Sports
Kirby Smart: ‘Disease’ of Overconfidence at Georgia After Sugar Bowl Win
Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesGeorgia head coach Kirby Smart issued a warning Wednesday about a “disease” within the Bulldogs football program after its 26-14 victory over Baylor in the 2020 Sugar Bowl.Smart explained after the game Bulldogs players tend to become overconfident based on media attention after high-profile wins like their New Year’s Day triumph.”To be honest…
Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart issued a warning Wednesday about a “disease” within the Bulldogs football program after its 26-14 victory over Baylor in the 2020 Sugar Bowl.
Smart explained after the game Bulldogs players tend to become overconfident based on media attention after high-profile wins like their New Year's Day triumph.
“To be honest with you, the future is only bright if those guys continue to work because there's a disease that creeps in at Georgia where kids believe they're better than they are and they read their own press clippings,” he told reporters.
Smart made the remark in response to a question about how key contributions from two freshmen, running back Zamir White and wide receiver George Pickens, could set the team up for future success.
The victory over Baylor allowed Georgia to finish the 2019 campaign with a 12-2 record and helped the team finish on a high note after losing last year's Sugar Bowl to Texas.
Yet Smart's comments hint toward some frustration after the Dawgs missed out on the College Football Playoff because of a blowout loss to LSU in the SEC Championship Game.
He expanded on his thoughts, which stemmed from a reading by the team chaplain before the bowl game:
“He basically said that when you start reading about yourself and believing your own press clippings is when you start to fall. Those kids that you just mentioned are tremendous players. But they'll only be as good as they can be if they stay as hungry as they are. When they're not hungry, you become average. Some of that, I think, has affected us in the past.
“We've got to find a way in this program to not let that creep in and (to) keep that same hunger you had as a young player. Because we've had it happen to several guys that were really hungry and then they become full.”
Smart has guided Georgia to a 44-12 record since taking over in December 2015. The Bulldogs reached the CFP National Championship Game at the end of the 2017 season, but the program's first national title since 1980 has remained elusive.
The Sugar Bowl win should secure a berth in the top five of the final rankings, and Georgia owns the fourth-ranked recruiting class for 2020, per 247Sports. So the signs are overwhelmingly positive.
Smart apparently wanted to send a message to his players before the offseason, however, and it's safe to say it came through loud and clear.
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