ban to the Handmaid’s Tale. The 2019 ban, known as the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, will be reinstated at 5 p.m. on Oct. 7, meaning abortion will once again be inaccessible for the vast majority of Georgia residents until the state supreme court issues a decision. 

More: Judge rules Georgia’s six week abortion ban unconstitutional

When the six-week abortion ban was overturned on Sept. 30, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr immediately appealed the ruling, and filed an emergency motion requesting that the state supreme court reinstate the LIFE Act while the justices considered the case. The court’s ruling today granted that injunction, temporarily preventing the lower court’s ruling from taking effect.  

The renewed battle over Georgia’s abortion law is the latest development in a yearslong court case that was filed shortly after the law took effect in 2022. It comes a few weeks after reporting from ProPublica found that the law forced healthcare providers to delay medical care to pregnant patients, and linked the deaths of at least two women — Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller — to the ban. The story drew national attention, with Vice President Kamala Harris visiting Atlanta to promote reproductive rights across the state. 

More: Kamala Harris addresses abortion bans, reproductive rights at Atlanta rally

SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, the organization that originally filed the lawsuit challenging Georgia’s abortion ban, condemned the Georgia Supreme Court’s decision in a statement released Monday. 

“Today, the Georgia Supreme Court sided with anti-abortion extremists,” Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong said. “Every minute this harmful six-week abortion ban is in place, Georgians suffer. Denying our community members the lifesaving care they deserve jeopardizes their lives, safety, and health—all for the sake of power and control over our bodies.” 

She also highlighted the deaths of Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, who were both women of color in a state where Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. 

“The right to bodily autonomy transcends partisanship; it’s a human right that every Georgian deserves,” Simpson added. “We still believe in a Georgia where we all have the right to decide whether or not to have children and raise those children in safe, sustainable communities.” 

Feminist Women’s Health Center, an Atlanta-based abortion provider that quickly resumed abortion care during the week that the ban was lifted, also condemned the ruling. 

“Once again, we are being forced to turn away those in need of abortion care beyond six weeks of pregnancy and deny them care that we are fully capable of providing to change their lives,” Feminist Women’s Health Center Executive Director Kwajelyn Jackson said in a statement. “This ban has wreaked havoc on Georgians’ lives, and our patients deserve better. The state of Georgia has chosen to subject our community to those devastating harms once again, even in light of the deadly consequences we have already witnessed.” 

The Georgia attorney general’s office did not respond to a request for comment. 

Read the Georgia Supreme Court’s order below:

Maya Homan is a 2024 election fellow at USA TODAY who focuses on Georgia politics. She is @MayaHoman on X, formerly Twitter.