Kirby Smart sees resiliency in response from Georgia against Florida
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Georgia jumped on Florida early, scoring the game’s first 21 points and leading by 25 at halftime. The Bulldogs held the Gators to 13 rushing yards and just 88 total yards in that time, forcing four straight three-and-outs. Meanwhile on offense, 346 yards and 28 points. Things were smooth sailing. That is, until they weren’t.
Coming out of the half, Florida scored 17 unanswered to make it a one score game. Georgia turned it over on each of its first two possessions after the break, and all of the sudden the Bulldogs were in a tight one. That’s when Kirby Smart saw the fight in his team come out.
“That was probably the drive of the year so far, right? They answered the bell,” Smart said about Georgia’s six-play, 78-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter. “It was 28-20. We’ve lost momentum. We’ve had three kickoff returns that it felt like in a row. We weren’t getting field position. Kenny had that fumble. I thought Kenny McIntosh showed a little something tonight now. When he came out after that fumble, he had that eye of the tiger and he wanted the ball. He was running the ball hard and physical and getting yards after contact. That’s a lot of credit to the offensive line and a lot of credit to Kenny as well. That drive that you’re referencing was big for us.”
Georgia’s defense rose to the occasion too. In the three drives that followed Florida’s touchdown to make it 28-20, the Bulldogs forced three consecutive turnovers on downs with none of the drives taking more than 2:45 off the clock.
“I don’t enjoy losing the momentum in a game. I enjoy the fact that we never blinked, and the kids were saying the right things on the sideline,” Smart said. “You know, there’s two things when adversity hits: You fracture, or you connect. And our team connected. They reached out to each other, and they helped each other.”
Top 10
- 1Breaking
DJ Lagway
Florida QB to return vs. LSU
- 2
Dylan Raiola injury
Nebraska QB will play vs. USC
- 3
Elko pokes at Kiffin
A&M coach jokes over kick times
- 4New
SEC changes course
Alcohol sales at SEC Championship Game
- 5
Bryce Underwood
Michigan prepared to offer No. 1 recruit $10.5M over 4 years
Georgia turned to the run game in the second half, rushing for 155 yards to just 54 yards through the air. And when they needed it most, the Bulldog backs were the ones that put the game back out of reach in the fourth quarter. Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh each scored on goal line plunges in the first half, but their second half touchdown runs of 22 and four yards ended up being the deciding factors in a 42-20 win.
“Tough, he’s a patient runner. He eats yards after contact,” Smart said about Edwards, who topped the 100-yard mark with 106 on 12 carries to become the first Bulldog to do so this season. “That run that he broke out of there I think was really big for us that took it from eight to 15. That was a huge run. He was really patient. I don’t know if those guys can see him behind him because he’s so little.”
“I told him he’s a bad MFer. He’s tough, he’s physical. He gets after it and he responded,” he added on McIntosh’s final touchdown run that helped seal the deal. “That’s what I talk about. You’ve got an opportunity to show resiliency—one of our four DNA characteristics. I promise you every NFL scout and every Georgia fan watching will remember the way he responded. He ran the ball with just a vicious attitude. A contact seeking running back.”
Georgia’s defense dominated in the first half and ended up getting the job done in the second when it was needed. Meanwhile, the offense showed resiliency of its own to respond after turning the ball over and giving Florida momentum early in the third quarter. However, when all was said and done, it was Georgia’s fight and resolve to not go away when times were tough that got the job done for the Bulldogs in Jacksonville, something that Kirby Smart is sure to be proud of.
