The crazy battle of dominance that the Bulldogs put up in the final quarter on Saturday night was nothing less than an absolute rollercoaster. Yet, their rivals flipped the script against them in the final minutes, with Alabama trailing seven points ahead of Georgia's lead.
Alabama barely held on to win 41-34.
It was a tough day for the Bulldogs, but an even tougher one for head coach Kirby Smart. One particular stat looks especially hurtful for Smart. Georgia started off slowly, too slowly for their fans' liking, and it was the slowest start from Georgia's team in years.
Breezing into halftime, Alabama's flawless performance earned them a 30-7 lead over Georgia. Bama's 23-point lead was the largest halftime deficit Smart has faced since his initial games as Georgia's newly appointed head coach in 2016.
The last time Georgia suffered this badly was on Sept. 24, 2016, when Hugh Freeze's Ole Miss team led the Dawgs 31-0 at the halftime break.
Surely one rough game shouldn't set Smart back to the dark ages.
Georgia also trailed unranked Kentucky at halftime
Shifting to Georgia's previous matchup against Kentucky, Smart walked into the locker room with a halftime deficit of 6-3.
As Derek Peterson of Saturday Down South explains, "Saturday’s game marked the first since 2016 in which Georgia has trailed at the half in consecutive games. That season, by the way, was the first in the Kirby Smart era."
Additionally, "Georgia has trailed at the half in a game only 12 times in the last five years (17% of all games)."
Georgia's game against The Crimson Tide was a nightmare. Without a doubt, Carson Beck appeared lost during the game, throwing 3 interceptions and fumbling the ball in a key spot in the second half. Considering the playoffs and the rest of the season, Smart and the Dawgs need to step it up or face serious consequences.
