Coach Smart’s Bulldogs Salvage the Season

Kirby needed a big victory and so did the fan base. Time was running out on this season. It was looking like the ‘Dogs were about to go winless against SEC competition at Sanford Stadium, if they couldn’t beat Auburn. And then, there would have been some explaining to do.

 

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart celebrates with safety Quincy Mauger (20) after defeating Auburn 13-7 in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart celebrates with safety Quincy Mauger (20) after defeating Auburn 13-7 (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

However, the Bulldogs delivered just in time. Got Kirby that first-season, signature win he can now sell on the recruiting trail. It also gets some of the Bulldog Nation off his back a little. In case you hadn’t noticed, there was some criticism of the hire, both at the coffee shop & on The Fan’s Buck & Kincade Show.

It turns out Auburn was sort of a “Paper Tiger.” They were vulnerable, with injuries impacting both running back and quarterback. Probably hit Athens thinking highly of themselves and a bit overconfident.

Give Georgia’s defense some credit. Mel Tucker’s group played the run tough. The young D-Line won a lot of individual battles on the line of scrimmage. Reggie Carter stepped in and played tough at inside linebacker. Maurice Smith made the play of the game, with that Pick-6 score. *Check out our website 680thefan.com to see a video blog regarding this play.

Jim Chaney’s game-plan was wide-ranging and a bit bold, but it only produced two field goals. At least he tried to throw the kitchen sink at them. Auburn’s D-Line won the battle on this side of the ball, obviously. That makes it tough on the play-caller.

There were not many holes to hit, but Nick Chubb enjoyed a bounce-back game. He ran tough and got some yards after contact. He appeared to be a man on a mission, coming off that 2-fumble game against Kentucky.

Jacob Eason played a solid game. He protected the football. Threw it away some and that was good to see. He made some nice throws into some tight windows too. Man, he’s got a big arm. Jacob has some confidence and chemistry with his 2 freshman sidekicks: both Nauta & Ridley are seeing the ball come their way now.

Kirby Smart needed a big win like this, before the season ended. He can sell this on the recruiting trail. The message: We need your talent at Georgia & we are capable of beating Top 10 teams moving forward.

It looks like that message could deliver a large O-Line class, which is desperately needed. This will be Kirby’s first full-cycle class and for the Bulldogs to be successful moving forward, this class needs to be loaded with top talent. Stay tuned. Looks like help is on the way.

– Buck Belue
Co-Host, “Buck and Kincade”
680 The Fan
@buckbelue8

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