Can Florida Crack the Kirby Smart Code Saturday vs. Georgia?
There is no secret: Florida has had issues with Georgia, specifically Kirby Smart-led teams.
Georgia leads the all-time series 56-44-2 and is riding in on a four-game winning streak over the Gators. From 1990 to 2010, the Gators dominated this game, winning 18 times during that span. Since then, EverBank Field in Jacksonville has turned into a house of horrors, with Georgia winning 10 out of the last 14 meetings.
Currently, the Gators have yet to solve the “Smart code.” Under Smart, Georgia is 7-2 overall, with its only losses coming during his first year in 2016 and 2020. Aside from those two defeats, Smart has owned the Gators by an average margin of 21 points. His overall record against UF is the highest winning percentage (77%) of any UGA coach, with legendary coach Vince Dooley right behind him at 74%.
Smart has proved to be the thorn in multiple SEC teams’ sides for years now, including Tennessee (9-1), Auburn (10-1), Kentucky (10-0) and South Carolina (7-1).
Historically,Smart-led teams find success behind his stout defenses. Most of Georgia’s defensive units under him rank among the best in college football each year, continuing the success he achieved as a defensive coordinator at Alabama and LSU. The opposition rarely matches its physicality and wherewithal.
“They play with a ton of energy, they’re disciplined, they run around, they’re fired up. The biggest thing for us to prepare for with Coach Smart’s team, they play fantastic,” Gators interim coach Billy Gonzales said Monday. ”They do a great job. Like I said, lots of energy, a lot of excitement on their side of the ball, they run, they hit, they tackle well.”
An UGA alumnus, Smart brings a little more juice to games like Saturday’s, knowing firsthand about the stakes. Smart played for Georgia from 1995-1998, where he went 1-3 against Florida, including losses at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (1994) and Sanford Stadium (1995), when the Gator Bowl was under renovations.
“A lot of memories because it seems like I’ve coached every Georgia-Florida game that I’ve been involved in has been there. It’s been some really good battles, some great games,” Smart said Monday. “Then played there three or four times, not sure how many times because we had one here. But I don’t think there’s anything that really sticks out. Some great wins and some tough losses.”
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