Kirby Smart shares strong thoughts on Ty Simpson and Alabama offense, but Georgia Bulldogs should have answers
Kirby smart and the defense has to find their answer against Alabama QB Ty Simpson
The Georgia vs Alabama rivalry has been Kirby Smart’s toughest to overcome since stepping in as the head coach of the Bulldogs in 2016. Since that time he has a 1-6 record versus the Crimson Tide. He’s 107-13 against everyone else. Smart knows better than to ever write off an Alabama team–even if they did look quite imperfect in their opening loss to Florida State this season.
Since that loss, Alabama’s offense has bounced back in a huge way, and Kirby Smart has taken notice. This week–on multiple occasions now–coach Smart has gone out of his way to share some extremely positive words on Alabama and their new quarterback Ty Simpson, but Georgia fans should still rest easy knowing the Bulldogs should have the right answers to take down the Crimson Tide this time.
Kirby Smart complimentary of Alabama offense, but Georgia can stop them
Kirby Smart had already been quoted as saying that Ty Simpson is “probably the hottest quarterback right now in all of college football” to kick off the week. Then when asked about Alabama’s offense again on Wednesday in a meeting with SEC media he made sure to talk up the Tide’s quarterback and Ryan Grubb the offensive coordinator once again:
“They’re very efficient. They’re playing at a high level. I think he’s gotten really comfortable with Ty [Simpson] at quarterback. The timing of throws, the vision and awareness of coverage, the ability to run the ball, and set up shots off of play action. Package plays. They do a good job of setting up plays in terms of what they carry for [any given] game complements the formations. They’re not predictable within what they do and they balance you up with a good bit of tempo. They make you defend the whole field vertically and horizontally. They do a good job.”
That may sound like typical “week of the game” fluff, but Kirby Smart highlighted the exact areas of strength where Ty Simpson and the offense has begun to succeed, getting in rhythm, and dominating over the last couple games. Simpson has become a field general when he gets in rhythm, finding every open window on the football field. However, the Bulldogs might have just the right way to slow him down.
One of the other questions Kirby Smart was presented with in his meeting with SEC media was on the slight changes to the pre-snap movement and communication along a defensive front. The question was asked primarily because the Georgia defense is one of the best at “stemming”–last minute shifts before the offense snaps the ball–that can throw off blocking patterns, and allow for quick pressure to the quarterback.
Most Georgia fans will remember vividly how Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker both benefitted from this tactic often in 2024. Coach Smart made sure to emphasize that the differences in how “stemming” and similar defensive tactics are officiated have been minimal thus far in 2025, highlighting that several teams still use late shifts to win at the line.
That is exactly how Georgia needs to (and likely already plans to) confuse a still quite inexperienced quarterback in Ty Simpson if they hope to win in decisive fashion against Alabama on Saturday. That pass rush and defensive pre-snap movement helped destroy Texas pass protection last year (among several other teams). It can work again now. The Bulldogs didn’t employ the tactic enough against Tennessee, which led to less than ideal havoc created in front of Vols’ quarterback Joey Aguilar. As they face perhaps an even better offense and quarterback this week, expect the Bulldogs to come out swinging with more complex defensive schematics to get the job done.
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