Georgia Football: Top takeaways from SEC Championship Victory

Kirby Smart can coach…

Last year, Kirby Smart had some difficult moments. There were several coaching decisions that he made that simply didn’t work out. At times he looked like the person he was, a first-year head coach still learning the ropes.

What a difference a year makes. Smart is known for being relentless in his pursuit of excellence. He applies that to himself as well as his team and we’re seeing the results this year. He has clearly spent a lot of time learning from mistakes that he made and his decision making has been much better.

In the first half, Smart sent out Brice Ramsey, his no.3 QB, and part-time punter when UGA was 4th and short. Nobody knew what was going to happen and so Gus Malzahn panicked and called a timeout. Smart then punted normally, satisfied that he has stolen a valuable timeout from his opponent.

His gameplan this week on both sides of the ball was excellent. Jim Chaney called the best game of his career and Mel Tucker’s unit again excelled. Once again, Smart and his coaches showed the football world that things have changed at UGA.

The pursuit of excellence that Smart values applied throughout this football program. It’s great to see the man at the top get better at his job because of his effort and a desire to learn. That’s the kind of mentality players respond to because it’s genuine. He holds himself accountable. It’s why Smart can look guys in the eye and ask for more. Georgia looks like it’s found the head coach its fans were looking for.