Video: Kirby Smart rips into Stetson Bennett before halftime
Georgia may have been up 27-3 against Michigan in the first half of their College Football Playoff semifinal game on Friday, but that wasn’t enough for Kirby Smart. The Bulldogs head coach lit into his quarterback, Stetson Bennett, for going conservative before halftime.
Georgia had just gone up 27-3 with a touchdown with just under two minutes left before the half. But then they got an interception on Michigan’s first play after the TD, putting them in good position to add to their lead.
However, Georgia ran the ball three straight times and showed no interest in adding to their lead. The half ended when Bennett threw the ball away on a first-and-10 from midfield.
Smart was livid and lit into Bennett after the possession:
Kirby Smart 😡🤬😡 pic.twitter.com/lLNSoVttwS
— Hammer DAHN (@HammerDAHN) January 1, 2022
“We want to go score there, be aggressive,” Smart said of the situation during his halftime interview with ESPN. “Try to get a field, try to score like we’ve done the whole time. (We) didn’t manage the clock real well at the end.”
Georgia was already up big, but they could have continued to step on Michigan’s throats by attempting to increase the lead. They gave Michigan a break by not trying to score there. Smart’s anger makes plenty of sense.
