As a player, Kirby Smart once coached up an opposing QB after sacking him
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Kirby Smart coached long before he was a coach
Kirby Smart is a coach to his core. His father Sonny, a long-time high school coach in Georgia, once said Kirby “was like a coach on the field from the time he was 10.” And that coach’s intuition served him well from Pop Warner to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and everywhere in between.
Case in point, this anecdote from former Mississippi State quarterback Matt Wyatt, host of Head to Head Radio and an analyst for Mississippi State football broadcasts. During a spot on the Chuck Oliver Show on Tuesday, Wyatt relayed a story about Smart from Georgia’s 38-19 win against Mississippi State in 1996. Transcription from Dan Mathews of Gridiron Now:
“I was sacked by none other than Kirby Smart,” said Wyatt, who said the then-Georgia safety also passed along a tip.
“He actually said to me after the play something along the lines of, ‘You should have thrown hot,’” Wyatt said. “We both laughed right there on the field because I said, ‘You’re a safety! You don’t know what that means.’ ”
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“A Final Look …”
Over the last few days, Chip Towers and Seth Emerson of DawgNation have a final look back at the National Championship Game with a series of post appropriately titled “A Final Look.” Although it can be painful to relive these memories, a lot of valuable insight can be gleaned from analysis of that heartbreaking loss to Alabama. Links to posts in the series are provided below.
- Imagine if Georgia had pulled out a win against Alabama for the national title
- Yes, Big Ten officials definitely hurt Georgia’s cause in championship game
- Penalty in National Championship Game took away Tyler Simmons’ chance at immortality
- Georgia’s 1982 team knows exactly what 2017 team is feeling
- Members of Georgia’s 1982 team don’t see slip coming for current Dawgs after title game loss
- How will history remember 2017 Georgia Bulldogs?
Derek Ogbeide is excelling as a substitute
Georgia hoops’ NCAA Tournament chances are still slim, though it received major boosts with wins against Florida and Tennessee in the last week. Those could be valuable wins when the selection committee analyzes Georgia’s resume. After going 2-8 in their previous 10 games, how were Mark Fox and the Dawgs able to right the ship and beat two of the best teams in the SEC?
One potential answer is the deployment of junior forward Derek Ogbeide, who moved to the bench a few weeks ago after starting 67 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season. From Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald:
Ogbeide provided a spark in back-to-back wins last week, recording double-doubles against Florida and Tennessee, just the fourth and fifth of his career. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds in an overtime victory against the Gators and tied his season-high with 16 points to go along with a season-high 11 rebounds in a 73-62 win against the Volunteers.
“I didn’t necessarily have to get into a new frame of mind, just really try to get into a better frame of mind,” Ogbeide said. “Definitely, I embraced it. It’s a new role and I’m actually quite comfortable with it, coming off the bench. I really don’t mind it all. I’m very comfortable with it.”
When nothing is going right, sometimes a small shakeup can change one’s fortunes. Ogbeide will get another opportunity to prove his worth as a super-sub Wednesday night when the Dawgs travel to South Carolina for a virtual must-win game. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SEC Network.
Dawgs on Twitter
Cemented. In. History. The 2018 #RoseBowl plaque has been installed at the @RoseBowlStadium in the Court of Champions! @FootballUGA @OU_Football pic.twitter.com/hghBxk3HKl
— Rose Bowl Game (@rosebowlgame) February 20, 2018
Caliya Robinson had a big game in yesterday's win over the Ole Miss Rebels!#GoDawgs | #EarnYours pic.twitter.com/t4SJQCj6LN
— Georgia Basketball (@UGA_WBB) February 20, 2018
Quick note on Yante Maten. He is 20 points away from Vern Fleming as Georgia’s third all-time leading scorer, 31 points away from Alec Kessler for No. 2. pic.twitter.com/IdRQ07BAkG
— Anthony Dasher (@AnthonyDasher1) February 20, 2018
Good dog
BREAKING: We have an update on the pony-riding dog.
What kind of dog and pony show are you running here?
this one. pic.twitter.com/uoFtTiODIP
— Baby Animals (@BabyAnimalPics) February 20, 2018
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