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What Kirby Smart said after Georgia beat Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl
By Cody McClure
Published:
No. 3 Georgia knocked off No. 2 Oklahoma in an absolutely thrilling College Football Playoff Rose Bowl semifinal on Monday evening.
It took double overtime to get the job done, but the Bulldogs emerged victorious 54-48 over the Sooners after trailing by as many as 17 points in the first half.
Head coach Kirby Smart was appreciative in the post-game press conference that his team got the win, but he also saw plenty of room for improvement.
“This is a really unbelievable atmosphere,” Smart said. “Both sides’ fan bases did a tremendous job. I want to give a lot of compliments to Oklahoma. Coach Riley does a great job. Lincoln has been a problem for a lot of defenses, and he created a lot for us tonight. He does a really great job.
“Our kids are so resilient. They never stopped chopping wood,” Smart added. “They kept fighting, and they believed. There were offensive players affecting defensive players in the locker room at halftime and they kept fighting. We didn’t play the way we were capable of, but the best news is we get a chance to play again. I’m really proud of the fight, the resiliency, the seniors and our fan base.”
Smart noted that he wasn’t particularly impressed with the way Georgia played.
“Yeah, I’m really disappointed and upset that we didn’t play to the level we’re capable of,” he said. “I do think the players fought, and they are a good offensive football team. But man, we stunk it up and played really bad. I want to give a lot of kudos to the offense for staying behind us and fighting — and for the defensive players for doing that. But if it was a measure of heart attack, I would be on the Richter scale pretty high.”
The ‘Dawgs head coach had a simple answer when asked what was different about the second half.
“We played with passion, we played with energy, we played with enthusiasm, we ran to the ball better, we tackled a little better and we played a little more aggressive,” he said.
“The players settled down and played with a little more discipline, passion and energy,” Smart later added. “It wasn’t like there was a magic sprinkle dust. We called the same defense called in the first half. We just played them better. We didn’t even get them to third down in the first half. It’s not indicative of who we are. We’ve got to do a better job as coaches to put our players in a successful situation. That’s my most disappointing thing — that I didn’t do a good job.
On Nick Chubb and Sony Michel:
“Just proud … 27 and 1 have put this team on their shoulders and all they do is do it right,” Smart said. “They come to all the meetings, they compete. And to see them racing down the field really embodies what this team is all about.
On QB Jake Fromm:
“He’s got some good players around him. Jake continues to grow as a player. He puts us in the right place. He makes good decisions with the ball and protects the ball. I’m really proud of his growth. I think he’s got a bright future.”
Cody McClure is an SEC Football Writer for Saturday Down South. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he also co-hosts a midday sports radio show for FOX Sports. Cody previously worked for Athlon Sports.
