‘That tells the tale of the game,’ Kirby Smart reacts to Georgia’s defense struggles in ugly loss to Alabama
Big YiKES.
Georgia Bulldogs fans did their part, but Kirby Smart’s players couldn’t pull through.
The Bulldogs are 3-1 after losing to the Alabama Crimson Tide, 24-21, in front of a rocking Sanford Stadium on Saturday night. The loss marked the first time since 2019 that the Bulldogs have lost on their home turf. It’s also the first time Georgia’s defense has ever given up 13 of 19 third downs to opponents under Smart.
“That was an incredible atmosphere,” Smart told reporters following the game. “I mean, just absolutely one of the best I’ve been a part of in terms of crowd noise into its atmosphere. It was awesome for college football and also for all players. So they did their part for sure, a lot of credit. Alabama out-executed us tonight when it was clear, especially on the offensive side of the ball. I’ve coached a lot of years, and we’ve never been 13 of 19 on third down, and that tells the tale of the game
Georgia’s defense gave up a total of 397 yards to the Tide, who dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 35 minutes and 36 seconds, while the Dawgs had the ball for 24 minutes and 24 seconds.
“We controlled the line of scrimmage and held the rundown for them, which was the goal, and then, you know, [We’ve] got to win on third down, and we did not play well on third down, and it showed pretty much all night,” Smart said. “So I hated that they controlled the tempo of the game outside of maybe the third quarter, and they controlled the time of possession.”
Georgia’s Offense is to Blame, Too
Georgia’s defense wasn’t poor for the entire game, in fact, they showed flashes of greatness in the second half, holding Alabama scoreless. Unfortunately, quarterback Gunner Stockton and the offense couldn’t capitalize, struggling to generate any momentum in response.
“I am very proud of our guys and the way they fought,” Smart said. “You know, there were some guys really upset at halftime, especially defensively. They wanted to come out and play better, and we got to do a better job as coaches to help those players start better, because we’re spotting people too much and not executing at a high level. Sometimes it’s execution. Sometimes it’s, ‘Hey, they got a good call, they had a good play call, and they executed.’ But if I didn’t think we could cover them, or didn’t think we could stop them, it’d be disappointing, but to do it in the second half is certainly frustrating for us.”
The Bulldogs have much more to sort out than just their third-down issues before they begin preparations for Week 6 against Kentucky.
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