Oh, this is something... In the immediate aftermath of the Georgia Bulldogs avenging their lone loss of the season to the Alabama Crimson Tide in Atlanta, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart ran into star Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson on the field to pay him his respects, as well as giving him a little bit of advice. You will want to buckle in to hear what Radi Nabulsi had to say about what all happened.
Nabulsi shared this over on Instagram that Smart took umbrage with the fact Simpson and some of the Alabama players took a piece from Georgia's precious hedges after their win in Athens earlier in the season. It was Georgia's first home loss since 2019. While Georgia did not do a great job of protecting their turf on that Saturday night, last Saturday night down in Atlanta was a different story.
Nabulsi then relayed what Smart told his players about the exchange he had with Simpson on the field. He started off by saying that he is a really good player and played his tail off in defeat for Alabama on Saturday. However, Smart then said he told Simpson to "Never f*****g touch our hedges again!" before heading to the locker room. He may not have said that, but his UGA players loved it!
Smart might be a bit of a jokester, but he is a master motivator and manipulator leading Georgia.
Kirby Smart told Ty Simpson to never touch Georgia's hedges again
Look. Nabulsi made it a point to say that Smart likes to kid around a good bit from time to time. Honestly, it is hard to imagine him saying something so scathing or in that tone to Simpson after a game in which Alabama got its collective ass kicked. Then again, Smart has a long memory. He can and will use anything as motivation. When opponents mess with the hedges, Smart will remember it.
Where things stand now, there is an outside shot that Georgia could conceivably face Alabama for a third time this year. Georgia is the No. 3 seed in the College Football Playoff, while Alabama is No. 9. Since Georgia and Alabama are on the other side of the playoff bracket, the only time they could potentially meet is in the national championship game in Miami. Alabama has to win three in a row...
For now, we may finally be starting to see the tide shift in Georgia's ongoing hammer vs. nail rivalry with Alabama. Kalen DeBoer may have gotten the first two over Smart, but Georgia got the one that counts, and the most recent. Georgia is back in the College Football Playoff for the fourth time in five years. They have won three of the last four SEC Championships, including two in a row as of 2025-26.
Smart may not have actually said it, but this message he relayed to his players carries a lot of weight.