Georgia Football: Discipline, one of the biggest differences since Kirby Smart took over

Since Georgia football changed head coaches, discipline is one thing that separates Kirby Smart and Mark Richt’s teams. How much of a difference does that make?

Georgia football hired Kirby Smart in December 2015 to take over the head coaching job from Mark Richt.

There has been a lot said recently about how alike  Richt and Smart started their careers at Georgia.

However, were they really all that similar? One of the big things that stuck out to me under Richt was the abundance of penalties.

The lack of discipline was obvious. Richt was quick to discipline a player that stepped out of line off the field, but he was soft on mistakes on it.

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In contrast, I’ve seen Smart reem a player for a mistake in a game where Georgia had a 30 point lead.

Smart cannot stand mental mistakes. In Smart’s three years as head coach, the team averaged11 penalties a game. Under Richt, those teams averaged 13.

Some seasons under Richt it was as high as 16 a game, which is a recipe for failure.

Richt’s teams also gave up an abundance of yards due to mistakes. In his 15 years at Georgia, his teams averaged 105 yards in penalties a game. That’s the equivalent of a free touchdown a game.

Since Smart took over that number is down to 87 yards a game. This change in discipline is one of the main reasons Smart has turned this team around and made them a championship contender.

Expectations are high for this Georgia team, and mental mistakes are one thing that could derail those expectations from coming to fruition.

With so many young players on the team, discipline will be a huge factor in how far this team can go. That’s why you want a guy at the helm that is as hard on them as Smart is.

Richt did a lot for Georgia football, and yes, his record and accomplishments are almost identical to Smart in his first three years. However, two of the most significant differences between the two are the team’s discipline and execution.

That is where Smart’s teams excel. It is why Georgia played in their first national championship for the first time in 36 years two years ago. Smart’s teams do not beat themselves, and that is why he continues succeeds.