Say what you will about Mark Richt, he absorbed one lesson early on: beat Georgia Tech’s ass. After all, his predecessor was canned in part for presiding over a three-game losing streak to the hated Jackets.
Tech never threatened Richt’s job, as he amassed a remarkable 13-2 record against the in-state rival. It’s Georgia’s best stretch in the history of the series.
But Mark Richt isn’t there now, and the question becomes what does his successor do?
Now Smart is a native of the state and played at Georgia, so you’d think hate would come easily. But the Process doesn’t have much time for that… um, shit.
“It’s a lot of people split down the line when it comes to this game, a lot of passion and energy goes into this game on both sides of it,” Smart said Monday. “We tell our kids all the time: You’re remembered by what your senior class does and what your record is against Georgia Tech. So I think the same case as any rivalry. You’ve got to keep it within the grasp of your emotions. You play with emotion, but you’ve got to play with controlled emotion. You’ve got to make good decisions on the field. You’ve got to prepare well.”
Sounds almost clinical. This sounds a little better.
“To me, it’s the next game,” Smart said. “It’s a large rivalry game. A lot of — especially our older fan base and the history of this rivalry is really important to a lot of people. It’s really important to me. It’s really important to this team. You could see it in the buzz they have for it.”
Lose Saturday and I bet it gets a lot more important to Kirby.
Get The Picture 
Trust me. He gets it. He downplays the emotion because if he goes with his emotions for this game…he realizes it could result in a loss.
Remember he played in this game and his disdain for that place is real.
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We will be well prepared. This game is one in which his attention to detail in preparation should yield huge dividends. Fundamentally, he will have them ready to face cut blocks, and mentally, I am hopeful that a coach who emphasizes discipline will have us ready.
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I am happy to trust you, but it is nothing more than blind trust with no basis in fact. Certainly I am not aware of any facts supporting an opposite conclusion, either. Therefore, trusting you is the happier alternative.
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Thanks! LOL!
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If Kirby doesn’t get it, he’ll find out what real seat heating looks like. We get pissed about losing to Florida but understand that they have talent equal to us. That’s no excuse against the insects. Beat their @$$3$, Dawgs!
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I am part of the ” older fan base…”
I hate the stinkin Yaller jackets
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http://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=2jxHGCrJ&id=CCBAE7AD7ED1D0400EDA6FB15B65D15EA96C2863&q=georgia+vs+georgia+tech&simid=608018317822723490&selectedIndex=30
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I have two words for you: WRECK TECH!!!
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As a 53 year old Dawg..this game has become nothing but a lose lose proposition for UGA…
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Please stop with this. There is no downside — repeat, none — to beating Georgia Tech. If you doubt that, I suggest taking a walk out of beautiful BDS after a Georgia win sometime.
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Oh, I have done it many times..great for us fans..but see the comment above on your very blog, our talent is better, therefore we should NEVER lose…
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They’re 13-2 in their last fifteen games against a P5 opponent. I’m not getting your point.
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We disagree on the need to play GT every year…a win over them does nothing for us…help in recruiting? No…help in the national scene, IMO, No…
I have no issues with just agreeing to disagree on this. I have been treated like dirt for the last time at BDS..they are not worthy.
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Again, it’s as close to a sure thing as a win over a P5 team gets. How is that nothing for UGA?
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We don’t even consider dropping tech as an annual contest until the Drought is thrown on the ash heap of history. If that’s only for the fans, then so be it. I would love for that to happen at Vince Dooley Stadium at historic Mark Richt Field. I’ll admit at that point, we would need to find something at the Joke by Coke to name for Kirby as well.
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This goes to what the Senatot was saying last week, re: playoffs. For a hundred years, college football was about beating your rivals, winning a conference championship and then, maybe if things in other areas of the country fell the right way, the writers would award you a national championship. Now it’s championship or bust, which is illustrated by your total dismissal of Tech.
I didn’t give a damn last year that we beat Auburn and Tech “ugly”, they were “W”s when the standings were printed the next day, and I felt greet walking out of those two shitholes. Same for two weeks ago, and I hope it’ll be the same Saturday. I think that disappearing is what a lot of us see disappearing from, and eroding, the sport…
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A near guaranteed win over a P5 opponent every season. Yep, just pointless.
I obviously want to beat them this year and every year, and don’t stop until THEY quit the series. But hearing people say this series is no irrelevant just means we’re doing our job. Keep it up.
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Thank you Senator!!! tech has been and will ALWAYS be the MOST HATED ENEMY. Period, bar none, end of conversation!!!! Man I hate those yellow bellied scum bags. GATA JYD!!!!
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Don’t see it as a “lot of people split down the line” at all, UGA is overwhelmingly the choice for people in Georgia. Maybe something like 90/10, or 85/15? There are some older Techies who remember when they were relevant as rivals, but then they left the conference and became a haven for unwanted, 2-3 star recruits who run an outdated HS offense that works because of cheap-shotting unethical blocking designed to threaten the opponents health and future. NCAA should step up to this issue if they truly care about player safety. We see hundreds of flags for blocks in the back above the waist who injure NO ONE, but not one for diving at the DL’s knees and ankles because it is overlooked by rules officials.
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Totally agree in their blocking techniques…should be banned.,
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As Vern says “There’s a lot of Buzz in Colorado…”
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You know, he’s supposed to be “one of us” so he sure as shit knows that he can’t lose to Tech. He played for Donnan. He knows. And he’s going to have to live up to Richt’s record versus them.
(Also, I’d argue that the 2014 loss was part of what cost Richt his job – not the biggest part mind you – but there was enough discontent with that game, the way it played out, and the result to turn his last off season toxic. But enough about Richt, it’s Kirby’s time now.)
Beat Tech.
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Plus allegedly Pruitt and Richt got in a scrap after the game. So it was probably the first sign that Richt didn’t have control of his own ship.
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I haven’t heard that one yet; please elaborate…
Also, when’s the Netflix documentary/ ESPN 30 for 30 about the 2015 season coming out?
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Lol. Just a rumor that was floating. Who knows.
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Dang!
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I was going to say the same thing regarding the 2014 loss to GT. Richt’s seat might have been a bit warm for failing to win the SEC East again, but the heat seemed to get ratcheted up after the loss to GT. Particularly because of how the game ended with the decision to squib kick (or simply the execution of said kick, no I’m not looking to open a can of worms here).
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He’s hired VanGorder as a defensive consultant (and as bad as they were vs other teams, ND shut the option down last year), so yeah, I think he gets it.
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Really? Inquiring minds need to know more.
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Wait, what…….. THAT VanGorder?
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