Florida and Georgia engage annually in a heated rivalry game in Jacksonville. Following Saturday’s edition of the yearly tilt, formerly known in a prior world as the “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party,” fireworks emerged. That pyro came courtesy of Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, who took a swipe at former Florida coach-turned-ESPN analyst Dan Mullen.
Before Saturday’s matchup between the Gators and Bulldogs, Mullen picked UF to pull off the upset over the Dawgs. It’s worth noting that before joining the Worldwide Leader, Mullen served as head coach at Florida from 2018-2021.
Fast-forward to Saturday night, and the Bulldogs dismantled the Gators. Top-ranked Georgia celebrated a 43-20 victory over their rivals in Jacksonville. The Dawgs have won three in a row and six of the last seven against their rivals. The only win came in 2020 in a 44-28 victory for Florida while Mullen was head coach.
At his postgame press conference, Smart addressed Mullen’s pick and came with a response to that of his own.
“He didn’t like to recruit though”
Kirby Smart just bodied Dan Mullen 😂 pic.twitter.com/olwut9SG5P
— Jonathan Williams (@Dr_JWill) October 29, 2023
“And I don’t see it or hear it, but I know it’s out there. Somebody texted me before the game was like, ‘All these people predicted that we’re not gonna win today.’ I’m just like, ‘Golly, where’s that coming from? You’re supposed to be my friend.’ He didn’t like to recruit though, so.”
Mullen’s the last coach to defeat the Dawgs as a Florida head coach, but Kirby still beat him on three other occasions. And, of course, the Bulldogs did win two College Football Playoff championships in the last two seasons and are going for a three-peat.
Smart’s comments follow a recent run of coaches responding to the media. From Ryan Day’s ax to grind with Lou Holtz, the drama between Skip Bayless and Dan Lanning, and Saturday’s clash between Steve Smith Sr. and Dave Doeren, there has been no shortage in this category this season.
