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5 takeaways from historic Georgia comeback, glance into Kirby Smart's future
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5 takeaways from historic Georgia comeback, glance into Kirby Smart's future
Georgia's thrilling come-from-behind win over Cincinnati represented the biggest comeback of Kirby Smart's 5-year head-coaching career
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2020 was a crazy year for the Dawgs. It didn't start out the way we wanted. Installing a new offense, with a new OC as well as new QB's with no Spring practice to get acclimated was not ideal.
Despite all the adversity the Dawgs finished strong winning their last 4 games and beating an undefeated top10 team to finish the year.
Meanwhile, Florida started out strong, only to fade down the stretch. Now, Mullen's trying to clean the decks (find better coaches) to help prop up 3rd and Grantham. Kirby's trying to keep other teams from hiring (promoting) his coaches, while looking for a few more pieces to add to another top 3 recruiting class.
2021 looks like a good year for the Dawgs!
"Smart has put together a championship-level program, the pieces in place, and now it’s just a matter of catching the right breaks and trusting the inner circle assistants around him."
Someone please explain how this is so much better than what we had with Richt. Compare the first 5 years of each coach.
Richt: 52-13, 2 SEC Champ., ranked in top ten: 4 out of 5 years
Smart: 52-14, 1 SEC Champ., ranked in top ten: 4 out of 5 years.
Almost identical records except Richt won 2 SEC Champ.
And Smart won the Rose Bowl in 2018 with mostly Richt recruits.
And Smart's getting better recruiting classes than Richt did and can't get better results.
When was the last time we lost only 1 game? 2002. We have lost 2 or more games every year since then. That means we are losing to either Florida, LSU, Alabama, Tennessee, SC and/or a Bowl game every year. Are we content with that? I'm not. Alabama would fire their coach after 3 seasons if they lost 2 to 3 games a year.
Richt never won another SEC title after 2005 and won the division only 3 more times after 2005. So, if the argument is "let's wait and see what Kirby does after his 5th year", then okay, let's see. But I would only give him 2 more years to win another SEC title, knock Alabama from their perch, and get in another NC game.
I think Kirby is a helluva recruiter, but you can't argue with the end results: we still aren't in the same class as Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State. Why?? Do those teams have a better eye for talent? Or do they just develop the talent better than we do? Better coaching? Maybe all of the above? I think I speak for the majority of Dawgnation when I say that I am frustrated. I've watched the Dawgs since 1965 and I want to know why we have won only one NC. With the talent we get and the money we pay for coaching, we should have had more success by now. I've heard all of the arguments. Primarily the one about having to compete in the SEC and particularly Alabama. If we had played in another conference maybe we would have been in the hunt for more playoff spots.
Maybe next year. That's what I say to myself every year.
People are voting down my comment below, but I don't see anybody offering a counter argument. Please point out where I'm wrong. I would love to hear some encouraging words. I would love to be excited about next year. But we will probably lose to Clemson and again in the SEC CG. That's 2 loses and probably a top ten ranking again. Same old thing, every year.
A couple of things are different. Richt didn't have to compete with todays Nick Saban during his SEC championship years. 2002 and 2005.
Saban didn't get to Alabama until 2007. Richt lost to Saban's 2003 LSU team. Yes, Saban was at LSU 2000-04, but he hadn't become the coach we see today at Alabama.
After the 2005 season, Rich't recruiting dropped off, and he made some coaching hires that simply didn't work out. Richt never dominated his rivals, Florida and Tennessee like Kirby has.
Richt: 52-13, 2 SEC Champ., ranked in top ten: 4 out of 5 years.
First 5 years was a good run. After that" (06) - lost 4. (07) - lost 2. (08) - lost 3. (09) - lost 5. (10) - lost 7.
Georgia had a good to great coach in Mark Richt, but UGA simply didn't give Richt and the program what it was going to take to compete. I put Richt's fall more on the administration than on the coach. Richt and the program deserved better.
Kirby Smart now has as much support as just about any coach in CFB. Kirby will be able to do better because of it. Like the article said, it really is just a matter of "catching the right breaks."
KIrby is a young coach and like Saban, will only get better with more experience. UGA is very fortunate to have him.
I disagree, @DawgTattoo, that you "speak for the majority of DawgNation" about being frustrated with where the program stands currently. The differences in where the program was after the 2005 season and today are stark.
Richt's recruiting tendencies were to deal with immediate needs through high school recruiting. The problem with this was that you would not have sufficiently experienced backups ready to go on the offensive and defensive lines.
Further, Richt's recruiting was more Gus Malzahn level than Nick Saban level. There's nothing wrong with accepting that Richt was a good, but not great, recruiter who either (a) was late to offer top players, such as DeShaun Watson, (b) wanted to change positions for players, such as Cam Newton, or (c) missed badly in evaluating players' intangibles and got players who were the "problem children" and failed to develop before either getting kicked out of school (Isaiah Crowell) or just disappearing from sight and never making an impact (Marquis Elmore, anyone?).
So, I wholeheartedly disagree with your negativity. You can be as negative as you want, but don't purport to speak for the "majority of DawgNation" when you focus on a few superficial similarities.
DawgTattoo, I disagree with you, also. You can’t speak for the majority of people that read and comment on DawgNation. Maybe the writers could do a poll to see how the majority of DawgNation readers do feel. Richt was a good coach and an even better Christian man, but he hit his coaching ceiling in 2005, with the exception of 2012. We’ll have to wait to see how Kirby does this year to continue that argument. Go Dawgs!!
@DawgTattoo, I am frustrated because we have been so close. We were one play away in 2017 and one or two key pieces away since then.
When Kirby was hired, he made it clear if UGA wanted Alabama or Clemson level teams, UGA must have similar Resouces and facilities. Richt pleaded for years for an indoor practice facility and Kirby finally got it. Now the new football facility is underway. Have you ever seen where our players eat in the Georgia Center? Shocking, but a real training table is coming.
If the standard for keeping Kirby is being better than Alabama, Clemson and Ohio State, that’s unrealistic. And I think there is very little difference now. I don’t know of another coach that could put together a better blueprint for success than Kirby Smart.
Kirby will become a much better coach after Saban leaves, if he ever gets bored of winning National Championships or until one of his protégées starts beating him . Until then Saban is the Jedi Master.
For all of our recruiting prowess under Kirby can anyone say we are right there with BAMA? I wish we could, we can hope to be next season when BAMA loses about 6 of their starters to the 1st round of the Draft. But we all know what BAMA does, they simply reload, hire another great Offensive Coordinator and see you in the playoffs next year.
Honestly, that's not us. We aren't plug and play, yet. Think Jim Cheney, and the guy last year. We are a perennial top 10 finisher under Kirby so far. Not a bad thing at all. But I believe we all want more than that. We get talked about in preseason by the pundits, "Is this the year that UGA finally puts it all together?" It will be the same talk again this coming year, again it's a good place to be. But let's all hope we do "Finally put it all together."
Good piece Mike - I am thrilled that we pulled this victory out of the jaws of defeat. If we had lost, we'd be the laughing stock of CFB, and we've been ben the butt of too many jokes already.
I am happy for the guys going pro and I and love the guys who gave us one more game.
I am excited about the immediate future of the program, and I can't wait too see what the spring brings.
I believe Smart will win a Natty in the next 3 years mainly because he will grow as a Coach with in game decisions. He's recruited better than any Coach not named Saban in the last 5 years so it's not a talent issue. I do also believe it takes the right set of circumstances to win a Natty. Does anyone think Gene Chizik is a better coach and recruiter than Smart? He has a Natty. I am disappointed we haven't won a Natty within these 5 years and I am excited about the future.
I think team captains have to vow not to opt out. That’s just a bad look for leaders. Don’t take a leadership role if you’re willing to leave the team.
Several other takeaways that I had:
Two things:
Thanks for the article Mike, well said!
Mike, the only thing I disagree with is "Before you know it.....". It's going to feel like forever until next season, always does. Then it's "Before you know it, the season is over".
Great stuff.
I wonder what the odds are that the stadium will be allowed to be maximum capacity by September 4th?
These comparisons between Richt & Kirby are ridiculous. It's not apples to apples. Take away every dollar spent on the program since Kirby arrived and I guarantee Kirby's results would not be any different than his predecessor - it would probably be worse. UGA has spent millions upon millions on the program to lure the elite athlete, a luxury Richt did not have. The ONLY reason UGA has reached another level is because we have championship talent and depth now - and it isn't even close to where we were 6 years ago. Kirby himself stated that "the level of expectation from the fans did not match the level of players here..." His own words when describing UGA football prior to his arrival. UGA finally woke up and realized that, like the major contenders, you need to SPEND huge to win championships. It's also the primary reason that only a handful of programs can win a natty now.
I won't say it's NC or bust next year, but with the senior QBs moving on at both FL and AL and Bama defense is not where it was, it's one of the best opportunities for us in a while, especially if JT comes back. With the performs sliding a little bit last couple of years, we are clearly losing momentum created after KS's 2nd year. 2021 will be a critical year for us. It could define where this program goes for the next five years.
Most of Richts classes had a way of falling apart after signing day. Grades, arrests, conduct, other quirky things. Kirby has a much better record of getting signees on campus and keeping them there.
Well, you miss an important point: With all of the so-called superior traits that Smart has, he still hasn't improved the program. You can argue all you want, but the record speaks for itself.