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The Georgia Bulldogs' head coach, Kirby Smart, faced questions after his team’s narrow victory over Georgia Tech. An unusual decision to go for a two-point conversion in the third quarter raised eyebrows, but Smart stood firm in his reasoning.

During the game, the Bulldogs’ offense had difficulty gaining momentum until quarterback Carson Beck connected with Oscar Delp for a 2-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 17-6 with 9:53 remaining in the third quarter. Rather than opting for the conventional extra point kick, Smart decided to keep the offense on the field for a two-point conversion. However, Beck's pass to Dominic Lovett fell short of the end zone, leaving Georgia with an 11-point deficit.

Facing criticism for the decision, Smart attributed the call to analytics. “Interesting question. I'm not going to dig real deep in it. It's analytics, and we follow them almost to a T,” Smart explained. He implied that if the two-point attempt had been successful, the score would have been 17-8, making it possible to take the lead with a touchdown and a field goal. This strategy was based on the assumption that Georgia's defense would prevent further scoring from Georgia Tech.

Beck himself was puzzled by the decision, admitting, "Shoot, that's beyond me, honestly. I'm not sure."

As the game progressed, the missed two-point conversion loomed large. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs managed to tie the game with two late fourth-quarter touchdowns, pushing the contest into overtime. The tension extended into eight overtime periods. Ultimately, Georgia secured victory when Georgia Tech's quarterback, Haynes King, missed a pass intended for Eric Singleton, and Georgia running back Nate Frazier scored on a short run.

Despite the controversy surrounding the early two-point attempt, Smart defended his reliance on analytics. The Bulldogs overcame the setback, demonstrating resilience and securing a hard-fought win over their rivals.