Five UGA wins during Kirby Smart era that are worth rewatching while inside
After a while, the question grew old to Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. He’d get it before facing most SEC opponents.
Was last season’s game a defining win for this program’s trajectory?
His answer, nearly every time, would be the same. Smart deflected it by saying there are a lot of wins that are program-defining in their own way. He’s entering the fifth year as head coach at his alma mater, and there are a handful of special victories. He’s right.
There have been thrillers, blowouts, individual performances and season finishes that haven’t happened in decades. Some of them even etched their place in Georgia’s history books. Smart has taken the Bulldogs to another level through the early years of his tenure, and some games are worth rewatching time-and-time again due to their place in program lore.
To open up Smart’s fifth season, let’s revisit five memorable Bulldog victories. These are viable options to rewatch while staying home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
5. Georgia vs. Auburn (2016): Bulldogs win 13-7 at Sanford Stadium
There were no two ways about it: Georgia had itself in the finishing stages of a disappointing season. All of the hype surrounding Smart’s hire had temporarily dimmed with four losses, and the critics came alive.
Once the sun set over the stadium’s southwest corner Nov. 12, Georgia began to write a new tale. The trajectory of the program might’ve flipped that night. It might’ve taken a few more wins for that to occur. Nonetheless, the excitement around Georgia football returned with a win over arch-rival Auburn — the first of four wins over the Tigers in Smart’s four years at the helm.
Georgia narrowly knocked off its first top-10 giant under Smart, and a graduate transfer pulled off the heroics. A pick-six from safety Maurice Smith tied the game, then the Bulldogs’ defense rose to the occasion to shut the Tigers out through the second half.
4. Georgia vs. Florida (2019): Bulldogs win 24-17
After a few years of somewhat-lopsided finishes, something felt different in the latest installment of the Georgia-Florida rivalry. It felt like it had returned.
The two teams, both nationally-prominent contenders again, were vying for the coveted SEC East title. Every fan in the 50-50 split crowd probably felt like their team had a chance to pull it out, too. That’s not for any crisp offensive showings, of course.
The teams exchanged defensive blows through three quarters, but Georgia had a slight edge. Florida claimed a fourth-quarter advantage, but the Bulldogs cemented victory once the infamous Lawrence Cager “would’ve played with a broken leg” game came to life. He hauled in a 52-yard touchdown pass — part of a 132-yard performance after missing the previous game with an injury.
3. Georgia vs. Auburn (2017 — SEC Championship): Bulldogs win 21-7
Georgia got its sweet, sweet revenge on that night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Bulldogs won a conference title for the first time since 2005 and avenged an ugly 40-17 road loss to Auburn a few weeks prior.
An 84-yard touchdown run by D’Andre Swift capped off the victory, but a few exhilarating plays — including a field-goal block by DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle — made for one of the most-thrilling championship victories for Georgia in quite some time.
2 (tie): Georgia vs. Notre Dame (2017 and 2019)
How can you choose? Georgia’s sweep of Notre Dame brought a different level of nostalgia and thrill over these two games. Ironically enough, they both played out in similar fashion.
Those first memories were written in South Bend for the Bulldogs’ first-ever visit. Then-freshman quarterback Jake Fromm got his first start, Davin Bellamy had his victory-clinching forced fumble and wide receiver Terry Godwin had a one-handed catch that he probably still hears about to this day. Georgia shaped its path toward winning ways with a 20-19 win inside a nearly-split road stadium.
After a year off, the teams rematched in an atmosphere that could rival any inside Sanford Stadium. Every moment that Saturday felt special and unique. There were fans packed onto the bridge, millions of viewers tuned in for a prime time game and all eyes were set on the championship-contending Bulldogs. After UGA held a seemingly-comfortable lead, Notre Dame rallied and it took one last defensive stand. Once two newcomers combined for the winning sack, Georgia won 23-17 and players mobbed the student section for an unforgettable scene on their home turf.
1. Georgia vs. Oklahoma (2017): Bulldogs win 54-48 in double overtime
Even though the Bulldogs fell short in the following week’s title game, the Rose Bowl victory cannot be dismissed. It’ll always be remembered as one of Smart’s most iconic wins as head coach.
Oklahoma looked like a runaway train under Heisman quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Sooners jumped out to a 31-17 halftime lead, but Georgia’s seniors then made their choice to hold off on the NFL Draft worth it. Running back Nick Chubb rattled off a long touchdown run, Fromm (still a freshman) didn’t play fazed in an offensive shootout and Georgia had a chance. But it would take an extra period — or two.
A blocked field goal by Lorenzo Carter led to the play that everybody knows. A direct snap to running back Sony Michel allowed the senior to scamper for a 25-yard score around left end. On that night, Georgia had arrived and had a chance for a national championship for the first time in nearly 40 years.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
▪ Georgia at Kentucky (2018): A strong defense and rushing heroics by Swift put the Wildcats and Benny Snell mania to sleep. Kentucky, with a chance at a division title, looked overmatched on its home field and lost 34-17. Georgia walked out of Lexington as SEC East champions.
▪ Georgia at Tennessee (2017): This is a fan-favorite, and a 41-0 final score proves why excitement still remains from this rout. From the outset, Georgia looked like it could dominate at Neyland Stadium and didn’t let up. Tennessee had no shot, and UGA began a path of destruction through the SEC East.
▪ Georgia and the five teams it held to single digits (2019): Make this a tribute to Georgia’s defense last season, because it resembled some of the best defenses in school history. A 30-6 season-opening win over Vanderbilt served as a sampling to the five single-digit performances the Bulldogs’ defense would post. Georgia allowed a total of 13 points and had three shutouts against Arkansas State, Kentucky, Missouri, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.
This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 8:24 AM.