Let all the Bulldog faithful rally behind the men who now wear the red and black with two words, two simple words which express the sentiments of the entire Bulldog Nation: Auburn Sucks.
Apparently Kirby had a harsh retort when questioned about Mike Bobo:
I certainly agree that coaches need to have a thick skin when it comes to the “noise’ from fans and media.
“I do think football intuition is one of my strengths, and knowing that, I know we got the right offensive coordinator,” Smart said. “What you guys want to write and talk about is completely up to you. I look at the production he’s had, the success he had, the team success where he doesn’t worry about (stats). He worries about winning football games. The way he coaches our players day-to-day is unmatched in this country.”
Question, though: if and when Andrew commits to UGA, will Bobo still be the OC/QB coach?
I came up with 3 serious and 3 not-so-serious questions for Kirby if I were at SECMD.
Serious:
Q: Who would be the first 5 on the offensive line to run out for the first snap if you were playing a game today?
My thoughts (or hopes) on an answer would be Greene at LT, Glover at LG, Bobo at C (I’m assuming he’s fully healthy since he’s going to Tampa), Calhoun at RG (is that too much to ask), and Gaston at RT. I admit I’m not as sold on Jah Jackson as others appear to be. I want Gaston to be groomed to take over at LT in 2027. I also want Helton to get a bunch of snaps (just not the first one) this season.
Q: The narrative this off-season is all about going deeper in the playoff. Would you rather win the SEC and lose a quarterfinal or go deeper in the playoff without winning either the national title or an SEC title?
My answer (if I were Kirby) would be: A number on the wall should mean something. Winning the SEC title is an outstanding year regardless of how the season ends. Do we want to go deep in the playoff and win the whole thing? Absolutely. Should we discount the value of winning our league in the name of the playoff? Absolutely not.
Q: You made a big deal about being more explosive on offense and disruptive on defense throughout the spring and the offseason. Who are the players you expect to make that a reality?
After injecting Kirby with truth serum … here’s the answer as opposed to coachspeak:
On offense, that starts with the offensive line playing to their immense potential to give Gunner time to allow plays downfield to develop or holes for our backs to run through. Then, Gunner has to be willing to take calculated risks in the passing game with the intermediate and downfield routes. Don’t be stupid with it, and also don’t default to the check-down or the behind of line of scrimmage throw. Finally, make the first guy miss. Talyn Taylor, Nate Frazier and Elyiss Williams need to be those guys for us.
On defense, it starts again up front. Take away the run game and force teams into poor down and distance. Move the line of scrimmage back. We started doing that in games later in the season last year but didn’t do that consistently in New Orleans. Cover a second longer to give our front 6 a chance to get home and disrupt the QB. I would love to get more sacks, but taking the QB out of rhythm is the most important thing. Look at the 2 Alabama games. Game 1 we didn’t do that and they had their way in the first half. Game 2 we never let them truly get comfortable. Elijah Griffin, Chris Cole, Q Johnson, and Gabe Harris need to play to their potential.
Not-so-serious (with in some cases not-so-serious responses):
Q: Your son Andrew recently attended a Georgia Tech camp and seemed to come away with an offer. Is there any way your son plays for that good-for-nothing program where he has held up whiteboards with “We Run This State” written on it multiple times?
Andrew is Weston’s little brother, but no way will I allow him to play for a little brother program like Fech, Texas Tech, the Barn, the Handbags, or Texas AgCult. FTMF.
Q: It’s been reported you are a member of the new golf club, The Rose, right outside of Athens. You can take anyone to play. Who are you taking?
That guy, EE, who writes at GTP Refugees, seems like a guy I would enjoy a day on the course with. I know he would bring a couple of members of the best community in the Dawg interwebs with him.
Q: You and Mike (Bobo) are both SAE alumni. Do you think you two would have gotten in if you didn’t play football?
Hell, no. They would have sent both of us to sit in the TV room watching 1980 highlights on VHS with a paper cup of tepid water while they schmoozed their rich boy legacies.
Those are my questions.
Inquiring minds want to know what your questions and answers would be.
Sounds like it is Texas and everyone else is playing for 2nd place this year in the SEC.. Figured that would be the theme this week, but man it started early and strong down in Tampa..
Here I was hoping for no more offseason shenanigans, then this happens.
1.) I hope Dante Dowdle is ok. 2.) STAY OFF MOTORCYCLES, DIRT BIKES, 3-WHEELERS, AND 4-WHEELERS IF YOU WANT TO BE AN ATHLETE IN A SPORT THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE ONE OF THESE!! https://t.co/60GnzrKvsb
— The Bulldawg Report (@ReportBulldawg) July 17, 2026
Not sure what’s behind the paywall, but it sounds like a serious injury from some recreational free wheeling, and, like that, the two biggest transfers for Smart in 2026 will be MIA.
Good thing we have a solid running back room…for now.
Youth isn’t always a bad thing, unless you’re Curt Cignetti and your minimum age requirement for a transfer or recruit is the age of 25. I kid, kind of.
With the five for five deal in place, this will likely balance out over time, but it’s worth noting that there are several teams in here that are currently projected to be CFP participants at year’s end, and even portal heavy teams like Texass and TAMU, and especially Miami, are making this list, too.
For context, Georgia is ranked 8th in returning production with 68% (Notre Dame is first, with 72%), so 2026 will be a real litmus test for Kirby’s way in the NIL era, as well as his longstanding reputation as a player developer.
This is a fun seven minute recap of one of the best moments of the Richt era. Man, what could’ve been had we not crapped the bed against Tennessee and South Carolina that year.
I have to wonder how we let this happen. After two seasons of prolific offense, we let a coach slip away to the Barners. And, of course, Auburn already released an image of him in the wolf’s clothing.
Georgia baseball assistant/hitting coach Nick Ammirati is heading to an SEC rival.
Working alongside Will Coggin, "Ammo" helped the Bulldogs construct one of the country's top offenses in each of his two seasons, while excelling on the recuriting trail.https://t.co/2mjxbs3dUo
The Bulldogs led the league in home runs during the 2025 and 2026 regular seasons, while shattering the program record with 179 longballs last year. They also set new team marks for wins, runs scored and RBIs, while making their first trip to the College World Series in 18 years.
Perhaps Ammirati’s biggest impact came on the recruiting trail, where he helped Georgia bring in the top-ranked transfer portal class last year. Ammirati historically excels in the area, with coach Wes Johnson calling him a “dynamic recruiter” upon his hiring in 2025.
”He’s a star,” Johnson said before that season. “We’re extremely different personalities — I’m a little more loud, and Nick’s a little more quieter, but we think a lot alike. He’s always looking for something to make a player better, whether it be through a mechanical change or through analytics, and he’s very exceptional at it. He understands data, he values data, and he’s able to help players.”
In addition to hitting, Ammirati primarily worked with Georgia’s outfielders. He also helped director of player development/video and scouting Drew Finley manage the pitching staff in games where Johnson got ejected.
Ugh. Auburn had some great arms, but didn’t necessarily excel in the hitting department at times…this isn’t something we should be okay seeing happen, but such is the business.
Let’s get ready for some 2026 college football, but instead of me previewing the contest on the field, let’s think ahead about possibly heading out to road games and how to get there, what to do when you’re there (aside from football and tailgating), and some unique places to visit depending on your travel needs.
Also, I don’t have the scratch to do this myself, so allow me to entertain myself with the fantasy that I could go to an away game and enjoy myself, shall we?
Game Time: September 19th, 11 am CT (Noon ET); Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
Tickets: If you don’t have any, on Stubhub they are currently going for $180 a piece (if you’re getting two tickets) in the nosebleeds, but there are lower levels seats from the mid two hundreds and up, and one lunatic is selling lower levels for $174 a piece right now, so act fast, if you can.
Getting There
By Car – I’ll use Atlanta as the starting point, but it’ll be a solid ten hour drive to get there, roughly 707 miles. Depending on your ride, that’s likely two tanks of gas. For my Ram 1500, that’d be about 300 dollars round trip, maybe more affordable for a economy car.
By Plane – According to Google Flights, your cheapest days to leave are Tuesday or Thursday. Frontier has a connecting flight option that runs $264 round trip on Thursday and $240 on Tuesday. Wednesday or Friday flights are $518, though there is a connecting option via American Airlines for $459 dollars. Of course, these are flights from Hartsfield, so it might differ for you depending on your home airport.
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport
Where to Stay:
I opted for a Thursday-Sunday stay using Booking.com, and here’s what I came up with…
Closest Available to Razorback Stadium:
Nothing – At this point, the only available listings that are within walking distance are apartments…which run from 4k up. There is one place with five rooms left that’s a little stretch of the legs called Moxy Fayetteville for $1319.
Near the Stadium, But a Bit of Walk or an Uber There:
On the Stadium side of I-49 are two options: Candlewood Suites ($1257 for three nights) and Staybridge Suites ($1429). Just on the other side of I-49 are slightly more affordable options: Super 8 ($530), Baymont ($507), and Days Inn ($659).
What to Do When You’re There:
Family Types – If you’re the outdoorsy family, take a visit to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (note – Fridays they serve beer and wine on the lawn, if that helps), or you can take the kiddos on a blast to the past by visiting the Arkadia Retrocade, which houses 100s of retro arcade games. For $5 a piece, you can play all you want. Heck, maybe go there even if you don’t have kids. There’s also Lokomotion, which is a family fun poark with go karts and rides for the littles. And, if you have kids who have the rare gift of an interest in museums, there’s the Arkansas Air and Military Museum.
Arkadia Retrocade
Adult Fun – There are the Razorback Regional Greenway and Centennial Parks if you want to get outdoors and need place to bike or run for exercise types, or if you want to get your exercise doing a pub crawl, you can follow the Fayetteville Ale Trail to what looks like a long and buzzy (and expensive, likely) trip through breweries around town. Multiple sites seemed to suggest the best brewery, if you don’t want to wander all over, is Fossil Cove, though depending on your taste and thirst, they all look pretty good.
Fossil Cove Brewery
If you’re into shopping and antiques, give the Fayetteville Funky Flea Market a looksy. For the arts and entertainment folks, there’s TheaterSquared and Walton Arts Center, although both don’t have anything listed for performances the weekend of the game, so check back closer to the game to see if anything is going on.
For nightlife, it’s Dickson Street, and catching some live music at George’s Majestic Lounge, where you can catch Ultra Suede for a happy hour show at 5 pm on Friday (apparently, they are very entertaining and gets the crowd moving), or Khaki Onion at 9 pm, which seems like a pretty cool band to watch if you want to stay up late and hair of the dog it the next day at the game. Don’t forget, it’s an 11 am kickoff, gang. I still have bad memories from the 1998 Outback Bowl regarding staying out late in Ybor and sweating it to an 11 am start the next day. I think.
Additionally, downtown you’ll have a host of watering holes to choose from, from Maxine’s Tap Room for proper cocktails (once an Esquire “Best Bar in America”), Vault if you’re a bourbon lover, Pinpoint for cocktails and pinball, and Sidecar Cocktail Lounge, which seems to have a Athens vibe to it from what I can see.
Sidecar Cocktail Lounge
Where to Eat: I hesitate to put this here, especially if anyone here has been there and knows a better place, but here’s my attempt to put you on some places people seem to rave about. For burgers, everyone seems to be pointing to Hugo’s, which seems to have a wide array of options on the menu outside of the burgers, but the burger is apparently their signature dish. Of course, there’s BBQ galore, including Wright’s in nearby Johnson and people seem to like Penguin Ed’s.
For sandwiches, et al, people seem to rave about Hammontree’s – Northwest Arkansas’s Destination for Grilled Cheese (?). Seriously, if you look at the menu, and if you like grilled cheese, this could be a somewhat religious experience for you. Remaining in the melted cheese arena, if you’re looking for a good pizza and beer joint, a place that’s a little uptown but gets a lot of good reviews is Smokin’ Oak.
Not your average grilled cheese.
For breakfast, look towards The Big Biscuit, which is open for breakfast and lunch only (also seems to be pretty kid friendly) or if you’re a late riser and looking for a good brunch, people seem to like The Farmer’s Table Cafe.
I’m sure there’s more options, and it’s a town with a college so opportunities surely abound.
If you’ve been to Fayetteville for a game, drop your recommendations in the comments below.
