Kirby Smart explains how he gets the guts to 'steal a possession' with a fake FG or punt
Fake special teams plays didn’t work out well for Georgia in big games last season. A fake field goal at LSU, and a fake punt against Alabama both ended poorly. Georgia also attempted a failed fake field goal last year against Auburn in a win.
So given that Georgia is facing another big game this week against LSU in the SEC Championship Game, coach Kirby Smart was asked where he gets the guts to call those kinds of plays.
“I think you just work on things. You always look for an advantage, no different than Geoff Collins last week at Georgia Tech,” Smart said. “If I get an opportunity to steal a possession, because I think someone’s unsound, or not ready for something, you try to give your kids a chance to win. You saw it last weekend in Auburn and Alabama, not a trick play, but a maneuver to get an extra possession, they gained an extra possession at the right time. That’s big.”
Smart seemed comfortable with doing it in almost any game provided the conditions were right.
“Any time you can find some advantage, some ability to do that, it’s important to do it,” he said. “Just got to be calculated, got to understand why you’re doing it, and you hopefully are going to be successful at it, otherwise, it doesn’t look real good.”
The SECCG fake punt was a pretty solid idea, it was just executed poorly and too slowly. He should’ve called a timeout, but the issue is that Fields took too long to get the snap off and then tucked and ran it immediately even though there was a man crossing the field who was nearly open.
This is true. He had Hardman if he stood tall and trusted the blocking. What gets me is he should have known he HAD to throw it. The only thing he couldn’t do is try an run. He had no chance of making it.
The moment was too big at the time and he took too long. Once ball was snapped he ran. He was given a chance to make history but being wide eyed freshman he blew it. I don’t know if Kirby should have trusted him. In 2012 it worked but wasn’t freshman or quarterback.