Georgia Bulldogs clinch SEC East before November due to Kentucky loss

Kirby Smart and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs became the first team in the nation to clinch a division title on Saturday, as the Bulldogs’ 34-7 win over Florida — coupled with Kentucky’s 31-17 loss to Mississippi State — gave Georgia the SEC East crown.

For the fourth time in the last five years, Georgia will head to Atlanta, Georgia to face the winner of the SEC West after the conclusion of the regular season, as Smart has become a perennial contender in the SEC Championship game.

After the game’s final whistle, Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, who solidified their No. 1 overall ranking in emphatic fashion, took to the sidelines in celebration. The players and coaching staff alike seemed emotional after the victory, despite Florida not posing much of a challenge. Many players even made their way over to the stands in celebration with Georgia fans.

Smart was asked about the emotional celebration in Jacksonville, and why the Bulldogs were so elated to have picked up the win against the Gators, to which he gave a simple response — “if you can’t enjoy these moments, why do we do them?”

“Well, you put so much into the game, you know?” Smart continued in Georgia’s postgame press conference. “If I can’t embrace my family and hug them and love it and see the fans that stuck around for it, that’s what it’s all about to me. I had a coach a long time ago tell me that if you can’t enjoy those moments, then why are you in the business?”

The Bulldogs defense for the first time this season allowed over 300 yards of total offense. In fact, Georgia was out-gained by Florida on the day, as the Bulldogs tallied 354 yards of total offense and the Gators had 355. But it hardly mattered — Georgia’s defense was still dominant, forcing three second-quarter turnovers and yielding the postgame celebration. Junior linebacker Nolan Smith had a fumble recovery and an interception, and fellow junior linebacker Nakobe Dean had a pick-six. To no one’s surprise, the Bulldogs held onto their No. 1 ranking in the latest AP poll.

“And the players — they work hard, guys,” Smart said when asked of Georgia’s celebration. “They practice so many times a week for this one game, and I want them to be able to enjoy it. I want them to see the emotion of it. It doesn’t matter to me that it’s Florida, it matters to me that it was our team, and they won. You take that for granted sometimes. I think people look at it and say, ‘Oh, well Georgia is going to win this, Georgia is going to win that.’ Nothing is taken for granted. You can’t. You’ve got to go out and practice, and when you do well and you perform well, you should celebrate with the players so they can see that side of you.”

Quarterback Stetson Bennett, a walk-on-turned starter after JT Daniels suffered an injury, got the start again on Saturday, despite Daniels returning to full health. Bennett completed ten of his 19 passing attempts for 161 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while Georgia running back Zamir White had an efficient day, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown on just 14 carries.

With the win, Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs clinched another SEC East title. But Georgia’s celebration, he said, was about Saturday’s victory.

“I’m certainly proud of our guys for handling the celebration,” Smart said. “I thought we played with great discipline today.”