Alabama couldn’t protect its own backyard, and Kirby Smart wasn’t about to let the embarrassment go unnoticed. Georgia walked into Tuscaloosa, handed the Crimson Tide a 20-17 loss, and left with the bragging rights. But apparently, beating Alabama wasn’t enough for Smart. The Bulldogs’ head coach took his celebration straight to the fans, and a viral video showed a side of him that rarely makes headlines.

In the clip shared by Instagram user tyty.the.guy, Kirby Smart appears in a celebratory mood, smiling and waving toward a crowd of Georgia supporters. He moves in to embrace fans while holding a red party cup in one hand. It was a loose, happy moment from a coach who usually looks like he’s carrying the weight of the football program on his shoulders.

For once, the tension was gone. The win belonged to Georgia and Kirby Smart was enjoying it with the people who had made the trip to Tuscaloosa. But that wasn’t his only message of the night.

As the final seconds ticked away at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Kirby Smart headed toward Georgia’s section, removed his visor and broke into a belt-whipping celebration. Alabama’s crowd didn’t need an explanation for the gesture. The Bulldogs had beaten the Tide again and he wanted everybody to know it.

The celebration carried extra bite because of the talk leading into the game. Alabama’s physicality had become a talking point, something that got under Kirby Smart’s skin before kickoff. An alleged recording of his pregame speech circulated afterward, with the Georgia coach challenging his players to settle the argument on the field.

“We’re gonna — kick these guys’ —,” he shouted in the recording.

He returned to the same point moments later, arguing that Alabama had spent too much time talking about being physical. Kirby Smart urged his players to keep striking, keep coming and make the Tide feel every snap. 

It was an emotional message, delivered in the language of a coach preparing his team for a heavyweight fight. Georgia then left Tuscaloosa with the result the head coach wanted. Still, this wasn’t a runaway victory.

Georgia and Alabama went at each other all night. The Bulldogs finally squeezed out a 20-17 win, but the closing minutes weren’t clean. Alabama’s Dijon Lee Jr. was flagged for a personal foul with about two minutes left, handing Georgia a fresh set of downs. That call hurt. The Bulldogs used the extra life to burn the clock and leave Tuscaloosa with the win.

There was also debate over a possible pass-interference penalty that went uncalled on a late Alabama possession. Those moments will fuel arguments about the finish, but they won’t change the result. Georgia improved to 6-0, while Kirby Smart collected another significant win against one of the SEC’s toughest rivals.

Despite the heat surrounding the ending, there was no ugly scene between the men running the two programs. Kirby Smart and Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer met at midfield after the final whistle. Both removed their hats, shook hands and exchanged a few words before heading in opposite directions. It was a brief show of respect after a game that offered plenty of reasons for tempers to flare.

Kirby Smart could enjoy the moment without pretending the victory had been easy. Georgia had been pushed, tested and forced to survive late pressure. That made the celebration with the fans feel earned, even if the belt routine was bound to irritate the Alabama faithful.

The Bulldogs now turn their attention to Auburn and the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry in Week 7. Another rivalry game brings another chance to prove Georgia can handle the pressure. For now, though, Kirby Smart has the bragging rights. He left Tuscaloosa with an unbeaten record, another win over Alabama and a video of himself celebrating with Dawgs fans.