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Kirby Smart addresses Georgia bringing its own air conditioning unit to South Carolina

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•09/20/22
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Georgia coach Kirby Smart reacts in a game during Week 2 of the 2022 college football season. (Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)

One of the more bizarre headlines that came out of Week 3 of the college football season was Georgia’s decision to bring its own air conditioning unit to South Carolina to cool off the visiting locker room.

On a day when temperatures weren’t blazing hot by any stretch of the imagination — reaching into the mid- to upper-80s in Columbia, S.C. — the presence of a white air conditioning unit rolled in partially on wheels and partially via dolly with flexible ducts connected to what appeared to be a temporary plywood door certainly drew some interest.

Reporters tweeted pictures of the large mobile contraption, and the Bulldogs were all too happy to put it to use as soon as possible.

Coach Kirby Smart was asked about the use of the mobile air conditioning system on Monday and, well, the explanation was pretty simple.

“I found it to be cooler,” said Smart, not really giving any non-verbal cues to indicate the conversation might continue further or that he might be amused by the question.

Whatever the case, it was a storyline that was referenced on the broadcast itself, particularly as the teams went to the locker rooms at halftime.

“That was, I mean, we tried to send our guys in early to halftime just because it was cooler in there than it was on the field,” Smart said. “So we sent the offense in to cool off a little bit.”

Whether Smart’s mobile Georgia air conditioning unit will make an appearance elsewhere this season remains to be seen.

Georgia football, at least, remains red hot

Temperature considerations aside, Smart’s defending national champions continue to look the part on a week-to-week basis. Saturday’s stomping of South Carolina by a 48-7 score was just the latest result chalked up by Georgia.

There have been plenty.

The Bulldogs have won 21 of their last 22 games under Smart’s leadership dating back to the middle of the 2020 season, with the lone loss coming in last year’s SEC Championship Game against Alabama.

So far in 2022 it sure looks like those teams may yet again be on a collision course.

Up this week for Georgia is a home game against Kent State. That game will kick off a noon ET.