Georgia coach Kirby Smart wanted his top-ranked Bulldogs to play like a “wrecking ball” when they took the field against Kentucky on Saturday at Sanford Stadium.
Mission accomplished. But outside of sports, the metaphor is a popular song by U.S. singer, songwriter, and actress Miley Cyrus.
As Smart discussed UGA’s 51–13 dismantling of Kentucky with reporters after the game, the two-time CFP national championship coach kept referring to a "wrecking ball" so much that a reporter mentioned thinking of Cyrus. However, Smart was unfamiliar with the pop star.
“I don’t know who Miley Cyrus is,” Smart said to laughter in the press room, per On3. “What does she have to do with wrecking ball?”
In giving his diagnosis from the win, Smart was seeking to relate the metaphor to his team playing with speed and “physicality.” Leading up to the SEC East clash between 5–0 teams, Smart and his coaching staff showed players videos of a wrecking ball to emphasize the theme for Saturday’s game.
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“Force equals mass times acceleration,” Smart explained. “So, we wanted a lot of mass. What is a lot of mass? More hats. What is acceleration? More speed. … We wanted to be connected in our physicality and we showed videos of a wrecking ball. It was just a big ball hitting a building. I mean, knocking it down.
"Each week, each day in the meeting it got bigger, and bigger, and bigger, and bigger," he added, "and we wanted to be the wrecking ball.”
Smart said that the only “Wrecking Ball” song he’s familiar with is Eric Church’s “Like a Wrecking Ball,” which is very different from Cyrus’s. Despite Smart’s unawareness of the pop star’s music, the Bulldogs’ commanding win against the Wildcats brought music to his ears. UGA’s record remains unblemished with a Week 7 road matchup on Saturday against Vanderbilt.
