ATHENS - Saturday night in Tuscaloosa belonged to a lot of Georgia names, but the biggest winner was the man on the sideline.
Kirby Smart’s 28-7 win over Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium pushed his career record to 123-21, a .854 winning percentage that stands as the best in SEC history. That’s a wild number in an era built on balance and turnover, and Smart added to it in a place where wins don’t come easy.
He also moved to 3-7 against Alabama, a mark that still fuels the criticism from those who point to the Tide’s 2017 and 2018 wins over Georgia as victories built with players Smart had helped recruit and develop while working under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa. But the more important number right now is the one that shows Georgia has won the last two meetings with Alabama, including the most recent CFP championship matchup and that SEC title game blowout in December.
The programs have met 10 times in the last 10 years, and the momentum has shifted enough that the rivalry feels like it’s being written in real time. Smart would never make it about himself, but the Georgia coach is getting close to the point where the statue talk won’t sound so far-fetched, and the “King” Kirby nickname Jeff Dantzler has been floating is starting to fit the way Georgia fans are watching this run unfold.
While Alabama spent the week celebrating Saban on an ESPN special, Georgia got to watch its own legend-in-progress keep stacking wins on the sideline. And Saturday came with a little extra edge, since Saban was on television with his foot, as the source put it, firmly planted in his mouth this week.
One of the more encouraging developments for Georgia was Gunner Stockton. It feels like a long time ago now, but Stockton entered at halftime of Georgia’s 2024 SEC championship game against Texas with the Bulldogs trailing 6-3 and 30 minutes left.
That second half was more about grit than flash, but his growth since then stood out again against Alabama. The throws he made in big moments, on the road, with the No. 1 ranking on the line, showed a quarterback who is becoming more and more reliable.
Georgia also had to survive a tough night in the backfield. The Bulldogs’ running back room has taken hit after hit, starting with Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell’s offseason ATV accident before starter Nate Frazier was slowed by a rib injury in the fourth game against Oklahoma and touchdown leader Chauncey Bowens went down with what appeared to be an ankle injury against Vanderbilt. Against Alabama, Georgia still found a way to keep moving the ball on the ground.
Cash Jones helped turn the tempo, and Dwight Phillips Jr. kept the offense alive with burst and toughness. Phillips ran for 120 yards on 17 carries, giving Georgia the physical spark it needed.
Through six games, the 185-pound Phillips has taken over as the Bulldogs’ rushing leader with 280 yards and their carries leader with 37, a spot nobody would have predicted when the season opened with him buried behind Frazier and Bowens. UGA strength coach Scott Sinclair has praised Phillips for adding “extra pounds, extra muscle” over his three years on campus.
On the other side of the ball, Georgia got a forceful night from KJ Bolden. The freshman safety from Woodward Academy made what might have been the game-saving play with 10:44 left and the score tied 17-17, when Sacovie White-Helton muffed a punt return inside the UGA 10-yard line. The ball caromed off White-Helton’s leg toward four Alabama punt coverage players, and Bolden dove head first onto it.
Bolden was on the field for only eight snaps, all on special teams, but his knack for making something happen keeps showing up. He already has an interception against Western Kentucky and two PBUs in limited defensive work, and he also finished first to the scene on the fourth-quarter sack that knocked Alabama out of field goal range and forced the punt Georgia needed to salt the game away. He was involved in the pass-interference sequence some thought should have drawn a flag, and he also delivered the hit on Ryan Coleman-Williams that led to a breakup and sent the receiver to the sideline for recovery.
Georgia’s defense had plenty of answers for Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell, too. Russell did find some room with his legs, but he was sacked four times and lost a fumble on Alabama’s opening drive, a mistake that swung the early momentum toward Georgia. The Bulldogs out-gained Alabama 455 yards to 346, and the defensive plan from coordinator Schuman held up better than it has in some recent high-profile matchups.
That mattered because Schuman entered the week carrying some baggage from last season’s game plans against Ole Miss and Trinidad Chambliss. This time, Georgia’s defense was more often textbook than not in keeping Russell trapped in the pocket, and Schuman outperformed Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb on the night.
The aftermath wasn’t pretty for Alabama’s image, either. Some Tide fans threw objects at Georgia players as they exited the field, a classless and dangerous scene that undercut a stadium long known for being one of the better places for visiting teams and fans.
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer opened the week by crediting Smart for building Georgia and saying, “Obviously, this (Alabama) program wouldn’t be where it’s at with a lot of things he brought to it as well.” He also said after the game that he disagreed with the pass-interference non-call but didn’t make a major issue of it, and he opened his press conference praising Stockton’s clutch play.
Saban, meanwhile, took his ESPN spotlight too far by predicting Alabama would “dominate” Georgia and saying the Bulldogs had played nobody. Oklahoma beating Texas didn’t exactly help that argument, and Georgia’s numbers against Alabama did the rest.
Stephen A. Smith also ended up on the wrong side of the result after saying, “I’m definitely higher on Keelon Russell,” because “Gunner Stockton is efficient, he’s good, but he ain’t Russell.”
For Georgia, though, the night belonged to Smart, Stockton, Bolden, Phillips and a defense that handled the stage. The Bulldogs left Tuscaloosa with a bigger win than just a scoreline.
In Other News...
Georgias Win Was Just Overshadowed By An Ugly Alabama Tunnel Incident
Georgias 20-17 win over Alabama had plenty of football to unpack, from a strong rushing performance led by Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker to Gunner Stocktons work through the air. But the scene that lingered after the final whistle had nothing to do with the scoreboard. Near the stadium tunnel, Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson was confronted by an Alabama fan in an ugly postgame incident that quickly drew attention beyond the usual chaos of a big SEC night.
Reporter Reggie Chatman Jr. captured the exchange on video, calling it an unusual moment as the fan physically attacked Wilson by slapping and shoving his helmet. Witnesses said the fan also used a racially degrading term during the encounter, turning what should have been a hard-fought rivalry win into a jarring flashpoint. For Georgia, the victory still counts, but the aftermath was a reminder that the line between passion and misconduct can disappear in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Leak Puts Georgia's Biggest Win In A Different Light
The win over Alabama already had the feel of one of Georgias defining moments of the season, but the aftermath turned a private football setting into a public talking point. Two videos that reportedly show Kirby Smart speaking to the team before and after the game began circulating on social media, and both clips appear to have been recorded without anyones knowledge. Their authenticity has not been confirmed, but the release itself was a surprise given the private nature of the messages.
For Georgia, the larger issue is not what was said so much as how it became public in the first place. Coaches guard those pregame and postgame moments closely because they are meant for the locker room, not the timeline, and the appearance of secret recordings adds an uncomfortable layer to a victory that should have been remembered for the result on the field. The Bulldogs are left with a big win still fresh in the record book, even as the focus shifts to how and why those videos surfaced at all. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Had To Leave Tuscaloosa Like No Winning Team Should
Georgias trip out of Tuscaloosa came with an ugly scene after the win over Alabama, one that had little to do with football and everything to do with the emotions that can spill over when a big game turns. As the Bulldogs were leaving the field, some Alabama fans threw bottles and cans toward Georgia players and staff, forcing the visiting sideline to think about safety on the way off rather than the celebration in front of them.
Georgia coaches responded by telling players to keep their helmets on as they exited, a reminder of how quickly a postgame moment can turn tense after a heavyweight matchup. No injuries were reported, but the episode added a sour edge to an otherwise significant road victory, and it left Georgia heading home with one more thing to remember from Tuscaloosa beyond the result itself. [Read more 🡒]