After watching final play against Vols, Smart says 'every kid on the field executed their job'

Sometimes, the other team just makes a play.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart certainly believes that’s the case after re-watching the final play of Tennessee’s 34-31 victory over the Bulldogs on Saturday. The play, called “odd four deep check jump last play,” was run to try and prevent Tennessee from completing a desperation pass, which ended up complete from Joshua Dobbs to Jauan Jennings. into the end zone with only four seconds remaining in the game.

After looking at the play, Smart said everyone was in position — or least tried to be — to prevent the touchdown. It just didn’t work out.

“To be honest, every kid on the field executed their job,” Smart said. “We got a little boxed out by (Jennings), but it wasn’t like you can watch the play and say ‘This guy didn’t do what I told him to do.’ We got out-jumped and he timed his jump a lot better than we did, which I think everybody saw.”

The objective of the play was for the four defensive backs, assigned to each of the receivers running to end zone, to box out their targets. Outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter was the deep safety, whose objective was to knock the ball down at its highest point if came near. Georgia had three of the receivers fronted. One, Jennings, was able to find space in the end zone and make a play.

The main reason for this was that Deandre Baker was inadvertently bumped out of the play by safety Quincy Mauger. Baker was right behind Jennings before getting knocked away, which kept the Tennessee receiver from being fronted.

“That’s just one of those things that happened on accident,” defensive back Maurice Smith said. “(Jennings) made a hell of a play. But honestly, I don’t think he should have been in that position.”

And while Carter was the deep safety, he ended up behind Mauger and safety Dominick Sanders, who were standing directly behind Jennings. With Baker unable to front Jennings, the 6-foot-3 receiver was able to gain position and grab the ball at its highest point.

Georgia elected to rush only three defenders on the play, which is a decision Smart has also stood by. He did acknowledge there are different defensive philosophies for the situation.

Some teams may decide to rush four or five and force a quicker throw, and possibly one on the move. But then that would require sending someone like Carter to the quarterback and not having height to defend the pass in the end zone.

The final decision came down wanting to defend Tennessee’s ability to go vertical. While Georgia’s defenders did their part to be in position, and with Baker inadvertently moved out of it, Tennessee was still able to come down with the game-winner.

“That’s what we practiced. That’s what we practiced in camp,” Smart said. “That’s what we walk through. That’s what we do every Thursday. We just simply went with our philosophy. We believed and trusted in that. That’s not to say it’ll be the same all the time, by all means.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2016 at 2:31 PM with the headline "After watching final play against Vols, Smart says 'every kid on the field executed their job'."