The SEC Championship loss to Alabama was still on Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s mind this week.

Smart spoke with Tony Barnhart — from TMG CollegeSports — about the pain of letting another potential win slip away against the Crimson Tide.

His words also recall a fond memory for many UGA fans, and that’s the subject of today’s DN90.

It’s obvious that Smart and the Bulldogs players intend to use the disappointment of how last season finished as a source of motivation this year. In fact, there’s already evidence UGA is well on its way to doing that.

Smart’s apparent reference to a legendary moment in UGA history is also a nice touch. Smart, an alumnus of UGA, obviously has great appreciation for the program he now leads. It’s one of many factors that makes him overwhelmingly popular with Georgia fans.

Those fans are also seemingly confident in him. They believe he can put a plan in place that will make the next meeting with Alabama — and Smart’s old boss Nick Saban — different than this past year’s SEC Championship and the national championship from the previous season.

As for Smart, it’s probably safe to assume he’s ready to stop talking about what happened in last season’s final games — including the flop to Texas in the Sugar Bowl.

The good news for him is the start of spring practice is just around the corner. That will give him an opportunity to literally and figuratively turn the page and keep the focus on how UGA plans to “do more” in 2019.

For more on what Smart told Barnhart and what he’s said previously about coming up short vs. Alabama, check out today’s edition of DN90 linked above.