Kirby Smart and many of UGA’s players celebrated after Saturday’s win over Florida as if the Bulldogs had won a national championship.
Then again, the outpouring of emotion was understandable, considering the tremendous pressure UGA was under on Saturday to win. The Bulldogs had to come out on top in order to remain in contention for (1) qualifying for the SEC Championship game, (2) a berth in the College Playoff, and – yes – (3) an appearance again in the national championship game.
On top of that, Florida is UGA’s most hated rival.
Back to Kirby: After a teary-eyed and emotional exchange with quarterback Jake Fromm in front of a live national TV audience, Smart did some interviews in the middle of the field. Once finished, he suddenly sprinted towards with stands and did a victory lap, celebrating with the UGA fans and exchanging high-fives with many of them.
Smart did the same routine after last year’s win — and also like last year numerous UGA players jumped into the stands to celebrate with the Bulldog supporters.
Perhaps the most impressive celebration move were gymnastic-like flips by UGA defenders Malik Herring and Richard LeCounte. Herring’s feat was truly admirable, as the junior defensive tackle weighs 280 pounds.
