Kirby Swears He Wasn’t Keeping Score
Written by Jarvis Prime on October 11, 2026
GEORGIA MONEYBALL — Sunday, October 11, 2026
Kirby Smart says beating Alabama doesn't measure his happiness, but Georgia won in Tuscaloosa for the first time since 2007 anyway, and No. 1 may be next.
ALBANY, GA — · By the RFA Sports Desk
Kirby Smart stood under Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night and told reporters, "I don't judge my happiness or success on how we play Bama." That's a fine, healthy thing for a grown man to say, and I believe he believes it. I also believe that if somebody had taken his pulse on the walk to the bus, it would have been doing what a man's pulse doesn't do over a game he isn't judging himself by. Georgia won, 20–17, and the Dawgs brought home something they hadn't carried out of that town since 2007.
The National Football Post noted it was Georgia's first regular-season win over the Tide, which tells you where the old ghosts were buried. It wasn't a fluke, either. Georgia outgained Alabama 455 to 346. Gunner Stockton went 18-of-22 for 249 yards, threw a touchdown to London Humphreys and ran for another. Pro Football Network reported that the Heisman talk has started, with folks hollering to send him to New York. Somebody ought to warn the young man that they don't make biscuits up there the way his mama does.
Georgia got to do the sweetest thing in football in somebody else's house, which is take a knee.
What I liked best was the finish. Afterward Kirby told reporters, "We're not planning to run it and punt," and you could tell he meant it. Peyton Woodring's 23-yard field goal with 5:25 left broke a 17–17 tie. When Alabama came back, a pass-interference no-call had Kalen DeBoer fit to be tied, and on the very next play KJ Bolden and Valdin Sone sacked Keelon Russell to force a punt. Then Dijon Lee drew a personal foul, and Georgia got to do the sweetest thing in football in somebody else's house, which is take a knee.
Meanwhile, over in Dallas, the No. 1 team in the country had the kind of day that sends a man to the golf course. Oklahoma beat Texas 27–24. Bleacher Report reported that Arch Manning threw two interceptions, one of them returned 42 yards for a go-ahead touchdown, and Tate Sandell won it with a 47-yard field goal as time expired. Saturday Down South says that leaves Georgia, unbeaten at 6-0 and 4-0 in the SEC, in line to move up to No. 1 in the Week 7 AP poll. Kirby won't judge his happiness on that either. I'll do it for him.
There's no time to get anything framed. Auburn and first-year coach Alex Golesh come to Sanford Stadium on Saturday at 3:30, rested off a bye. ESPN's FPI gives Georgia an 88.7 percent chance, and the early line has Georgia by 18.5. Georgia has won the last nine meetings, which is exactly when a Georgia man should start to worry. Kirby called the quick turnaround "life in the SEC." On Nate Frazier, he said "it continues to be painful for him, and not a lot we can do." Georgia ran for 206 yards without him in Tuscaloosa, with Bo Walker adding 69. They may need to do it again.
The Notebook
- ONE-POINT HEARTBREAK: Kentucky 35, LSU 34 in overtime. After CJ Baxter scored in overtime, Kenny Minchey won it for Kentucky on a two-point quarterback draw, and LSU fell to 4-2.
- SEVEN GIFTS IN EUGENE: UCLA 17, Oregon 15. The Bruins forced seven turnovers, held Oregon to 1-of-12 on third down and stopped a late two-point try to go 5-0.
- STREAK SNAPPED IN GAINESVILLE: South Carolina 38, Florida 19. The Gamecocks had lost eight straight SEC games before LaNorris Sellers threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns.
Written in the tradition of Lewis Grizzard, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1946–1994.
Hear the desk read tonights report on Radio Free Albany, WPFQ 96.7.
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