In Saturday’s post-scrimmage interview, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart expressed that he was displeased with his team’s performance in full live-tackling action. There was a lack of enthusiasm and energy that led to poor group performances, especially in the defense.

“I’m a little disappointed in the energy, enthusiasm and leadership from the defense. There wasn’t a lot of support there.” Lack of play and physical performance is important, but that’s not what stands out in this quote from Smart. What stands out the most here is the lack of “leadership.” The coaching staff and team have raved about defensive leaders like  Chip-Six clinching Kelee Ringo and super senior Christopher Smith all offseason. Not just for their play but especially for their leadership and intangibles. 

Not seeing those intangibles show up when it matters is concerning but could also speak to the intensity of the camp. The guys could be tired out, but that’s no excuse in the coaching staff’s eyes. “When things go bad, there wasn’t a guy to pick them up and grab the bull by the horns, we didn’t have the right direction,” says Smart.

As if that wasn’t surprising enough, Coach Smart told reporters that the “offense was ahead of the defense.” If you take a step back and really look at things, it shouldn’t be that surprising given that the defense lost a majority of its starters and the offense didn’t, but UGA just has had a strong culture surrounding its defense, especially last year. 

Smart admitted that the team wasn’t where he wanted it to be saying, “We have a long way to go to get where we need to go, and that has nothing to do with Oregon…that has to do with the Georgia Bulldogs.”

Remember that you don’t become elite without an elite work ethic, and that’s something that Coach Smart smart prides himself in. Georgia’s standards are just different. Last year proved that. While group performances were not up to par with the national championship-winning head coach’s standards, he said individuals still managed to stand out, so that was good to hear. But Smart knows that individuals won’t win him games. Teams will. 

Keeping his team to his standards did the job this year. Here’s hoping it works again.