Kirby Smart reveals major benefit from loss to Bama as Georgia gets ready to face Kentucky

The Georgia Bulldogs are 3-1 after losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 24-21, last Saturday. For players, coaches, and fans alike, it was a heartbreaking loss that ended Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak. But now, it comes down to how the Bulldogs respond, according to head coach Kirby Smart. “Hurting is hurting; it doesn’t matter […]

Kelsey Kramer College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Georgia Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart takes the field before the start of a NCAA college football game against Alabama in Athens, Ga., on Saturday, September 27, 2025.
Joshua L. Jones-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Georgia Bulldogs are 3-1 after losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 24-21, last Saturday. For players, coaches, and fans alike, it was a heartbreaking loss that ended Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak.

But now, it comes down to how the Bulldogs respond, according to head coach Kirby Smart.

“Hurting is hurting; it doesn’t matter what age you are, Smart said. “The more invested you are, the more you hurt. My question is, what are you going to double down on? It’s a different day and age of college football. It’s completely different out there. We’ve accepted it as coaches. We have to do a good job of getting the players to respond to it. What do you double down on? I know more about my team right now than I did a week ago. I can guarantee you that. That’s what fires me up. I’ve got a lot of optimism after that game, because I learned a hell of a lot more about my team than I had the previous weeks.”

Kirby Smart is Glad His Team Felt Pain

The Bulldogs will look to bounce back against the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday afternoon.

According to Smart, he believes the loss to Bama will only benefit his team moving forward by lighting a fire inside .

“It’s called Kentucky, right? Like, we got to go play a really good football team, so I’m not concerned about it. I’m glad that they were affected and hurt,” Smart said. “There are a lot of college football teams right now that have teams that the kids don’t care. Like, when people hurt, you usually get a better response, right? You get a better mechanism of, like, buy-in or, like, doubling down on something, of, like, knowing who I am and knowing what I’ve got to work on. So, that part excites me to get to work today.”

Fans can watch how Georgia responds against Kentucky on ABC at noon ET.