Kirby Smart says defense looked tired in first half vs. Auburn, wants to see run game improve
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are leading Auburn 17-3 on Saturday afternoon in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
But, like a truly elite coach, Smart isn’t satisfied with that performance from his Dawgs.
During his halftime interview, Smart said his defense looked tired and didn’t do a good enough job stopping the Tigers before the red zone:
Georgia’s late defensive stand helped the Bulldogs hang on to their 17-3 lead at the half. @JennyDell_ caught up with @GeorgiaFootball’s Kirby Smart at the break. pic.twitter.com/vtXeZHXVKa
— CBS Sports College Football ? (@CBSSportsCFB) October 9, 2021
“Thank goodness for red area,” he said. “Because right now, we’re struggling to stop them. They’re doing a good job of keeping us off-balance. We’re tired. I think both teams are a little tired and winded. We can’t be that way. We’ve got to get ourselves in better shape. We’ve got to be able to sustain drives on offense.
Offensively, Smart would like to see the run game improve to take pressure off of QB Stetson Bennett IV:
“We’ve got to be able to run the ball and take pressure off of him,” Smart said. “They’re doing a good job in the run game of putting people in the box and we’ve got to be able to hit some of our play-actions and shots.”
We’ll see if Georgia puts out an even more dominant effort in the second half.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.