What Georgia's Coach Told Mike Bobo After CSU's Upset Of Arkansas

By Sam Hellman

(247 SPORTS) - Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Colorado State coach Mike Bobo go all the way back to rooming together in Athens in the 1990s. The two battled for many recruits over the last decade before Bobo left the SEC to become a head coach at Colorado State. Smart was quick to issue well wishes and thoughts during Bobo's medical issues during training camp.

They remain as close as ever in 2018, which is why Smart came up with the perfect text message after Bobo's Rams upset Arkansas over the weekend.

"I texted him," Smart said on Tuesday afternoon. "I told him. You better never count a Bobo out. I've been in many battles with him, against him and with him. Lifelong friends. Grew up right down the road from each other. To see what he's endured and his family's endured, it's been amazing. To go through two losses like he had and then to come back and beat an SEC opponent to win it. At some point in the game they were 99 percent probably to lose out of ESPN Stats and he comes back and wins. Then to see him with his dad afterward and get to see him hug his son, that's really what it's all about. Don't ever count him out, I can promise you that. He's a great football coach and a really good person."

Smart was quick to make similar statements when Bobo left Colorado State in August for medical reasons. His thoughts during that stretch were the same in to never count him out.

"I've talked to Mike probably more than Lainie just out of our friendship," Smart said in training camp. "Thoughts and prayers go out to George and Barbara, their parents and family. He's got five kids I know he worships and cares about so much. They're a tight-knit family."

Bobo was off to a frustrating start at Colorado State this season after back-to-back losses against Hawaii and Colorado. Those tides turned Saturday against Arkansas, a team against which Bob is used to coaching as a long-time SEC assistant.

The Razorbacks led by 15 points in the third quarterback before the Rams and graduate-transfer quarterback KJ Carta-Samuels went to work. The Rams scored 25 unanswered points against Arkansas and handed Chad Morris the first loss of his Razorbacks career. Carta-Samuels threw for 389 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

"First of all, I want to give thanks to God," Bobo said after the victory. "[There have been some] trying times, and He humbles you and I just want to give thanks to God. Second, I'm so proud of this football team, for the fight that they showed tonight. I told them, after the game, 'I wouldn't want to win it any other way. Your back's against the wall, things aren't going great, but (you) continue to fight and continue to believe.'"