Final Thoughts: It's About Finish for Georgia

As Georgia gets set to compete for a national title on Monday night, they've got to topple big brother Alabama. In order to do so, it's about one thing for Georgia... Finish.

Finish the Drill. 

A motto that Georgia fans are rather familiar with. It was the staple phrase during the previous coaching regime under Mark Richt. It was about the idea of creating a culture surrounded by the way in which you finish. 

That phrase and cliche left the program when Kirby Smart took the head coaching job in December of 2015. There's no overall phrase, there's no one specific cliche, there's just the work. The process. That's what Kirby Smart has been about. 

Though as Smart is preparing to take on Alabama for the second time in a national championship setting Monday night, with an overall 0-4 record against his former boss, perhaps Smart should take a cliche out of his predecessor. 

Finish the drill, Georgia. 

Year	Largest Lead	Final Score
2021 SECCG	10	L, 41-24
2020 Regular Season	7	L, 41-24
2018 SECCG	14	L, 35-28
2017 National Title	13	L, 26 to 23

Halftime leads in three of the four games, leads in all four, losses in all four.

Georgia and Kirby Smart certainly know what the issue has been, but what's caused the issue? 

They Made the Adjustments

In 2017, it was pulling quarterback Jalen Hurts for Tua Tagovailoa. In 2018, it was Tua getting hurt with Hurts relieving him. In 2020, Alabama closed with points unanswered. They have made the necessary adjustments at the half to turn the momentum in these football games. Surely these things sound much easier said than done in the midst of the actual battle. 

Respond

In the last two football games, the moment Georgia was punched in the mouth by Alabama, they were shell-shocked. 

Jaylen Waddle takes a post route 91 yards for a score during the 2020 matchup, Georgia threw two interceptions on the next two drives. 

Jameson Williams takes a dig route 61 yards for a score during the SEC Championship game, Georgia went three and out the next two possessions and their ten-point lead suddenly vanished. 

Alabama will punch you today, when they do, it's time to respond. 

Go Out On Your Sword

Auburn and LSU were the last two football teams to give Alabama serious issues this season, and there was one commonality among those programs... they had absolutely nothing to lose. 

They played with reckless abandon, they called plays with zero fear. They played man coverage, they blitzed, they took shots on offense, they leaned on Alabama when needed. That's what it's going to take to beat this football team. 

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