Georgia's Kirby Smart criticized college football's money-focused culture after his Bulldogs decimated the Texas Longhorns in a physical and dominant 35-10 win on Saturday.
Speaking postgame in regard to the game's incredible fourth quarter, when the Dawgs outscored Texas 21-0, Smart made clear that the strong performance is just part of his team's DNA, as well as his players' commitment.
"Yeah, it’s the approach we take. We’re gonna validate in the fourth quarter, which is what we do in practice. It’s what we do in the offseason. It’s what we build our core culture around is being a more physical team. You have to recruit physical players, and they have to buy into that process," Smart said.
"I don’t know that a lot of these kids nowadays, they want the check," the coach continued, in an apparent dig at NIL and the attitude of some of today's players. "They don’t want physicality. When you have the check and no physicality, you end up with nothing. So you’re not just getting checks at our place. We’re hitting people.”
Watch those comments below:
What a quote from Kirby Smart here.
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) November 16, 2025
“A lot of these kids want a check. They don’t want physicality. If you have the check and no physicality, you end with nothing. You’re not just getting checks at our place. We’re hitting people.” pic.twitter.com/q1Wpg01aWk
Georgia's three-score final frame included two clutch fourth-down conversions, as well as one well-executed onside kick. In one instance, quarterback Gunner Stockton managed to snag the first down on fourth-and-1 at Georgia's 36 with a 10-yard pass to tailback Chauncey Bowens. Stockton then made magic again when he got the Longhorns to jump offside for a first down on fourth-and-5 at Texas' 49-yard line, before later throwing a 30-yard touchdown to extend Georgia's lead to 21–10.
On the following kickoff, the Bulldogs attempted and successfully recovered an onside kick, their first since 2013. They'd convert that into a TD a few plays later.
It was an incredible show from Smart's team, and one he clearly feels wouldn't be possible from players who were thinking first and foremost about money.
"Our kids believe in down and dirty," the coach said. "They believe in the SEAL mantra of, 'Let's take them to the water.' Let's see who can survive in the water, see who's going to tap out first, ring the bell and run from the contact contest."
With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 9–1 on the season. They'll go up against the unranked Charlotte 49ers next weekend.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kirby Smart Rips NIL Check Culture After Georgia's Blowout Win vs. Texas.
