ATLANTA – The No. 18 Georgia Bulldogs were far from perfect Saturday night in their 33-24 win over No. 22 North Carolina.
So, for that matter, was Kirby Smart in his debut as a head football coach.
“How it felt was really weird,” Smart said minutes after the game. “It was a comedy of errors. I was flipping on the headphones trying to figure out who I’m talking to, because I didn’t have to do that before. I was trying to find the special teams – I just tried to stay really positive and not get down on the guys.
“It was a unique experience for me that I will build on and learn from.”
Georgia had never opened a season with a win over a ranked foe away from Sanford Stadium, but Smart helped the Bulldogs accomplish that. North Carolina scored 17 straight points to turn a 14-7 second-quarter deficit into a 24-14 third-quarter lead, but the Bulldogs responded by scoring the game’s final 19 points.