Kirby Smart’s Georgia is showing some real game trickery against the No.5 Longhorns in the week 12 matchup. It’s the last quarter of the game, and the Bulldogs are leading with a 21-10 scoreline, outsmarting Steve Sarkisian’s offense that could only rack up a total of 274 yards by the end of the night. But the 11-point lead has a different storyline altogether.

Texas had Georgia on the ropes, stopping the Bulldogs on five straight drives. But the moment Texas cut the lead to four, Kirby Smart changed gears completely. Right after Arch Manning hit Ryan Wingo for a touchdown, Georgia went for it on fourth down twice on the next drive and punched in a TD. Then Smart dialed up a surprise onside kick. Georgia recovered it, keeping Manning on the sideline and forcing a worn-out Texas defense to stay on the field.

The moment spread immense joy among the Bulldogs fans. That lead was crucial for Georgia to maintain a long-range difference over Texas. Georgia followed the surprise onside kick by hammering Texas with the run game and wearing down an already exhausted defense. Stockton only had to throw twice on the whole drive, including a seven-yard strike to Lawson Luckie for the touchdown. At that point, it felt like the start of the end for Texas’ CFP hopes.

The ‘Dawgs had all the momentum, and the UT defense looked completely gassed after spending most of the game stuck on the field. However, Georgia had already tried to pull one on Steve Sarkisian and his squad before, and that attempt failed miserably. Last year, Texas finally woke up after falling behind 23–0, and it all started when they jumped on Georgia’s surprise onside kick to open the second half. Quinn Ewers returned to start the third quarter after coaches benched him to end the first half.

A pass interference call on Georgia safety KJ Bolden set Texas up, and Ewers fired a 2-yard touchdown. He then hit Isaiah Bond for the 2-point conversion to cut the lead to 23–8. But this time, it’s the Bulldogs snagging that point right out of their nose. Georgia’s man under center, Gunner Stockton, finished the day with a total of 229 yards, along with 4 touchdowns. On the other hand, we witnessed yet another Arch Manning tragedy. The 21-year-old completed just 27 out of 43 passes for 251 yards. And finally, the Bulldogs snagged their ninth win with a 35-10 scoreline. And that play was so legendary that fans couldn’t stop talking about it.

Fans show immense respect towards Kirby Smart’s trickery with sudden onside kick

Fans are literally going crazy over the Georgia Bulldogs’ surprise onside kick against Texas. “Georgia and that onside kick being up 11 just cracked me TF up! That damn Kirby is smart, man,” a fan writes. Kirby Smart is known for his calculated coaching acumen. That’s why he took a gutsy gamble by calling an onside kick while Georgia was comfortably up 11 points with over 14 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Most coaches would play it safe and punt to pin the opponent deep. But Smart thrives on unpredictability and forcing opponents out of rhythm.

“Georgia Bulldogs just went for an onside kick, up 11 with 14:20 left in 4,” another fan added. “@buffalobills coaches would have punted from opponents 31, 4th and an inch, down by 2.” Kirby Smart isn’t afraid to gamble, even when the numbers say to play it safe. Contrast that with the Buffalo Bills, who, under Sean McDermott, are known for conservative fourth-down decisions. They often punt from opponents’ 31, even when down by 2. NFL coaches, especially in close games, tend to play it safe. “That was Georgia’s first successful onside kick since 2013 vs South Carolina,” another fan chimed in.

For over a decade, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs had avoided this risky play, making the unexpected recovery by Cash Jones a game-changer. During that game, Collin Barber dribbled an onside kick, but Blake Sailors scooped it up without any trouble. Georgia took over and marched right down the field for a 22-yard field goal from Patrick Beless. South Carolina went three-and-out on the next drive, and Aaron Murray answered by hitting Keith Marshall on a 6-yard swing pass to stretch the lead to 17–3.

Lastly, a fan writes, “I cannot believe Georgia recovered that onside kick.” Onside kicks are notoriously low-percentage plays, especially in high-stakes games with disciplined teams. Recovering one requires perfect execution. The kicker must strike the ball in a way that it goes the mandatory 10 yards with a bounce favorable for recovery. And the coverage team must swarm the ball quickly.