Skip to main content
georgia logo

Haunting UGA football photos show Kirby Smart's push to 'burn the boats'

On3 imageby:Wes Blankenship•02/24/22
On3 image
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Kirby Smart told a packed Sanford Stadium that Georgia would ‘burn the boats’ after Georgia’s National Championship parade.

This was right after Smart mentioned what all of UGA’s football players did to get there.

Early morning runs at Sanford Stadium set the tone during Georgia’s offseason. Fifteen grueling sets of stadium steps defined each workout.

Why fifteen? That’s how many games the Dawgs aimed to play in.

Obviously, that strategy paid off.

Kirby Smart has the Dawgs back where it all started

There aren’t any fans inside Sanford Stadium around 5 in the morning. No one’s wearing clean, white jumpsuits. The National Championship trophy sits locked away somewhere in the Butts-Mehre building.

It’s dark.

To burn the boats means there’s no turning back. Tanyard Creek flows beneath Sanford Stadium. You can’t maneuver a boat in there.

So Kirby Smart obviously uses the phrase metaphorically.

The expression points to Spain’s 1519 conquest of Mexico. Spanish commander Hernán Cortés destroyed his ships, so his men would either have to win, or die trying.

The stakes are slightly lower for Kirby Smart and UGA’s 2022 football campaign.

But after all of those stadium workouts last offseason, there’s no turning back now.

Once you find a way to win your first National Championship in 41 years, there’s no going back

Check out how ominous Sanford Stadium looks in that first photo.

It’s like the Stranger Things upside down version of UGA football. I love it. It’s the perfect image to sum up the reality Kirby Smart wants for his football team right now.

While most Georgia fans are still partying and celebrating their National Championship, it’s back to work for the Dawgs’ football team.

No more floats.

No more boats.

They’ve been burned. Time to beat the sunrise and earn your time Between the Hedges.

Are you subscribed?

Ready to get all your latest Georgia athletics news in one place? Become a member of DawgsHQ today. With your DawgsHQ membership, you’ll not only have access to the goings on in Athens, but you’ll be able to peruse other fan sites within the On3 network to hear just how rivals are feeling about the Dawgs, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter (@DawgsHQ), on Facebook and on YouTube for all the Dawg news you need now! And listen to the DawgsHQ crew on our podcast Dawg Walk Talk on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

You may also like