ATHENS — Kirby Smart’s postgame speech after Georgia beat South Carolina 40-13 was riveting.
“We’re not practicing to beat somebody,” Smart said, “We’re practicing to beat everybody!”
The coach of the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs spoke with passion, praising his players in the locker room, but also, challenging them to improve.
“Look guys, it was anticlimactic because the game was probably over in the third quarter, you guys did a helluva job putting them away,” Smart said. “I still don’t think the second half that we did what we wanted to do. What we did do was play with some effort and run around and play hard.
“But when I turn this tape on, we can get better.”
Smart warned his team not to believe people who start talking up the Bulldogs as an unbeatable force.
“Trust me guys, do not fall victim to the disease that we’re too good and we can’t be beat,” Smart said. " AD, don’t believe them, they are gonna tell you that. Jermaine, don’t believe them, they are gonna tell you that.
“They are gonna tell you that guys!”
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Georgia is a 35-point favorite in its noon game at Vanderbilt on Saturday, but after that, the Bulldogs play host to Arkansas at noon the following Saturday and then travel to play at Auburn.
Smart said on the SEC teleconference that his postgame message was consistent with what he tells his players each week.
“We talk about that all the time, we practice against ourselves every day, and we think when we practice against ourselves, that we’re a pretty good football team,” Smart said. “That’s why we do so much good on good in practice.
“That’s our motto for every day of practice. What are you preparing for, what’s your purpose, and why are you doing it? That’s regardless of who we play.”
Former Georgia player Ben Cleveland confirmed that during an interview with DawgNation last spring.
“It’s like your favorite pregame song,” Cleveland said, asked about Smart’s motivational talks. “It makes you want to put your helmet on and run through a brick wall.
“You get that every day at practice, you are bound to be successful.”
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Smart concluded his Wednesday message by saying, “It’s not about South Carolina, it’s not about Clemson, it’s not about UAB, it’s about us, that’s our preparation mindset.”
