Georgia football has the perfect mindset to stay successful

Georgia football hosted the media on Monday, where head coach Kirby Smart and a few players discussed the upcoming matchup against South Carolina.

Smart and his players did not hold back either. It’s very clear that the lackluster performance against Samford made them angry, and the blinders have gotten put on for the remainder of the season. The head coach made it very known that the team does not care about being No.1 in the country and won’t until the end of the season.

There is no trash-talking, and while some may take a few of what got said on Monday as bulletin board material, it isn’t. Some may find a way to spin it that way, but it won’t work. What these players and coaches said is how they think. This mindset is part of the culture in Athens.

The focus this group has is unbelievable and so important to the success of this program. When these guys shut down the outside noise, it can get ugly for their opponents.

Georgia football has a no-nonsense mindset for the remainder of the 2022 season.

Smart has a standard, but it’s also the player leaders that take it to the next level to implement mottos and the right mindsets. Georgia was a bit flat on Saturday against Samford, and when Smart said he wasn’t happy, the first thought was, this week will be hell at practice.

He knows just how much talent this group possesses, and after the 2021 national championship run, Smart knows how what it’ll take to go all the way — so the hammer will come down this week.

"We’ve had a pretty good identity around here for along time about being really physical. And the message might be tweaked game to game, year to year,” Smart said in his press conference. “But we hope the results and the process is the same. Because we don’t really change the approach based on who we play, based on scoreboard, based on anything. So the focus is on us. And that doesn’t change.”"

Georgia’s identity is infectious, and one that anyone associated with the program knows. However, the mottos and mantras differ each season.

Smart and his coaching staff build the foundation, but the players have to help build it each season because they are the ones who execute the game plans and the ones who make that success happen on the field. The coaches obviously help too, but it pays off in massive ways when they get those players to believe in themselves and the team’s message.

These mottos are clear, and starting center Sedrick Van Pran gave a little insight into what it is now.

"“Our biggest thing lately has been, ‘Nobody cares about your feelings.’ At the end of the day, whether you’re hurt, you are tired from class, nobody really cares,” Sedrick Van Pran said. “At the end of the day, you’re expected to do your job and that’s just what it is.”"

That statement is so true. The outside noise and everything else is just that — noise. What matters is holding each other accountable, making sure Georgia remains focused and knowing it’s about the team, no one else.

This mindset is perfect because the media, opposing fans, and Georgia’s fans can say whatever they want — it will not affect the team. They know working hard produces results, but so does connection. If Georgia can come together as one, focus on themselves and quit caring about what the outside noise tells them — greatness awaits.

Georgia football has talent, and after the first two weeks, the Dawgs have shown the world that they can be downright scary. This week will be a test, and reminding themselves of this motto will only help them come back to Athens with a big win over South Carolina.