Kirby Smart Scripts Georgia Football Record for 93rd Time With 7-Figure Numbers

Fresh off thumping Marshall 45–7, Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs once again looked every bit the machine they’ve built themselves into. Dawgs ruled in all three phases of the game, outgaining the Thundering Herd 488–208 and converting 27 first downs—20 more than Marshall. Georgia’s win marked their 32nd-straight victory inside Sanford Stadium, cementing yet another chapter in a run that looks more like dynastic programming than college football scheduling.

Even more impressively, they pulled in seven-figure viewership numbers. For the 93rd time, Georgia football cleared the one-million mark on a broadcast. Not bad for what, on paper, was a throwaway matchup against an unranked team. Of course, the numbers pale compared to the colossal stage elsewhere—Texas and Ohio State, ranked No. 1 and No. 3, drew a record-smashing 16.6 million viewers on FOX. But in the context of Week 1, Georgia’s draw proves once more that their brand is not dependent on marquee opponents.

Although inside Sanford, a different conversation simmered. With the game well in hand by halftime, attendance thinned noticeably in the second half. Fans who packed the stands early decided beating traffic was more appealing than watching a second-string curtain call. When asked about it postgame, Kirby Smart’s response was sharp, if subtle. “Yeah, you said it, I didn’t,” he remarked when pressed on the lack of bodies in the seats after the break.

This isn’t new territory for him. Last season, he openly admitted he was “disappointed” with fan engagement during one home game and urged the base to bring more energy the following week. For a coach who obsesses over controllables, fan participation ranks high. Kirby Smart has never been shy about his belief that crowd noise and visible energy fuel his team’s edge. It’s not just about optics—it’s about performance. Sanford at full capacity can be a weapon, one that rattles quarterbacks and erases snap counts.

The irony is that UGA is hardly alone in this battle. Blowouts have always tested loyalty. At Alabama, Nick Saban famously chided fans for bailing early, at one point branding some as “entitled.” He demanded they stay until the clock struck zero, regardless of the margin. That mindset, shared by Smart, is rooted in the belief that great programs are symbiotic. The players deliver dominance, and the fans deliver presence. When one wavers, the other feels it.

Coming back to the field, although the Marshalls were comfortably swept aside by the Bulldogs, they still managed to fill their coffers with a healthy amount.

Kirby Smart will keep beating unranked teams and also paying millions

Funny thing is, Kirby Smart and Georgia didn’t just beat Marshall—they paid them $1.7 million to show up for the beating. That’s the business of CFB, the guarantee-game economy where Power Four giants fork over hefty checks to smaller programs for the right to pad the win column in front of their home crowd. Georgia isn’t exactly getting a bargain at that price, but they’re not paying the high end either. Some programs will shell out north of $2 million for a one-off home date against a lesser opponent. For Georgia, this was just another line item in a long ledger.

The Bulldogs have a track record here. In 2023, Ball State collected $1.6 million for a trip to Athens. In 2024, UMass walked away with $1.9 million while Tennessee Tech got $550,000 for their own date with the Bulldogs. These aren’t just games—they’re transactions, deals cut to keep the schedule manageable while the big dogs stay sharp. Next week, Austin Peay gets its turn with a $550,000 payday waiting for their troubles.

And the checks keep coming. Later this fall, Georgia will hand Charlotte $1.9 million for a nonconference tilt. Add it all up, and the Bulldogs are dishing out $4.15 million this season alone to a trio of non-Power Four opponents.