Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart faced criticism following the Bulldogs’ 24-21 home loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. The defeat snapped Georgia‘s 33-game home winning streak and dropped Kirby Smart’s career record against Alabama down to 1-7.

After the game, the media asked Smart about his team’s decision to go for it on fourth down early in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs could have settled for a modest field goal with All-SEC kicker Peyton Woodring, but instead Georgia made the aggressive decision to go for it on fourth down.

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Trailing 24-21, Georgia elected to run the ball with running back Cash Jones on a 4th-and-1 play. Jones was tripped up and stopped well short of a first down.

“We felt like we were going to go for it if we got anything (on the play before) and we did,” Smart said.

“That play has been really successful for us,” Smart continued. “We hit Tennessee on it three times for a conversion. We’d run it earlier in the night and run it for a conversion. We missed a block that you’ve got to make and they ran through and made a really good play to stop it.

“I’d do that 10 out of 10 times in terms of going for it. The decision is if you go for it with tempo or not and we felt like tempo had been really good for us throughout the year.”

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Georgia’s fourth down decision ended up proving costly in hindsight, but if you can’t gain one yard, then do you deserve to win? Georgia shredded Alabama for 227 rushing yards and averaged nearly seven yards per carry.

“That’s a play that I believe in and believe it should work,” Smart added.

We have to agree with coach Smart on the decision to go for it. Georgia was playing to win and not to force overtime. If Georgia converts and scores a touchdown, then the Bulldogs likely win the game.

However, we don’t love the playcall for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was to the right side, which featured a true freshman and second-string player. Secondly, running back Cash Jones is not the player Georgia wants fighting for extra yardage in that situation. If Jones could’ve maintained his balance, then he may have scored a touchdown.

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Georgia is back to the drawing boards after a tough loss against Alabama. The Bulldogs will lick their wounds as they prepare for an Oct. 4 SEC game against the struggling Kentucky Wildcats.

This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Kirby Smart explains his controversial fourth down decision