Kirby Smart: Georgia needs 'a little spark on offense' to come back in fourth vs. Alabama

Entering the fourth quarter of the SEC Championship against Alabama, Georgia coach Kirby Smart find his team facing a deficit. The Bulldogs are trailing 20-10 entering the final 15 minutes of action, with a 29-game win streak and potentially their season on the line.

After scoring a touchdown on the game’s opening drive, the Bulldogs have hit a bit of a wall offensively since. They’ve failed to score another TD since, and even coughed up a costly fumble near the end of the third to give the Crimson Tide the ball at the Georgia 17-yard line.

The defense held Alabama to a field goal, but Smart knows Georgia can’t rely only on that if it is to come back. Speaking with CBS sidelines reporter Jenny Dell, he called for his offense to step up.

“They’re a resilient team,” he said. “They’ve been that way all year. Very balanced offense and defense. We’ve got to get a little spark on offense. We’re playing much better in the second half on defense. We’ve got two freshman linebackers out there that are fighting for their life. I love watching them grow up. I love this environment.”

Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck has yet to throw for a touchdown this evening as he is 17-of-24 passing for 185 yards. He also committed the fumble that allowed Alabama to kick the field goal and go up two possessions.

Georgia goes on to fall to Alabama in SEC Championship

Beck quickly redeemed himself to start the fourth, leading Georgia on a touchdown drive before he punched it into the end zone on a quarterback sneak. That cut the deficit to 20-17 with 10:16 to go, and the Bulldogs will now turn to their defense to come up with another stop.

Alabama answered with a touchdown on the ensuing drive, keeping the connection between Milroe and Isaiah Bond alive before Roydell Williams punched it in from the 1. Georgia came back to score again, putting the pressure on Alabama’s offense to close out the game.

The Bulldogs never got the ball back as Milroe once again came up big with a 30-yard run on the ensuing drive. He later rushed for a nine-yard gain with to secure a second first down, allowing the Crimson Tide to run out the clock for the win.

With the loss to Alabama, Kirby Smart now faces the possibility that Georgia will fall out of the top four and miss the CFP for the first time since 2020.