ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia coach Kirby Good wasn’t proud of the gang noise, or lack of it, at Saturday’s sport towards Auburn. And given two days to suppose on it, Good doubled down.
The ambiance at Sanford Stadium has been thought to be one of many loudest within the SEC, particularly through the previous few years. However after Georgia’s 31-13 win, Good expressed frustration in his postgame interview with Georgia sideline reporter D.J. Shockley.
“(We’re) attempting to have a home-field benefit like we’ve had once we’ve performed towards groups, and I can’t get crowd noise. That’s irritating for me,” Good stated. “I do know I obtained to do a greater job as a coach, however we want these followers to assist us, and these gamers want them behind them.”
Sturdy phrases from Coach Good to Dawg Nation! Price a pay attention dawg followers!
pic.twitter.com/sytYm2712w— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) October 6, 2024
At his Monday information convention, Good was requested to elaborate on what he meant.
“I stated what I stated, and I stand on what I stated. I really feel prefer it might’ve been higher,” Good stated. “We’ve had coaches who’ve come right here who instructed us it was one of the best setting they’ve performed in your complete 12 months. And I didn’t suppose that was Saturday. And I don’t suppose I’m the one one who feels that method.”
The sport was a sellout, as all have been for greater than a decade, aside from the 2020 season impacted by COVID-19. And the stands did seem full at kickoff, though some followers began to depart through the third quarter when Georgia took a 21-10 lead and lots of extra when it obtained to 28-10.
Followers reacting on-line to Good’s feedback provided up a number of theories: fan disappointment coming off the loss at Alabama, lack of pleasure about taking part in a 2-3 Auburn group and longer concession strains now that beer is bought at Sanford Stadium.
The only clarification, nevertheless, could have simply been the character of the sport: It wasn’t that thrilling. There have been few explosive performs for both group and nil turnovers, and Georgia by no means appeared in a lot hazard of shedding. The Bulldogs took the lead on their first drive — which took 11 performs — and although the sport was shut till the third quarter, the Bulldogs by no means trailed.
However the ambiance, or lack of it, made an impression on Good, and with Mississippi State, the worst group within the SEC coming to city on Saturday, he could have been guarding towards complacency. Georgia has gained 27 residence video games in a row and has just one residence loss for the reason that begin of the 2017 season.
“After I obtained employed right here, it was all about pulling in the identical path, creating an environment that’s exhausting to play in, win these video games we play at residence,” he stated Monday. “Perhaps we take it with no consideration, we’ve gained so many video games at residence. However I do know this, it’s exhausting. These guys occurring the highway throughout the SEC, you make it exhausting on them by what you do. So it’s not a few particular time limit, it’s about us all pulling in the identical path.”
By the third query that Good obtained concerning the topic on Monday, he appeared to sense it was turning into a narrative and tried to diffuse it. Or at the least he turned the blame to the media when he was requested if there was a selected level within the sport he was extra disappointing within the crowd.
“You’re eager to make this us towards them, that’s actually not what that is about,” Good stated. “We’re a group, we’re a unit. I feel it’s OK to say how you are feeling and attempt to pull the household collectively and pull the household in the correct path. You guys wish to make it about, ‘Kirby stated this.’ We’re a group. We’re a group. Let’s do that collectively. Let’s assist one another.”
(Photograph: Dale Zanine / Imagn Photos)
