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Kirby doesn't get near enough credit for his fake kick calls
Posted on 1/30/26 at 6:34 pm
Posted on 1/30/26 at 6:34 pm
Was randomly thinking about this today. After some shaky early results, Kirby has been absolute nails with fake kicks throughout most of his career. All of these are from memory so I'm sure I'm missing some but I'll try to recap each that I can recall.
2018
LSU
Call- C
Execution- D
Tried to do the over the shoulder fake FG that les miles made famous and it backfired. Way early in the game, on the road in a hostile environment, you just take the points there. It failed spectacularly and the crowd was juiced and it was pretty much all downhill from there. Crappy game
Auburn
Call- A+
Execution- C-
We were already beating Auburn's arse late in the game and the outcome was not in doubt. To fake a FG and add another TD was just sublime. Everything worked perfect except Rodrigo throwing it too far.
Bama
Call- A+++++
Execution- F-----
I've written tons on this in the past and won't do it again here. But long story short, in film study we realized bama hadn't changed a particular punt coverage in the last 6 years. We called the exact same play that we ran succesfully against them in 2012. It was an absolutely BRILLIANT call that if successful we bleed clock, kick a FG, and it's one of the biggest wins in our history. Unfortunately the execution was as bad as the call was good. We put Fields at upback for some reason I can't explain and we let the entire playclock run down, letting bama see what we were doing and then cover it. Just a total frick up execution wise, but I will forever stand by the call.
2019
Baylor
Call- A
Execution- A+
Up by roughly ~10 some time in the 2nd half. We're in their territory going for the FG and pull off a perfectly executed fake FG for the 1st down. We'd go on to score a TD and essentially ice the game
2024
Texas
Call- C
Execution- A+
Man this was ballsy. 4th quarter of the SECCG in a tie game where we have a backup QB and our offense hasn't' done jack. We're deep in our own territory. If we don't get it we're likely fricked but it was ran to perfection.
2025
Texas
Call- A+
Execution- A+
Ah, the onside kick. I think this caught everyone in the universe off guard and it could not have been run any better than it was. When people talk about textbook or "picture perfect", this was it. We were up 4 in a game that got surprisingly tight, then scored a TD early in the 4th to go back up 11. Recovered the ensuing onside, scored again, and the game was over.
Ole Miss
Call- D
Execution- A
This was a head scratcher. We saw a double digit lead slowly slip away and we are up 2 late in the 3rd. We are DEEP in our own territory. Not only do we call a fake punt, but it's a pretty intricate one involving a lateral and a pass by a non-QB to a TE. And yet...it was pulled off perfectly. If we don't convert that we're boned but they made it work. Incredible play but kinda shocked that we called it.
2018
LSU
Call- C
Execution- D
Tried to do the over the shoulder fake FG that les miles made famous and it backfired. Way early in the game, on the road in a hostile environment, you just take the points there. It failed spectacularly and the crowd was juiced and it was pretty much all downhill from there. Crappy game
Auburn
Call- A+
Execution- C-
We were already beating Auburn's arse late in the game and the outcome was not in doubt. To fake a FG and add another TD was just sublime. Everything worked perfect except Rodrigo throwing it too far.
Bama
Call- A+++++
Execution- F-----
I've written tons on this in the past and won't do it again here. But long story short, in film study we realized bama hadn't changed a particular punt coverage in the last 6 years. We called the exact same play that we ran succesfully against them in 2012. It was an absolutely BRILLIANT call that if successful we bleed clock, kick a FG, and it's one of the biggest wins in our history. Unfortunately the execution was as bad as the call was good. We put Fields at upback for some reason I can't explain and we let the entire playclock run down, letting bama see what we were doing and then cover it. Just a total frick up execution wise, but I will forever stand by the call.
2019
Baylor
Call- A
Execution- A+
Up by roughly ~10 some time in the 2nd half. We're in their territory going for the FG and pull off a perfectly executed fake FG for the 1st down. We'd go on to score a TD and essentially ice the game
2024
Texas
Call- C
Execution- A+
Man this was ballsy. 4th quarter of the SECCG in a tie game where we have a backup QB and our offense hasn't' done jack. We're deep in our own territory. If we don't get it we're likely fricked but it was ran to perfection.
2025
Texas
Call- A+
Execution- A+
Ah, the onside kick. I think this caught everyone in the universe off guard and it could not have been run any better than it was. When people talk about textbook or "picture perfect", this was it. We were up 4 in a game that got surprisingly tight, then scored a TD early in the 4th to go back up 11. Recovered the ensuing onside, scored again, and the game was over.
Ole Miss
Call- D
Execution- A
This was a head scratcher. We saw a double digit lead slowly slip away and we are up 2 late in the 3rd. We are DEEP in our own territory. Not only do we call a fake punt, but it's a pretty intricate one involving a lateral and a pass by a non-QB to a TE. And yet...it was pulled off perfectly. If we don't convert that we're boned but they made it work. Incredible play but kinda shocked that we called it.
5
Posted on 1/31/26 at 10:27 am to WG_Dawg
I agree his game management skills has gotten so much better over the years. I was at the LSU game and it was a head scratcher of a call. But you have to be okay with it not working and I love the aggressive calls to steal a possession
Posted on 1/31/26 at 9:53 pm to WG_Dawg
A couple more fakes come to mind…
2016 Liberty Bowl vs TCU, 3rd quarter. Brice Ramsey, the holder, ran a fake field goal for a first down. Touchdown 3 plays later in a 1 score win.
2022 at Mizzou, fake field goal late in the first half. Eventually leads to a FG in a 4 point win.
2016 Liberty Bowl vs TCU, 3rd quarter. Brice Ramsey, the holder, ran a fake field goal for a first down. Touchdown 3 plays later in a 1 score win.
2022 at Mizzou, fake field goal late in the first half. Eventually leads to a FG in a 4 point win.
Posted on 2/1/26 at 8:30 am to dawgdayafternoon
good call. So at first glance it'd appear that he hasn't whiffed on a fake kick call since his 2nd year as coach. Pretty impressive.
Posted on 2/1/26 at 10:50 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
2024
Texas
Call- C
Disagree. Texas had just gone downfield with ease and scored a TD, and Thorson had been knocked out of the game on his previous attempt. Giving them a short field in that spot would have probably cost us the game. It was a good time to call it, and the play itself was wide open, so it was clearly something they knew would work against a certain look.
Posted on 2/1/26 at 1:56 pm to WG_Dawg
The onside kick this year against Texas was one of the most electric moments in Sanford Stadium in a while. Kirby was ready to throw some elbows and he was feeling it!
Posted on 2/2/26 at 10:13 am to VADawg
quote:
Disagree. Texas had just gone downfield with ease and scored a TD
quote:
Thorson had been knocked out of the game on his previous attempt. Giving them a short field in that spot would have probably cost us the game
The Thorson aspect was huge for sure. I think these other two statements contradict though. The ball was snapped on our own 30 yard line. If we don't convert they have to go ~25 yards after just cruising down the field the last drive. At least if we punt, even if a mediocre one, we make them have to work for it a bit.
Of course it all worked out perfectly though so no complaints here.
Posted on 2/9/26 at 1:19 pm to WG_Dawg
I was trying to think of one of his fake kick calls that didn't work and then remembered the 2018 SECCG where Fields took the long snap and then got stuffed. Other than that one I can't recall one that didn't work. That one he did vs Ole Miss in the playoff game was the most ballsy though.
Posted on 2/10/26 at 8:07 am to WG_Dawg
quote:
We put Fields at upback for some reason I can't explain and we let the entire playclock run down, letting bama see what we were doing and then cover it.
Who was calling the snap on that play? I have the feeling Fields had already decided he was leaving and he didn't want Georgia to win that game.
Posted on 2/10/26 at 9:28 am to AlaCowboy46
Correct it was Fields. And for reasons I'll never understand, despite having the EXACT PICTURE PERFECT play call, instead of just getting up and snapping it we twiddled our thumbs and let the play clock run down and give them time to adjust. I have zero clue what he was doing waiting so long.
He had definitely already made up his mind he was leaving, but I would really hope he wouldn't intentionally frick us like that. There were rumors (which on message boards typically means "bullshite") that he wanted the glory and to keep it himself even though that wasn't the playcall, but who knows. All I know is that was one of the best playcalls Kirby's ever had with one of the worst exeuctions. And Kirby himself is not perfect of course, considering if we simply put a 2nd string TE in that spot instead of our fricking QB the play probably still goes off without a hitch. Why we put fields in that spot who tf knows
quote:
I have the feeling Fields had already decided he was leaving and he didn't want Georgia to win that game.
He had definitely already made up his mind he was leaving, but I would really hope he wouldn't intentionally frick us like that. There were rumors (which on message boards typically means "bullshite") that he wanted the glory and to keep it himself even though that wasn't the playcall, but who knows. All I know is that was one of the best playcalls Kirby's ever had with one of the worst exeuctions. And Kirby himself is not perfect of course, considering if we simply put a 2nd string TE in that spot instead of our fricking QB the play probably still goes off without a hitch. Why we put fields in that spot who tf knows
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