ATLANTA — The expectations were high for new Georgia coach Kirby Smart, what with the Bulldog Nation waiting and watching with baited breath to see if all the hype of the past nine months was all worth it.
Smart, hired from Alabama to take over for Mark Richt last December, has said and done many of the right things you would hope to see from the new face of the program.
There was only one thing left for Smart to prove, and it was no small detail for sure:
Could he actually coach and manage an entire team with all the nuances that go into being a head coach and not just a coordinator worrying about only one area?
Based on Saturday’s 33-24 win for the Bulldogs over North Carolina, where they rallied from 10-points down in the second half, Smart and his staff get a passing grade in my book.
How did it feel for Smart himself? He gave his impression in his postgame interview.
“It’s a great feeling but it’s just one game, and to be honest with you, it was really weird,” he said. “You know, comedy of errors, flipping over on the headphones, trying to figure out who I’m talking too because I didn’t have to do that before. That was different.
“Trying to find the special teams; not feeling like I’m coaching my players because I’ve always thought that was my best asset. Trying to stay positive and not get down on the guys. So it was a unique experience for me that I’ll build on and learn from.”
There were some issues, to be sure.
For instance, why even bother kicking to the Tar Heels TJ Logan, one of the nation’s best kickoff returners? Logan turned a raucous red-dominated Georgia Dome nearly into a funeral parlor after his electrifying 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half.
With all the talk about a deep and talented tight end spot, and new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s supposed love with using the position in the passing game, only four balls were targeted to that group the entire game (1 catch, 1 drop, 2 overthrows). I know the run game was dominating behind Nick Chubb, but it never hurts to keep defenses honest.
But after the kickoff return, and allowing the Tar Heels to go 75 yards in a 1:43 span and run out to a 24-14 lead on their next possession, this was a game that Georgia would have folded up the tent in recent years. Smart and his staff, however, found a way to rally the troops and close out the final 21 minutes outscoring North Carolina 19-0 to earn a win in his debut.
Said Smart: “(The coaching staff) challenged the guys and pushed them and they knew it was the things we were doing. It wasn’t what (North Carolina) did. It’s what we did. We were doing something wrong.
“We really believe that when we play right and everybody does their job that teams can’t (dictate the action) to us. We just have to focus on doing (our jobs) and not focus on the outcome of 10 points down or however many points we’re down. Keep chopping wood, and they really did a nice job of that.”
Whatever thoughts or doubts anyone may have had about Smart and whether Georgia made the right call on sending Richt packing and bringing in a fresh face and perspective, we all just got our answer.
In his 11-seasons under the tutelage of Nick Saban, Smart learned about excellence and how the constant pursuit of it will ultimately lead you where you want to go from the best there is. It’s a small sample size -- just one game as he said -- but what a breath of fresh air and perspective already. No excuses, no trying to paint a positive spin.
Now, how will he handle his next big challenge, taking on a Nicholls team next week in Sanford Stadium. The Dogs are sure to be huge favorites and of course there is all the trappings of home openers and knowing the entire Bulldog Nation will be watching to see if he really is the real deal or just benefitting from one 21-minute outburst.
We’ll see.
