ATHENS — Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows better than anyone his program has to take back its identity this season.
No one’s afraid of Georgia football anymore.
SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum said that this offseason, and Marshall defensive lineman KaTron Evans confirmed it this week with an ill-timed display of confidence.
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“We’re going to shock them,” said Evans, a 335-pound transfer from Charlotte, letting everyone know his Marshall team will prove better than expected.
The Bulldogs are a 38.5-point favorite to beat the Thundering Herd at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, but even UGA fans are skeptical of Georgia’s killer instinct.
The Bulldogs are 0-12-1 against the spread when favored by 38 points or more, Smart often opting to run clock rather than make the most of game reps.
That might impress other coaches, but it doesn’t impress the College Football Playoff selection committee or fans doling out thousands of dollars for season tickets and paying elevated cable TV prices.
Tickets for the season-opening Georgia football game are well-under face value, some selling for $30 each.
Fact is, Georgia might have gotten a bit too comfortable being Georgia last season, to the extent the game plans were vanilla and the players at times indifferent.
The Bulldogs suffered their first three-loss season in six years after Smart landed the richest coaching contract in college football, a guaranteed $13 million a year.
Whether it’s the lobster at the training table or the expensive cars players are driving, last season’s Georgia team rarely looked “hungry” outside of two upset wins over Texas.
UGA also failed to score in the first quarter of six games last season and trailed in nine of their 14 contests, playing down to the level of competition in embarrassingly close games against Kentucky (13-12) and Georgia Tech (44-42, 8 OT).
This, with 13 NFL draft picks on the roster. It certainly wasn’t a matter of Smart and his coaching staff having talent to work with last season.
The defensive front seven featured six players on NFL rosters as rookies along and three offensive linemen on their respective teams’ 53-man roster.
So how in the world did Georgia get out-rushed by opponents last season 129.6 yards per game to 124.4?
The lasting impression on the 2024 season was Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard fearlessly skipping through Glenn Schumann’s defensive game plan to the tune of 80 yards rushing on 14 carries.
“They go and get manhandled by Ole Miss the way they did” SEC Network analyst Chris Doering said this season, “they get physically beaten by Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl, these are things that are signs of concern.”
The Irish finished with 154 rushing yards to the Bulldogs’ 62.
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“Notre Dame didn’t just beat Georgia, it overpowered the Bulldogs and revealed Kirby Smart’s dynasty is one for the history books. As in, past tense…… “ USA Today columnist Blake Toppmeyer wrote.
“…. for most of the season, Georgia played like a shadow of what it was a mere two years ago.”
Smart called it “the toughest year of my tenure,” and said “there were some hard situations.”
But Smart knows no one is feeling sorry for Georgia after the historic run the program has enjoyed.
Locally, the program is still greatly celebrated with the current players enjoying the riches made possible by the stars who played before them.
Even quarterback Gunner Stockton has multiple NIL deals in place before making so much as one home game start.
Smart, to his credit, is trying to recharge his players and coaches with the offseason buzzphrase of “Fire, Passion and Energy.”
The players have repeated the message, but outside of daily media members, it has mostly drawn shrugs.
It’s time for the Bulldogs to talk with their pads and let the scoreboard tell the story.
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