ATHENS, Ga. — For the first time in 15 years, Georgia-Georgia Tech will not feature Mark Richt on the sideline. Instead, it is round one of Kirby Smart vs. Paul Johnson.
The Bulldogs beat the Yellow Jackets 13-7 last season in what turned out to be Richt’s final game as coach. Less than 24 hours after the Bulldogs’ ninth win of the season, Georgia players were summoned to a team meeting and told that Richt no longer was their coach. Soon after that, the conjecture that Smart would return to his alma mater started in earnest.
Junior nose tackle John Atkins said early this week that the memory of being told Richt was fired sticks with him.