ATHENS — Kirby Smart called out a lot of winners on his Georgia football team, but the biggest winner in the stadium on Saturday night was Smart himself.

Smart’s win at Bryant-Denny Stadium improved his career record to 123-21, a staggering .854 win percentage that ranks as the best by any coach in SEC history — this, in an era of parity like no other.

Smart improved his record against Alabama to 3-7, a common knock among some who don’t consider that the Tide’s wins over Georgia in 2017 and 2018 came with players Smart, himself, had helped recruit and develop while an assistant under Saban and Tuscaloosa.

More importantly, Smart has won the past two games versus the Tide (along with the most recent CFP championship matchup), beating Alabama 28-7 in the SEC championship game in December.

The wins provide momentum in what’s become a rivalry with the teams meeting 10 times in the past 10 years.

The Bulldogs’ head coach is too wise to make it about himself, but it’s safe to predict one day there will be a statue, and his feats will be more widely celebrated beyond the common and quickly spreading “King” Kirby nickname that color man and Bulldogs Live coaches’ show host Jeff Dantzler has recently been mentioning.

So while Alabama celebrates its legend, Nick Saban, on an ESPN special this week, Georgia fans have the benefit of seeing and enjoying their legend in the making each Saturday on the sideline while the Tide’s sits on a television stage with foot firmly planted in mouth this week.

Others ..

Winner: Gunner Stockton

It seems like a football forever ago that Stockton stepped in at halftime of Georgia’s 2024 SEC championship game against Texas with the team down 6-3 and 30 minutes of football ahead.

Stockton’s second half was more gritty than great, but reflecting back it makes his growth all the more impressive, when one considers the accurate passes he delivered in clutch situations in a hostile road environment with a No. 1-ranking on the line.

Loser: RB room depth

Impact Kentucky transfer Dante Dowdell was finished before he officially got started after an offseason ATV accident, then starter Nate Frazier suffered a rib injury in the fourth game of the season against Oklahoma and then touchdown-leader Chauncey Bowens suffered an apparent ankle injury against Vanderbilt.

Winner: Blake Stewart

The freshman safety from Woodward Academy made what might have been a game-saving play — and at the very least, a momentum-changing play — with 10:44 left and the scored tied 17-17 after Sacovie White-Helton muffed a punt return inside the UGA 10-yard line.

The ball bounded off White-Helton’s leg in the direction of four Alabama punt coverage players before Stewart alertly, fearlessly, dived head first atop the football.

It was one of only eight snaps Stewart got in the game — all on special teams on kick coverage and punt return — but it proved him an opportunistic player on the come up once again, as he already has an interception (Western Kentucky) and two PBUs in his limited snaps on defense.

Loser: Alabama football image

The Crimson Tide fans at Bryant-Denny Stadium have long been celebrated among the better hosts, but that quickly changed after the team’s disappointing and bitter loss to Georgia.

Some Alabama fans, perhaps with the reality of Kirby Smart completing his takeover of their SEC dynasty, threw objects at UGA players as they excited the field in a classless and dangerous display that won’t soon be forgotten.

Winner: Kalen DeBoer

DeBoer opened the week by giving Kirby Smart credit for building the Georgia up, adding that, “Obviously, this (Alabama) program wouldn’t be where it’s at with a lot of things he brought to it as well.”

Interestingly enough, for all the Nick Saban love ESPN has been spewing, little or no attention has been made of Smart being Saban’s right-hand man and bearing the brunt of recruiting and developmental duties while Saban directed traffic from above.

DeBoer did acknowledge he disagreed with the pass interference non-call after the game, but he did to make a big issue of it, and he opened his press conference praising the clutch play of Gunner Stockton.

Loser: Nick Saban

ESPN’s Nick Saban special began airing this week, and the former Alabama head coach who still draws a $500,000 annual paycheck from the school was certainly riding the high of all the attention.

Saban, however, took it too far when predicting Alabama would “dominate” Georgia, who he claimed had played nobody.

Oklahoma proved not to be too much of a nobody, beating Texas, and then the Bulldogs out-gained Alabama by more than 100 yards (455 yards to 346) en route to the win.

Winner: Glenn Schumann

The young Georgia coordinator has taken his lumps after his game plans against Ole Miss last season left much to be desired against the talented Trinidad Chambliss.

Alabama’s Keelon Russell presented the same sort of challenges, and Georgia’s defense was more often textbook than not in keeping Russell in the “trap” of the pocket.

The gifted Russell scrambled away for yards on occasions, but he was also sacked four times and had a costly fumble on Alabama’s opening drive the turned early momentum in UGA’s favor.

Schuman won the play-calling battle against the more celebrated and accomplished Alabama OC veteran Ryan Grubb, and in doing so added a page to the resume he’s building to one day become a head coach.

Loser Stephen A. Smith

Smith might want to stick to what he knows, which is professional sports, after he trumpeted that “I’m definitely higher on Keelon Russell,” because “Gunner Stockton is efficient, he’s good, but he ain’t Russell.”

Winner: KJ Bolden

Bolden is fast becoming a fan favorite with his brilliant, aggressive play, and he was on top of his game against Alabama in run support and pass coverage.

Bolden was first to arrive on the pivotal fourth-quarter sack on Russell that took Alabama out of field goal range and forced a punt that enabled UGA to run out the clock.

It was also Bolden on the spot on what some felt was a controversial pass interference non-call, but even if the flag had been thrown, Bolden’s play was touchdown saving and there was certainly no guarantee Alabama could have scored.

Bolden also delivered the blow on the Tide’s gifted receiver, Ryan Coleman-Williams, that led to a pass breakup, and Coleman-Williams’ need to seek recovery on the sideline in the physical game.

Winner: Dwight Phillips Jr.

Georgia’s Little Big Man provided a spark the Bulldogs needed to get their offense on track, gobbling yardage in chunks with his quick, electrifying and fearless style to the tune of 120 yards on 17 carries.

The 185-pound Phillips has been a work in progress, one that UGA strength coach Scott Sinclair celebrates for his hard work in adding “extra pounds, extra muscle” in his three years on campus.

Phillips has taken over as Georgia’s rushing (280 yards) and carries (37) leader through six games, something no one could have seen in the script when the season started with him as the No. 3 option behind Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens.

Smart called it a complete team effort against Alabama, where every contribution was needed, but especially Phillips against a Tide defense that entered the night No. 10 in the nation in rushing defense.