Kirby Smart describes perfect case scenario to beat Alabama

Kirby Smart has a vision for his team’s performance against No. 4 Alabama. During a segment on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the Georgia head coach revealed how he hopes to see his team take down the Crimson Tide.

“Out-strain, out-effort, win the line of scrimmages and don’t turn the ball over,” Smart said. “Those are all things that you could say every game, and that’s not gonna be any different in this game.”

Georgia has a chance to make a statement on Saturday. The game will be the first meeting between the two powerhouse programs since former Alabama head coach Nick Saban retired.

The Crimson Tide have defeated Georgia in eight of their last nine meetings. On Saturday, Kirby Smart and Co. will have a chance to establish supremacy in the rivalry’s new era.

How to watch Georgia vs. Alabama

Time: Saturday | 7:30 p.m. ET
Channel: ABC, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Tuscaloosa, Ala. — Bryant-Denny Stadium

Georgia will be ready for war on Alabama’s home turf after enjoying a week off to rest and game plan. The Bulldogs lost their No. 1 ranking after narrowly defeating a subpar Kentucky team 13-12 in Week 3. It was a comeback effort for the Bulldogs, who trailed 9-3 early in the third quarter. 

In the win, Georgia’s offense sputtered, only amassing 262 total yards. Although the team didn’t record any turnovers, they committed nine penalties for a total loss of 85 yards. Further, the Bulldogs only converted 5-of-their-13 third-down attempts.

Nonetheless, Georgia’s defense was strong enough to propel the team to a win. The Bulldogs tallied three sacks and squeezed a turnover out of the ‘Cats. Smart was proud of his team’s resiliency in the scrappy victory.

“They never flinched,” Smart said. “We thought this would be a blow-by-blow game. We talked all week about blow-by-blow, delivering more blows than them. We said the first chop of the tree doesn’t chop the tree down. It takes sometimes 272 axe chops, and it took every single one tonight to get the job done.”

Alabama also had a bye in Week 4 following a convincing 42-10 blowout win against Wisconsin. In the win, quarterback Jalen Milroe looked like a Heisman Trophy frontrunner, notching 196 yards and three touchdowns through the air while adding 75 yards and two scores on the ground as well.

The Crimson Tide’s defense was stout in the triumph, holding Wisconsin to 290 total yards. Further, they forced the Badgers to commit two turnovers, both of which were fumbles. Now, Alabama will look to find similar success against the Bulldogs on Saturday night.