The Georgia football team picked up a huge win at Alabama on Saturday night, 20-17. It was the first time that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart won in Tuscaloosa with the Bulldogs. Smart opened up about what the victory meant to him and his program.
“I've been in a bunch of those with them, and they all seem similar,” Smart said, per ESPN. “Physical game, back and forth, critical calls, critical situations. At the end of the day, our quarterback played well enough for us to win. We scored enough points to win. It was a really extremely physical football game. I have a lot of respect for Alabama, a lot of respect for Coach [Kalen] DeBoer and a lot of respect for their team and how they play.”
The last time Georgia won in Tuscaloosa was in 2007, when the Bulldogs had Matthew Stafford at quarterback. Georgia had lost their previous five regular-season meetings with Alabama, before Saturday's win.
Smart credited his former boss, Nick Saban, following Georgia's win Saturday. Saban had coached at Alabama for many years. That 2007 Alabama loss was during Saban's first season coaching the Crimson Tide.
“We haven't played here much,” Smart said. “In 2007, I was here on the other side. How many times have we played since then? Three? We're 1-2. What is everybody else? This is a hard place to play. I don't judge my happiness or success on how we play Alabama. We've got a lot of respect for this place. Nick taught me a lot.”
Article Continues BelowIt was an emotional night. Following the game, Georgia players were pelted by objects from Alabama fans. With the win, Georgia is in sole possession of first place in the SEC standings.
Georgia next plays Auburn on Saturday. The Bulldogs are 6-0 on the season. Alabama meanwhile fell to 5-1 on the campaign with the loss.