Kirby Smart reacts to Georgia's national championship blowout win over TCU
Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs absolutely destroyed TCU in Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game 65-7.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett finished an impressive 18-of-25 for 304 yards, 4 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns. Ladd McConkey added 2 touchdown receptions, and Brock Bowers caught a team-high 7 passes for 152 yards and 1 touchdown.
Georgia’s defense suffocated TCU and quarterback Max Duggan. The Bulldogs defense forced 3 turnovers, held TCU to 2-11 on third downs and 0-2 on fourth downs.
Following back-to-back national championships, Smart smoke with ESPN on the field.
On Georgia’s dominance …
“A really aggressive plan. Not holding back anything. We wanted our kids to play without fear, and all year, I told them, ‘We ain’t getting hunted, guys. We’re doing the hunting. And hunting season is almost over. We only got one more chance to hunt.’ And we hunted tonight.”
On Georgia’s back-to-back national championships …
“They had a will to work. They didn’t listen to what everybody said about them. And everybody doubted them to start the year, and that chip on the shoulder was just big enough to create an edge for our team. Every time they got doubted, they came out fighting.”
On Stetson Bennett’s career …
“Well, he’s meant a lot to me personally because of what he’s gone through and what he’s put up with from the outside noise. But for this university for a kid who was told he wasn’t good enough to come back and win two national championships — and he’s really phenomenal. He did some things tonight that were just really electric. He’s one of a kind. He’s a special football player, and he should get many opportunities to keep playing.”
On Georgia becoming dominant …
“It’s hard work. We don’t run from work. Our kids don’t run from work. We go out there on Tuesday and Wednesday — we hit the other day. The kids were like, ‘Coach, we gotta keep doing this. It’s who we are.’ As long as you don’t have entitlement in your program, we got a shot. Right now, we don’t have that. Games like tonight make it that way, but we got a lot of humble guys.”
Simply….go Dawgs!
How bout them Dawgs?!?!!
GO DAWGS!!!
Watching this game was like watching the 98 NY Yankees take on a tee ball team of 5 year olds. No offense to TCU, but this was just otherworldly of a beat down.
After last week’s games, I was hoping for a more competitive game. After all, UM crushed OSU and OSU was a kick away from beating UGA. TCU beat UM, so there is evidence they deserved to be in the CFP. Maybe they all didn’t sleep at a Holiday Inn Express or something, but TCU definitely no showed last night. I found myself watching Maine Cabin Masters to see something with some entertainment value!
UGA was fired up.
Sometimes the stage is just too big for a team. This was not the same team that we have seen from TCU all season. Yes, UGA had a lot to do with it, but it appears that TCU simply could not handle the pressure and UGA handled it very well.
Kirby took the Bama blueprint, tweaked it a bit for his personality, cast that work ethic on the players and look at the reward.
Not saying he’s greater than Saban, but even Bama homers have to say he is headed that direction.
The question is what other coach in the SEC can replicate the climate and culture or even improve it to do this as well? Here’s a hint…. it ain’t Jimbo!
Wouldn’t be surprised if Jimbo Fisher gets fired next year with the direction he’s in.
With Jumbo and Petrino on the same sideline something otherwordly is likely to happen at some point next season. Like in a “get my popcorn and turn off the phone” kind of way.
Or they both end up drunk on a street somewhere surrounded by lots of $1s and a wrecked motorcycle.
“Kirby took the Bama blueprint”
Yes, and no. Saban has had to coach through years of coordinators leaving, and still managed to win championships. Kirby will eventually have to deal with that if say Moonkin leaves. UGA will continue to compete for championships no doubt. No coach can cruise to title after title. Even Saban has lost a few.
I’m sure Kirby is looking several chess moves ahead on losing coordinators. He lost his defensive coordinator last year. That’s part of life.
Terrific game with terrific play calling. I was very happy to see Brock Bowers and McConkey get involved early. I thought that was missing vs OSU. TCU was not as bad as last night looked. When an inferior team with inferior athletes starts falling way behind, turnovers and mistakes almost always follow. Still glad they beat Michigan. Go Dawgs!
TCU had seen size against Michigan, but not the combination of size and speed that Georgia brought. TCU didn’t have the strength in the trenches that Ohio State had.
Kirby should be very thankful for a cupcake season, a shanked kick, and a cupcake championship game. UGA gets up for those cupcakes.
And yet, you couldn’t make it through a cupcake season without two losses to teams the Dawgs pounded!
Still butthurt about not making the playoff I see.
He said everyone doubted us. Bwaaaaaa..Smith said everyone picked us 7-5. Lol..What are these smoking? Omg
I think it was about how most predicted a step back because of all the players lost from last years team.