The Georgia Bulldogs suffered an unexpected setback during their recent outing against the Ole Miss Rebels. After the 28-10 win, Ole Miss’ fans rushed the gridiron as the crestfallen Dawgs left for the tunnel. Yet, defensive back Jake Pope stayed on the field and was filmed celebrating along the opponent’s fans. Head coach Kirby Smart took notice of the controversial video and issued a very strong message to Pope.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs let a great opportunity slip away. A win over the Rebels would have given them a big boost headed into the final stretch of the NCAA season. However, the Dawgs came out flat and were outplayed by Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss’ offense. The loss stung for Georgia’s fans, coaching staff, and most players- aside from Jake Pope who displayed a very bad look on his part.
After the shocking defeat (for which Georgia fell from second place in the AP Poll to eleventh) Jake Pope was seen celebrating with fans wearing Ole Miss offensive lineman Reece McIntyre’s merch. Although Pope and McIntyre were high school teammates, the jubilation on Pope’s face after his team’s loss was a sight no one in Athens could withstand, nor tolerate.
On that note, head coach Kirby Smart took a moment during his Monday press conference to address the viral video all over the Internet.
“What an idiot. Just stupid,” Smart said, per On3. “I didn’t see it until today. He’s embarrassed about it. That’s a childhood friend of his. Just not real smart. But to be honest with you, I don’t really have time to waste on that. My focus is on Tennessee.”
Jake Pope apologizes
The shocking video made waves all over college football. Pope is a reserve safety for the Bulldogs but in the blink of an eye he became the main topic within the program. His jump to the fame was for the wrong reasons. The defensive back posted on X to express his apologies to the fans, players, and coaches.
“This is not representative of who I am in any way. In no way, shape or form would I ever celebrate a loss in this program and anybody who knows me well knows that,” Pope stated. “I am Georgia through thick and thin and have never loved a group of guys more than the guys I go to battle with day in and day out.
“Lastly, and once again, I’m sorry to my teammates, coaches, and fans all around about the way that video looked and I choose to move forward and get ready for a great rest of the season with my brothers. Go Dawgs.”