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Georgia

Kirby Smart addresses timeout snafu: 'They're clapping'

Jeremy Johnsonby: Jeremy Johnson10/12/25JeremyO_Johnson
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Georgia head coach Kirby Smart walks off the field after an overtime win against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 13, 2025.

A moment in the fourth quarter has triggered a response nationally from Georgia’s 20-10 win over Auburn on Saturday night.

Georgia’s offense was up against the play clock. As the play clock reached two seconds and then one second, head coach Kirby Smart ran down the sideline toward an official, clapping his hands together.

The official signaled that Georgia had called a timeout and stopped the game. There were a few moments of communication, and the officials did not charge Georgia a timeout and instead reset the play clock and allowed play to go on.

The next play, Gunner Stockton hit Colbie Young to convert a third down. Georgia ended up missing a field goal attempt from Peyton Woodring on that drive.

Smart addressed what he was seeing from the call. Smart was stating that he felt Auburn was clapping and simulating Georgia’s snap count.

It was something that Georgia’s staff was aware of prior to the game.

“They’re clapping,” Smart told reporters after the game. “So I told him before the game, if these guys clap, it’s a penalty. They can’t clap because it will false snap. I’ve lost games on that before in the stadium, and I told him I said they clap. I’m going to tell you, I got somebody in the box watching every play. They were clapping. So I ran over to him and said, ‘they’re clapping, they’re clapping.’ And he thought I called a time-out. And so I wanted to make sure he understood. Go lip-read because I’m screaming. They’re clapping. They’re clapping.”

Smart didn’t deem a timeout necessary in that situation. He felt the play was going to be snapped in time regardless of a timeout.

“I didn’t need a timeout because we were going to get it off before the shot clock,” Smart said. “It was 2 and then 1. We’re going to get it off before the play clock ended, and I didn’t need a timeout. It was the fact that they were clapping. I wanted to call it because it’s a penalty.”

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