By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

          The first question was pretty much a given, the fake punt call against Alabama.

          After then discussing the transfer rule, the early signing period, the NFL draft and leaving early, the new defensive coordinator, Kirby Smart had to talk about something else that wasn’t a good memory.

          Not for him, or the vast majority of the nearly 500 folks in the gym at the Methodist Home for Children and Youth Monday night at the Macon Touchdown Club’s year-end jamboree.

          “Poor coaching,” he said. “They did a tremendous job. I felt like their players were more prepared and more hungry for that game than we were.”

          Georgia was ranked fifth, and off the will-forever-be-talked-about SEC title game loss to Alabama. And much of the postgame analysis dealt with a perception of interest in playing, and being flat.

          “It’s easy to sit in this room and say, ‘Why aren’t we motivated? Why didn’t we play better?’ Why didn’t we do a better job scheme-wise?’,” said Smart, whose three-year record of 32-10 after three seasons is basically equal to Mark Richt’s 32-8, the only difference being two playoff games, whichi didn’t exist until 2014. “A lot of those things, I can’t answer. I can promise you this: our coaching staff worked their tails off for that game.”

          It didn’t necessarily show on the field, starting with a botched punt snap and then an 11-yard punt and fumble en route to a 20-7 halftime deficit.

          Smart was disappointed and frustrated, but not stunned with how the game went.

          “It was about want-t0,” he said. “They had nine seniors on defense. When I first did the scouting report, way back right after they named us to play them, I went to the offensive staff and said, ‘You better get ready.’

          “When you have nine seniors on the defensive starting team, in their last game, in their biggest bowl of their career? That’s a trap. And to be honest with you, we walked right into a trap.”

          There was a comeback, making the 28-21 score closer than the game.

          “They slapped us in the face up front and just destroyed our run game,” he said. “We didn’t play real good defensively, but we had some young guys out there and I thought they really played hard. And we grew up, but we didn’t play the kind of offensive football game that we’re capable of, and that starts, that falls on me.

          “Ain’t no doubt about that.”

          Smart has long been impressed with Texas head coach Tom Herman, who got his marquee win with the program. The Longhorns took advantage of a conference title loss hangover.

          “I don’t compare things very often,” Smart said. “I (coached) in that game twice, coming off losses in the SEC championship, where the last game didn’t matter any more, and I’ve got my butt beat three times now. The other two I got my butt beat, Ohio State and Utah, both times in that game, coming where the last game was we got beat by somebody to take us out of the (national title) running.

          “You’ve got to find a way as a coach to motivate and regroup and restart.”

          Odds are Smart will be in the situation again, and he said he’s learned from those three experiences.

          “I’d have said, ‘If you want to go to the draft, seniors, y’all just leave, we’re just going to play with the guys that we know are going to be back,’” Smart admitted. “And I really think we’d have played harder and better.”