For the first 14 spring practices under Kirby Smart and his new staff, Georgia's emphasis on turnovers was evident. However, at their spring game, with 93,000 in attendance (a new record at UGA), the defense forced just one turnover - an impressive 98 yard interception return for a touchdown.
Asked about the lack of turnovers after the scrimmage, Smart explained his philosophy and how they've adopted the lacrosse stick as a symbol for the entire defense, as well as a trophy for the defensive player who forces the most turnovers.
"We're always trying to give the kids some kind of edge, but the lacrosse stick never got to come out today because defensively we didn't do what we've done all spring, which is attack the ball, rip the ball, bat the ball, intercept the ball.
"It's all about the ball. We want the ball, the ball, the ball."
"I don't know much about lacrosse, I know some of you [reporters] probably play it, but they whack people with the sticks, so we kind of sold our kids on if Sony [Michel] or [Nick] Chubb has got the ball, we're going to take our 'lacrosse stick' and whack at his arm and try to get the football from him. They took a lot of pride in that, for the first fourteen practices, but obviously today, we did not do a very good job of that."
An actual lacrosse stick has become the defensive trophy given out to players who create turnovers now in Georgia.