You’d normally expect a head coach to coast through a postgame press conference after a 70-20 win. Kirby Smart didn’t come close to that mood.
Even with Georgia putting up 70 points against Western Kentucky, Smart spent his time on the podium pointing out everything that bothered him. His frustration came through clearly, and he finished his list of issues with “not ready to play in the SEC”.
That reaction came after a game in which Georgia kept piling up numbers. The Bulldogs scored more than 60 points for the second straight week, and their 133 combined points through two games are the third-most ever by any college football team. Against Tennessee State and Western Kentucky, Georgia outscored those opponents 84-9 in the first half alone.
The first half against the Hilltoppers was about as clean as Georgia could have wanted. Gunner Stockton and the starters were sharp, and the defense came out looking vicious.
The tone changed once the backups took over.
Georgia’s second half was messy, and Smart made no secret that it got under his skin. Backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi lost a fumble with a little more than a minute left in the first half. In the third quarter, Blake Stewart intercepted a pass, then fumbled near the goal line on the return before Tyriq Green recovered it for a chaotic touchdown.
The defense, largely filled out by reserves, also gave up a late touchdown drive to close the first half, capped by a 15-yard touchdown run from Western Kentucky quarterback Brock Glenn. Then, at the end of the fourth quarter, the Hilltoppers found the end zone again.
Western Kentucky moved the chains too often against Georgia’s second unit. Six of the Hilltoppers’ eight third-down conversions came against the backups, and their lone fourth-down conversion also came against that group. The push Georgia’s offensive line created early on wasn’t there later.
Still, the second half wasn’t without a couple of big plays. Puglisi broke free for a 70-yard touchdown run, topping even the career long of Stetson Bennett IV. Tyriq Green also ripped off a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first such score for Georgia since 2016.
Smart’s irritation makes sense when you look at what’s coming next. Georgia’s depth is going to matter once conference play begins, and the standard has to stay high no matter who is on the field. The Bulldogs will need to be sharper than they were here.
That message will be part of the week’s work as Georgia prepares to travel to Fayetteville for a matchup with Arkansas. It will be the Bulldogs’ first SEC road game of the season, and while Arkansas is viewed as a bottom-tier SEC team, the competition is about to look a lot tougher than it has through Georgia’s first two games.
That’s why Smart’s postgame edge stood out. In a 50-point win, he still sounded like a coach who saw plenty to fix. That says plenty about where Georgia is aiming to be.
In Other News...
Georgia Finally Granted A Fan Wish That Had Sanford Buzzing
The buzz around Sanford Stadium on Saturday had less to do with the opponent and more to do with what Georgia was wearing. For the first time in program history, the Bulldogs took the field in an all-white uniform, a look that had been teased and officially unveiled in early August before making its debut in Week 2 against Western Kentucky.
The rollout traced back to a deal Kirby Smart made with fans, tied to signups for the programs NIL collective, Glory Glory. Once the reveal became real, the reaction around the stadium was immediate and positive, adding a little extra energy to a game day that already had plenty of curiosity attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Receiver Depth Suddenly Has A New Concern Fans Need To Watch
Thomas Blackshears status is worth watching a little more closely now after the Georgia wide receiver sat out the game against Western Kentucky with a wrist injury and was seen in a cast. Kirby Smart said Blackshear is recovering, and the injury comes on top of a groin issue he has been managing since fall camp, adding another layer of concern to a receiver group that has been trying to build depth behind its more established options.
Blackshear had already begun to chip in during earlier games, which is part of why his absence stands out for a young receiving room Georgia has been counting on to develop. With the Bulldogs still sorting out roles at the position, any health setback for a promising underclassman becomes a storyline, and Blackshears availability will be one of the details to monitor as the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia's First Half Felt Like A Statement For More Than One Reason
Georgia did not waste time turning Saturday into a showcase. In the first half alone, the Bulldogs piled up 49 points, matching a school record for most points in one half since 1950, and did it with a kind of balance that suggested more than a hot start. Gunner Stockton was sharp from the opening series, completing 13 of 16 passes for 234 yards while spreading the ball around, and Georgias offense needed only 34 plays to produce 343 yards and a flood of touchdowns.
The defense and special-teams edge only sharpened the picture. Georgia forced two turnovers, WKU managed just 6 points and 63 yards on 35 plays, and multiple Bulldogs found the end zone in a half that looked less like a routine September surge and more like a reminder of how high the ceiling can be when everything clicks. Stockton also tied a school record with five first-half touchdown passes, leaving the rest of the day to wonder whether the early statement was the story, or just the opening chapter. [Read more 🡒]