Georgia looking to capitalize on home field advantage
Georgia will do something it hasn’t done in a decade on Saturday night.
For the first time since 2015, the Bulldogs will host Alabama in Sanford Stadium. That game 10 years ago ended in a 38-10 Crimson Tide victory, starting a downward spiral in a season that ended with Mark Richt’s firing.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart believes the Sanford Stadium crowd can help the Bulldogs avoid a similar fate when Alabama comes calling this weekend.
“Being at home is an advantage, just as I say going on the road is hard,” Smart said. “Going on the road last year to play the games we played, hard. Going to Tennessee a couple weeks ago was hard. Playing at home, it helps. The atmosphere helps, the crowd noise helps, being familiar with your surroundings and all that stuff helps.”
Smart has long stated that playing anywhere on the road in the SEC is difficult. In his mind, that goes for Kentucky and Vanderbilt as much as it does Tennessee or Auburn.
Georgia has made changes to the Sanford Stadium environment in recent years, introducing effects with the stadium lights and fireworks.
“I think ours fits in that same category of hard to play in. But it’s what you’re playing against that makes the difference,” Smart said. “I don’t like making it about the athletic department, what kind of atmosphere they create. The fans create the atmosphere, not the athletic department. And our fans have done a great job of giving us a competitive home-field advantage that is equal to other places in the SEC.”
Georgia punter Brett Thorson certainly knows a thing or two about electric environments in Athens.
Thorson has kicked in each of the last two home wins against Tennessee when the Volunteers were in the top 10. Thorson has also participated in home wins against top-10 Ole Miss and Missouri teams during his career in Athens.
“I think it’s just that little edge,” Thorson said. “When you have two teams that are so evenly matched talent and caliber-wise, the fans that can — maybe it’s a few false starts from their offense, maybe it’s just the offense taking the momentum from a lot of energy running there on the field. But any little thing, it’s kind of like special teams: Getting that little edge can be a huge part of a game that’s going to be this close and this challenging.”
The homefield advantage will benefit the Bulldogs on Saturday night. How much remains to be seen. But regardless, Smart knows that won’t decide who wins the titanic clash in Athens.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to go play football,” Smart said. “It comes down to matchups. It comes down to who blocks and tackles the best, who executes and does things in the key moments of the game. So certainly glad it’s at home, but we’ve still got to play well.”