AUSTIN, Texas — Even before kickoff, it was clear something felt different. When Georgia State came out for warmups and the whole team lined up, Jaron Walker stood alone in front of them, screaming. That was his usual routine, he told me later.
But it wasn’t just him. The body language of the entire team seemed more fixed.
In the words of their opponents, Georgia is back. You see it on the field, especially on defense, with Walker and company looking like a 2021 Georgia defense, quarterback Carson Beck and the offense looking like a 2021 Georgia offense, and in the imperfections. Yes, but it was good enough.
It would be extreme to point out that Saturday’s final score of 30-15 was a three-point difference from 33-18. So let’s not point that out.
Again, it would be a stretch to say that no one believed in Georgia State, which trailed by five points against the No. 1 team in the country. But Smart declared it first in an ABC postgame interview and then in a press conference.
“I was proud of the players,” Smart said. “No one gave us a chance. Everyone doubted us.”
Ah, there it is.
“Our entire program was in question,” Smart said. “Who watched this morning’s show? I was in a meeting and I got 8,000 text messages about it.”
What he meant was a show like the one on ESPN’s “College Gameday” when all four pickers — Desmond Howard, Lee Corso, Pat McAfee and Scottie Scheffler — chose Texas. It was meant in the singular.
“It’s tough not being able to see, but it just adds fuel to the fire,” Georgia tailback Trevor Etienne said. “So, we have everything we have, we have everything we need. That’s the mindset we have in this locker room.”
That’s what Smart’s program is all about. It thrives on disrespect. Look for it, and if you can’t find it, create it. Nolan Smith, the defensive captain of the 2022 team, loudly proclaimed that people picked him to finish 7-5 that year, but later confessed that he redeemed himself.
But the more Georgia won after that, the more difficult things got. And maybe that was the problem. Maybe that’s why something felt off this year, with the team trying to find their identity on and off the field.
By the way, it may not have been found yet. The defense against Texas was excellent, especially in the first half, and throughout the opener against Clemson, but there were a number of worrisome developments in between. The offense looked shaky against Texas, with just 4 yards per play and Beck’s three interceptions, but he’s improved when he’s been explosive this season, and he definitely will on Saturday. He made that kind of play when he had to.
“If we can put everything together, our best game is still there,” Beck said.
But the spiritual identity of this year’s team may finally be revealing itself. You could see that in the second half of the Alabama game, even in a loss. We watched the Bulldogs jump out to a 23-0 lead early against Texas. And we saw it again after a chaotic and controversial sequence that will remain in most people’s memories. It was a pass interference call that was reversed after a stoppage caused by a Texas fan throwing debris onto the field, and the Longhorns’ subsequent run for the win. 23-15.
“At Alabama, we knew we weren’t going to back down. We weren’t going to back down,” Smart said. “I don’t mean to guarantee a win or anything like that, but like I said, the momentum is gone. Everything’s gone. And then it’s third-and-12, or third-and-whatever, and Beck steps up and goes over the middle. I fired one shot at Aryan and things changed.”
Arian Smith opened downfield and Beck made a long gain. Then, on the very next play, offensive coordinator Mike Bobo delivered a double reverse flea flicker for another long gain.
Aggressive play calling is what Smart wants right now. This is a far cry from before 2021, when he was criticized for being too conservative on offense and not attacking on fourth down when he should have. Now, Smart may be taking it too far.
With just over two minutes left, leading 30-15 and facing a fourth-and-1 from his own 39, Smart opted to go for it rather than punt away, forcing the Texans up to get downfield. I used the clock. The call was botched, but Texas didn’t score any points anyway, and Smart had no regrets after that.
“What do you get in gaining 50 yards of field position and winning the game? We’re going to go for it every time,” Smart said. “If we have a chance to end the game with less than a yard, you want to expect our offense to do it, just like they did with the touchdown run to create it.”
That meant that instead of kicking a chip-shot field goal to create a two-possession lead, Smart made it fourth from the goal line and held on to a 23-15 lead. The decision paid off, as 330-pound guard Micah Morris became a fullback and helped clear the way for Etienne to get into the end zone.
Each of these decisions may involve analysis, intuition, etc. But all of that falls under Smart’s post-2021 philosophy of being the hunter, not the hunted, and sending a message to his team through proactive decisions.
Squib kick to start the second half? As it turns out, it was actually an accident. Peyton Woodring, who made a perfect field goal Saturday, narrowly missed the kickoff. Otherwise, Smart seems content to take chances and let his coordinators take chances and address some mistakes.
That, and the contempt card, is how Smart ran the program differently than Nick Saban. Differences in their personalities may explain why. While Saban barely knew how to use a computer, Smart has rabbit ears, knows what is being said about the team, and is keen to cherry-pick what will benefit the team.
In this era of megaconferences and the 12-team College Football Playoff, that might be a better bet. It will be much harder for one program to dominate like Alabama and Georgia have. This is likely the last of the Bulldogs’ 29-game winning streak, which ended last season. Texas got hit on the nail Saturday, but it’s still Texas. Alabama may be slipping, but it’s too early to draw conclusions. Tennessee, LSU, Texas A&M…this is a tough league and will continue to be this way.
You’ll need every edge. So Georgia, even with all of its talent, even if they give it their all, it’s going to depend on what works.
“Look, I know people think I’m playing a questionable role, but I don’t care about that at all,” Smart said. “No, I don’t think so, but it’s easier to say after the game. I don’t say that to the players. When we preach, ‘No one believes in me,’ no one believes in me.” I think so. However, our intentions were different. Our intentions when we walked on that field were completely different. ”
The “intention” has not been disclosed. Another buzzword used by smarts. But it was clear the intent was in effect Saturday. And we thought everything this team was working on mentally leading up to this game needs to be replicated going forward.
Georgia State re-emerged into national title contention on Saturday. It rejuvenated the season. But there’s still a lot left in the season. And it remains to be seen if we can get this Georgia team for the rest of the season.
Even Smart, who got philosophical Saturday, acknowledged that.
“I think we’re a very well-respected program and we have a really good team and we played some really good first halves,” he said. “We showed really good ability, we just need to be able to sustain it for a longer period of time.”
(Photo: Tim Warner/Getty Images)
