Kirby Smart on what he learned about Georgia players: ‘They grew up’

The Georgia Bulldogs came into the 2025 season with a young team looking to prove itself. Through two weeks, the Bulldogs had played well, particularly on defense. Then, they had to roll into Neyland Stadium to play Tennessee. That’s where head coach Kirby Smart saw his team grow up.

Tennessee punched Georgia in the mouth in the first quarter, quickly putting up 21 points. That forced the Bulldogs to make some quick adjustments and, as Smart explained to the media following the game, he’s proud of how his team adjusted.

Yeah, they grew up,” Kirby Smart said. “I mean, the defense for two weeks has heard about how good they are. They got punched in the face. I did think we played the run well early, and then we started having to make some adjustments to sacrifice some on the run to protect some guys.”

After Tennessee put up 21 points in the first quarter, Georgia blanked the Volunteers in the second quarter. The second half would end up being a back-and-forth affair from there. In the end, the Volunteers scored 41 points but Georgia won. There’s plenty to work on, but those are things that Smart sees as correctable.

“In the past, we’ve played them well. We didn’t give up good plays. Today we didn’t do that. It’s not all on the corners. We didn’t have a guy in the middle of the field. There should be a guy in the middle of the field. They can’t throw that ball there — the first one. We misjudged a ball. They’re correctable things, which is the good thing,” Smart said. “But we really weren’t beat. We just misplayed it. That’s tough to swallow.” 

Georgia now sits at 3-0 heading into the bye week. After that, they’ll once again be tested in SEC play. This time, by Alabama.

Kirby Smart calls out Gunner Stockton ‘naysayers’ after comeback win over Tennessee

There has been no shortage of criticism for Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton early in the season. Some have even argued he’s the weak link on the team. That wasn’t the case against Tennessee, though, and after the game, Kirby Smart called out those naysayers.

“A lot of naysayers out there about Gunner,” Smart told ESPN’s Holly Rowe postgame. “I thought he played his tail off today.”

Stockton finished the game completing 23 of 31 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 38 yards and another touchdown. It was a performance that Georgia needed to come from behind and win the game.