The Southeastern Conference continued its 2023 Media Days in Nashville on Tuesday. Four teams were present in the Grand Hyatt to field questions from media: Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

With Mississippi State coach Zach Arnett’s availability concluded, we’ve officially hit the halfway point of the 14-team showcase. Here’s what to know from day two:

Blow the whistle

Before the third season in his current role, SEC head of officiating John McDaid briefly covered the wide-ranging changes college football fans can expect this fall. For starters, the game clock will stay running on first downs that occur in the first- and third-quarters. There will be no untimed downs either unless it’s at the end of a half. Teams are now prevented from calling multiple timeouts during a dead ball, too. Most of the rules are aimed at pace-of-play, with McDaid noting the “concern” is games that take nearly four hours and contain 200+ plays.

McDaid’s other clarifications impact the rushing into the kicker and roughing the kicker penalties. Citing the controversial call in last season’s Kentucky-Missouri game as the “impetus” for a change, McDaid explained how a flag will not be thrown if a kicker is displaced 5 yards from their placement at the snap.

Georgia asked about 3-peat, but Bulldogs know ‘Better Never Rests’

Complacency was the topic of the day for the two-time defending national champions. Speaking in the main hall, head coach Kirby Smart and players repeated a mantra adopted by the New Zealand All Blacks: “Better never rests.” The All Blacks are one of the winningest franchises in sports history, Smart said, and the Bulldogs want to follow their mindset as they try to become the first team in the Associated Press era to capture three straight titles.

The were plenty of questions comparing Georgia to Alabama, Smart’s former employer and the last program to win back-to-back championships. For the most part, Smart highlighted the Bulldogs’ success instead of saying what they’ve done better than the Tide like retaining each member of the 2022 coaching staff. Smart didn’t discuss the impending quarterback competition between Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff or Gunnar Stockton.

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Vanderbilt, Clark Lea playing ‘long game’

One of two teams to have home-state advantage this week, Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea took the stage a day after news broke of his three-year contract extension. Lea expressed excitement for the hundreds of millions of dollars the Commodores are pumping into their football facility, joking he didn’t mind the sound of a jackhammer outside his office. Lea also commended the hire of general manager Barton Simmons who has reimagined Vandy’s recruiting efforts with “precise” targeting of prospects.

Hugh Freeze is patient but excited for his first year with Auburn

After a five-year hiatus from the SEC, Freeze returned to the conference and spoke about the expectations he has for the Tigers in year one. Like Smart, Freeze didn’t paint a clear picture of the team’s starting quarterback battle but stated he liked what he’s seen from Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. Freeze said offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery will handle the playcalling duties for this season with Freeze himself admitting he’s probably not one of the best playcallers in the country anymore.

Zach Arnett honors Mike Leach in first media day as Mississippi State head coach

Before Arnett broke down the roster, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey joked that Arnett is the lone SEC coach with a 1-0 record, alluding to the Bulldogs’ win in the ReliaQuest Bowl over Illinois. When Arnett reached the podium, he paid homage to his predecessor Mike Leach and his viral seven-word opening statement a year ago.

Despite Vanderbilt quarterback Mike Wright transferring to Starkville, Arnett made “no mistake about it” in naming incumbent Will Rogers as his starter.

“(Rogers’) resume speaks for itself,” Arnett said, “but Mike, there’s a lot of things Mike can do and wrinkles that we can add in the game plan.”

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].