Florida offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner arrives at Saturday’s game with plenty of familiarity on the Georgia side, and Kirby Smart isn’t pretending otherwise.
Faulkner spent the past three seasons as Georgia Tech’s offensive coordinator and earned a reputation for getting more out of the Yellow Jackets than plenty expected. That run was enough to land him the same job at Florida under Jon Sumrall, which only sharpens the familiar overlap with Georgia.
Smart was open about the respect he has for Faulkner, even with the rivalry wrinkle in place.
“Lot of respect for Buster obviously, was on our staff,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “Just think he’s one of the best offensive minds in the country.
It’s really hard to defend, but I’m so happy for his success and how well he’s done. Close friend and a lot of respect.”
The Georgia connection goes back well before Faulkner’s time with the Yellow Jackets. He joined Georgia as an offensive analyst in 2020, and his work with Stetson Bennett stood out during his time in Athens. While Todd Monken may have overlooked Bennett, Faulkner played a big part in helping Bennett become a Heisman Trophy finalist and two-time national champion.
By the time Monken left after the 2022 season for the Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator job, Faulkner was already on his way out, too. He had taken the Georgia Tech position, and Smart responded by hiring Mike Bobo to run the Georgia offense.
Faulkner also made clear this week that his path forward traces back to Smart. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, he praised the coach he has known for 25 years.
“I mean, relentless in everything that he does,” Faulkner said of Smart while speaking to reporters on Tuesday. “One of the most competitive human beings that I’ve ever been around.
That, you know, and that hasn’t changed since I met him 25 years ago. So that’s still there, just a little older and grayer.”
Their relationship stretches all the way back to Valdosta State in the early 2000s, when Faulkner was the quarterback and Smart was on the defensive staff as the defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator.
Before he got to Georgia, Faulkner had already built a resume as an offensive coordinator at Arkansas State and Southern Miss.
His three years in Athens were followed by a rise that made him one of the sport’s more respected play callers. Even with Georgia’s talent advantage, Georgia Tech pushed the Bulldogs in each of Faulkner’s three meetings against them, and all three games were one-score contests. In the 2024 matchup, the Yellow Jackets scored 42 points and rolled up 563 yards while Haynes King gave Georgia plenty of problems.
“That one will always stick with you, you know, but on to a new team, new journey, new opportunity, new challenge, you know, so, you know, can’t live in the past, right,” Faulkner said on the eight overtime loss. “That was a great, great football game play between two great teams that night. No, didn’t come out on top, but you got to move on.”
Across those three games against Georgia, Faulkner’s offense has only been held to two three-and-outs.
Still, the most recent meeting did not go his way. Georgia kept Georgia Tech out of the end zone in the 2025 game, a 16-9 Bulldogs win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the same building that will host Saturday’s game.
Even with his success since leaving Athens, Faulkner is still chasing his first win against the man who coached him on defense in college.
“He’s been a part of winning,” Smart said. “He knows what winning looks like. There’s no surprise at this point, after being around him for three years, at, you know, what he’s done.”
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