Georgia HC Kirby Smart Following 24-21 Loss to Alabama

ATHENS, Ga. - Following Georgia's three-point loss to Alabama on Saturday, Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart addressed the media to share his thoughts on the team's performance in the 24-21 defeat against the Crimson Tide, where he doubled down on his decision to go for it on fourth down at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

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One of the first topics Smart addressed was the Crimson Tide's impressive conversion rate on third downs. Alabama finished Saturday's game with 13 completions out of 19 attempts on third downs. Notably, during a critical 3rd and five situation, quarterback Ty Simpson completed a seven-yard pass to Jam Miller, securing a first down and allowing the Crimson Tide to run out the clock.

"I've coached for a lot of years and I've never been 13 of 19 on third downs, and that tells the tale of the game." Smart added, "We gotta win on third down, and we did not play well on third down, and it showed pretty much all night."

Smart credited his team for their relentless effort and determination in the game, which began with Georgia trailing 24-14 at halftime. Alabama had a chance to extend its lead by receiving the ball first in the second half. However, Georgia's defense held firm, forcing Alabama to miss a field goal. Georgia's offense responded on the next drive, scoring a touchdown when Josh McCray punched it in from one yard out, narrowing the deficit to three points midway through the third quarter.

"I am very proud of our guys and the way they fought, and there were some guys really upset at halftime, especially defensively." Smart said, "We got to do a better job as coaches to help those players start better because we were spotting people too much and not executing at a high level, and sometimes it's execution, sometimes it's they got a good play called and they outexecute us, 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."

Smart reaffirmed his decision to go for it on fourth down and one yard to go at the start of the fourth quarter, rather than opting for a game-tying field goal. The attempt to convert on fourth down was unsuccessful, resulting in the Bulldogs turning the ball over on downs to Alabama at the Crimson Tide's eight-yard line.

Georgia's head coach responded with "I'd do that ten out of ten times in terms of going for it. The decision is whether you go for it with tempo or not, and we felt like tempo had been really good for us throughout the year."

In Saturday's game, Georgia started sluggishly as Alabama's defense forced the Bulldogs to punt on their first two drives. Meanwhile, the Tide quickly took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, thanks to two touchdown passes from Simpson.

When asked about what caused the slow start, Smart responded, "I don't have an explanation for it. I mean, not starting well on defense. I wouldn't say it's not a well-rounded effort on both sides of the ball. In the kicking game, we've made some plays. Offensively, we've made plays. Defensively, two games we didn't, but the two better opponents we played, we did not execute well in the first, and it's really frustrating because we show we can in the second half."

Smart discussed the team's future this season, highlighting the head coach's confidence in the players. The coach acknowledged that while improvements are necessary, he has a strong affection for this team and believes they have the potential to be contenders.

"Lesson I take is that we have a good football team that's got to get better. I love the team in that locker room. I have repeatedly said they enjoy practice. They work their butt off. They're not perfect. I mean, I'm telling you guys, this is the new era of what we're going to see. There are games like that all over college football, and they will continue to be."

The former Alabama defensive coordinator discussed the importance of his team moving forward and concentrating on their next opponent. He emphasized this point by reminding the media of last season, noting that although Georgia lost to Alabama, they continued to improve and win games.

"I realize it's a big game. I realize everybody wants to make a big deal about it, but for us, it happened to us last year, right? Like, we gotta go worry about the next one because you can't let this game beat you twice."

Smart and the Bulldogs will look to bounce back next week when they take on the Kentucky Wildcats at Sanford Stadium on Saturday, October 4th, at noon.

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