Georgia rallies for first victory at Alabama since 2007 - ESPN

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Georgia coach Kirby Smart said beating No. 6 Alabama 20-17 on the road Saturday night didn't carry extra weight for him, but it sure seemed like the former Crimson Tide defensive coordinator was enjoying this victory a little more than others.

After hugging his wife, Mary Beth, and his son, Andrew, at midfield, Smart raced to the north side of Bryant-Denny Stadium, where several hundred fans of the No. 2 Bulldogs were celebrating the program's first victory in Tuscaloosa since 2007.

«I've been in a bunch of those with them, and they all seem similar,» Smart said. «Physical game, back and forth, critical calls, critical situations. At the end of the day, our quarterback played well enough for us to win. We scored enough points to win. It was a really extremely physical football game. I have a lot of respect for Alabama, a lot of respect for Coach [Kalen] DeBoer and a lot of respect for their team and how they play.»

In his 11th season at Georgia, it was Smart's first regular-season win against Alabama, where he directed Nick Saban's defenses for eight seasons from 2008 to 2015 and helped the Crimson Tide win four national championships.

It was Georgia's first victory in Tuscaloosa since a 26-23 win on quarterback Matthew Stafford's 25-yard touchdown in overtime in 2007. The Bulldogs had dropped their past five regular-season meetings against Alabama, including two on the road.

«We haven't played here much,» Smart said. «In 2007, I was here on the other side. How many times have we played since then? Three? We're 1-2. What is everybody else? This is a hard place to play. I don't judge my happiness or success on how we play Alabama. We've got a lot of respect for this place. Nick taught me a lot.»

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