ATHENS, Ga. -- There were no overturned chairs, no words unsuitable for print, and basically every response was given in careful, well-thought out terms.
But make no mistake, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was not in a good mood after watching his Bulldogs struggle to beat FCS Nicholls on Saturday by a 26-24 score.
"This was very disappointing and it starts with me and my entire staff," Smart said after the game. "We did not play with the tangibles, the enthusiasm the relentless energy that we expect.
"We hold these kids to a standard of excellence and we didn't perform to it today. I'm very disappointed."
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Smart had every right to be. His home debut as the Bulldog head coach was supposed to be a celebration of sorts for the Georgia alum. It was anything but.
"I thought we were ready to play but we made lots of mistakes," Bulldog junior safety Dominick Sanders said. "The main thing is we can't overlook anybody. We've got to come out aggressive. We didn't do that today."
On the other hand, Nicholls coach Tim Rebowe was about as pleased as one could get without actually winning the game.
"I'm just proud of our players," Rebowe said. "They fought hard, they played hard. Going against a great team, a great running back. ... We found out some things about our team."
So did Georgia, like perhaps it's not as ready for prime time as its No. 9 ranking would indicate.
Leading 26-14 in the fourth, the Bulldogs (2-0) appeared to be on the verge of putting the game away with the ball deep in Colonel territory.
However, Nicholls cornerback Jeff Hall intercepted freshman quarterback Jacob Eason's pass and returned it 91 yards to the Bulldog 8 before the Colonels settled for a 26-yard field goal by David McKey to close to within 26-17.
"We prepared well," Nicholls running back C.J. Okpalobi said. "They came with what we expected them to come with. We just stayed true with what we practiced all week and try to be successful."
Georgia's gift-giving ways weren't over.
Later in the quarter, Isaiah McKenzie fumbled away the ball at the Georgia Tech 9, giving the Colonels another scoring chance. This time they took full advantage, with John Forecade lobbing a 6-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Bates to draw Nicholls within 26-24 with 3:42 left on the clock.
The Colonels would not get another chance, as backup quarterback Greyson Lambert -- who replaced Eason the previous series -- came on to throw for a key first down on a third-and-6 play before Nick Chubb helped grind out the final 1:10 to allow Georgia to survive.
But despite his effort, Chubb did not surpass the 100-yard mark, breaking a streak of 14 consecutive games.
"We knew these guys would come out here to play for their first game of the season," Chubb said. "We expected him to come with a lot of energy and they showed it."
Georgia was a 55-point favorite coming in, but nobody bothered telling the visiting Colonels from the Southland Conference.
In fact, Nicholls grabbed a 14-13 lead with 6:48 left in the third quarter on a 20-yard pass from Chase Forecade to Jarrell Harris before Georgia scored three plays later, when McKenzie took a short pass and turned it into a 66-yard touchdown.
Apparently, the defense was duly inspired.
On Nicholls' next possession, Aaron Davis came on a safety blitz, knocking the ball from the arms of quarterback Devin Powell right to Bulldog linebacker Lorenzo Carter, who converted the 24-yard scoop and score for Georgia.
Georgia led 10-7 at the half, its touchdown coming on a six-yard run from Chubb.
Only a 23-yard field by Ham enabled Georgia to go into the locker room with the lead as Nicholls was able to cash in its first score with 45 seconds left in the second on a 4-yard run by Dontrell Taylor.
NOTES: By starting, Jacob Eason became the sixth true freshman in school history to start at quarterback for Georgia, and the first since current Detroit Lions star Matthew Stafford in 2006. ... For playing Georgia, FCS member Nicholls received $525,000. ... The game against the Bulldogs was only the second for Nicholls against an SEC opponent after losing to Arkansas 73-3 in 2014. ... The Bulldogs played the game without regular snapper Trent Frix, who sustained an ankle injury last week against North Carolina. Backup fullback Glenn Welch took over those duties for the first time.
