The No. 4-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide secured a thrilling 41-34 victory over the No. 2-ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday night.
After trailing 28-0, the Bulldogs mounted an impressive comeback and even took a 34-33 lead with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe quickly responded with a 75-yard touchdown pass to freshman standout wide receiver Ryan Williams, dashing Georgia’s hopes for a miraculous win.
Here’s what Georgia head coach Kirby Smart had to say following his sixth loss to Alabama:
Kirby Smart Postgame Press Conference Transcript
Opening Statement:
“That was an incredible game. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I have great respect for Alabama, their team, and their fans. It was truly a tale of two halves. We weren’t prepared in the half, and that’s on first me. Our defense struggled, and we gave them short fields, which is tough against a quarterback like Milroe. I’m extremely proud of our team. At halftime, our coaches made solid adjustments, and the players stayed positive. I reminded them that I’ve seen worse deficits and we can come back. Now we need to focus on our next tough opponent.”
On what went wrong in the first half and the adjustments made:
“In the first half, we weren’t aggressive enough. We took risks that backfired, allowing them to capitalize on our mistakes. Milroe was 28-of-31 by halftime—hard to defend that. We had to choose between keeping him contained or giving him space to throw. In the second half, we tightened our coverage, made stops, and held onto the ball better on offense.”
On Ryan Williams
“Ryan is an exceptional player. Before the game, I mentioned we couldn’t do anything special to stop him because Milroe is so versatile. Ryan is fast and elusive, and we needed to challenge him more. Milroe is difficult to handle, especially when he’s making plays both through the air and on the ground.”
On facing Jalen Milroe:
“I was surprised by our turnovers in critical areas. We aimed to make Milroe beat us with his arm, but he proved us wrong by escaping pressure and making plays. He’s an outstanding athlete.”
On halftime messaging:
“We needed to focus on getting stops and playing play by play. We discussed communication, especially on third downs, which we struggled with. Those moments were crucial and costly.”
On Carson Beck’s performance:
“I didn’t see a significant change in Carson. We had to be aggressive in the second half, which opened things up. I’m proud of how he handled pressure, but he needs to protect the ball better. Some turnovers were not his fault, but he’ll learn from them.”
On assessing Alabama:
“They have great players and a strong program. I respect what they do. This was a tough battle, and I give them credit.”
On what he told the players postgame:
“I emphasized that they fought hard together, and I appreciate their resilience. We’ll learn a lot about ourselves as we move forward.”
On lessons learned about Alabama:
“We need to limit turnovers. We’ve been fortunate until now, but we flirted with danger today. Alabama is explosive, and we know that from experience.”
On the late touchdown that gave Georgia its first lead:
“It was a well-designed play that we anticipated. It was executed perfectly by Carson, and it took advantage of their aggressive safeties.”
On evaluating Georgia’s offense:
“It’s tough to assess after a game like this, especially when we fell behind early. We need better communication and execution, which is challenging in that environment.”
On Carson Beck’s turnovers:
“Pressure caused Carson to mishandle the ball. Turnovers were critical, and we needed to take risks, but we also have to minimize mistakes.”
On players’ motivation during the deficit:
“We’re not the type to give up. We work hard every day in practice, and that mentality carried over at halftime. The response was impressive.”
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