The Georgia Bulldogs might have kept their amazing streak alive against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, but it wasn’t the prettiest game by any means. Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart definitely wasn’t thrilled about how the game went today. And for good reason. He had a few sharp words for Gunner Stockton after Georgia scraped out a tight 16-9 victory.

The biggest talking point after the game centered on Georgia’s signal-caller. Even though the Dawgs secured its eighth straight win over its in-state rivals, Smart didn’t hold back on Stockton’s JUCO-level balling.

“I want to see the tape and see, there was some drop 8, couple things.” Kirby Smart doubled and said Gunner needs to do what he’s coached to do and called it “not great”.

Fair enough. This was one of those nights where the Bulldogs looked nothing like a playoff team like they are supposed to be. A big part of the issue was Gunner Stockton struggling to hit receivers in stride. He couldn’t make the throws they needed, no matter the situation.

Gunner completed 11 of 21 pass attempts for only 70 yards, tossing one touchdown but also one interception. Kirby Smart is waiting to hit the film room, roll the tapes, see where it went wrong, and correct it by the playoff or potential SEC Championship Game if it comes calling.

Looking at the full stat sheet tells you how rough it really was. Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King actually put up better numbers, going 19 of 26 for 181 yards. Smart wants his own quarterback to be more confident in the pocket and make quicker, and some cleaner decisions. So, in the end, the Dawgs got the win and kept their bragging rights for another year. However, he’s pretty stoked about the 8-game win streak.

Kirby Smart on 8-game win streak

The “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” rivalry goes all the way back to the 1890s. Lately, it has been the Bulldogs’ territory. After the game, Kirby Smart was asked about the win streak, and he quickly took everyone on a trip down memory lane.

“This rivalry goes way back, way beyond my ability to comprehend it… way beyond our players’ ability to comprehend.”

He then remembered what the rivalry was like when he was a player at Georgia. At that time, Georgia Tech had a 7-game winning streak against Georgia.

“What I do know is that my senior year, they were seven, and that ended the streak. That’s one that always sticks with me.” This streak ties the longest in the series’ history, matching an eight-game run that Tech had back in the 1950s. Kirby Smart has a perfect 6-0 record against the Yellow Jackets. However, that streak very nearly ended last season (2024) in one of the wildest games imaginable.

Tech almost broke the curse in a crazy eight-overtime game. It was an absolute marathon of a game, with both teams slugging it out. Tech actually looked good early on, but the Dawgs fought back and managed to win it 44-42. It was total heartbreak for the fans. However, when you look at their recent records, it proves that they are getting closer to finally knocking off their big brother.