When Will Kirby Smart and Georgia Earn a 'W' Versus Nick Saban and Alabama?
ATLANTA - Here we go again. What happened? Georgia, up 10-0 over Alabama, was outscored 41-14 over the final 44:12 of the game. What does Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart need to do to beat his mentor, Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban?
He’s now 0-4 against his former boss.
This annihilation of the Bulldogs at the hands of the Crimson Tide is par for the course. It’s unfortunate for anyone that supports, plays for, or coaches Georgia. It’s like a never-ending nightmare.
On Oct. 17, 2020, Alabama beat Georgia by the same 41-24 score. The last two games are a broken record with the Crimson Tide fans cheering and roaring and the Bulldog fans sobbing and crying.
One can bet that Coach Smart is at his wits end trying to figure out the best way to beat Coach Saban and Alabama, the same school he worked for from 2007-2015.
Hard to blame Coach Smart for being frustrated. This so-called rivalry has been completely one-sided on the scoreboard. It’s not that Georgia has not been in a position to win, mind you. It’s just that the Bulldogs always fail during those clutch moments.
Those big plays that change the scoreboard and change momentum, those almost always go the way of the Crimson Tide.
After Georgia bursted out to that 10-0 lead today, one might have figured that Alabama would finally fold. After all, Alabama had not played all that well down the stretch of the 2021 regular season.
Just the opposite happened inside Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, however. Quarterback Bryce Young went off on Georgia during the final three quarters and finished with a statistical line of 26 of 44 for 421 yards, as well as three touchdown passes.
Hello Heisman Trophy for Young, and goodbye SEC Championship and No. 1 overall seed for the College Football Playoffs for Georgia.
Young just flat out dominated the vaunted Georgia defense, the same one that Coach Smart was supposed to utilize to finally knock off the master. He failed. Again. The following play pretty much summarizes the entire game.
Remember the 67 yard bomb to wide receiver Jameson Williams? That’s the definition of clutch. That particular pass, catch and run was also the opposite of Georgia’s performance overall.
Williams used excellent technique with a double move. The Georgia cornerback, Kalee Ringo, was fooled by Williams’ move and once he got behind he was not going to catch up to the speed of Williams.
Georgia could not keep up with Jameson Willaims from Alabama
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Williams also ran right by safety Lewis Cine, who was late getting over to provide help to Ringo. Big mistake. Of course one needs to give props to Alabama players, too.
Young’s uncanny accuracy and Williams’ excellent top-end speed did the Bulldogs in. At least that’s the way battle No. 1 of the 2021 season went.
Will Coach Smart get a second shot to knock off the master, Coach Saban? That’s the question. We shall see how the rankings come out and see the matchups on Sunday.