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ATHENS, Ga. — Coach Kirby Smart was disappointed in the somewhat muted performance of home fans in No. 5 Georgia‘s 31-13 win over Auburn on Saturday.

Even though there was an announced sellout of 93,033 at Sanford Stadium, Smart felt fans were not loud enough. Some fans even left early. Smart said he wanted the crowd noise to create more of a home-field advantage.

“To be honest, I’m probably disappointed in our fans for the first time,” Smart told Georgia radio network sideline reporter and former Bulldogs quarterback D.J. Shockley of Atlanta’s WAGA TV following the game. “I thought there was a lack of really affecting the game crowd-noise wise, passion and energy.”

Georgia (4-1, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) extended its home winning streak to 27 games, a school record. The home winning streak, which began in 2019, is the longest among FBS teams. Mississippi State visits Athens on Saturday in another SEC game.

“We need it to be tough on other teams to play here, but it’s not,” Smart said in his postgame news conference. “It’s not the same as it’s been in the past. It’s got to be energetic. It’s got to be.”

On Monday, Smart stood by his critique.

“I think I said what I said and stand by what I said and feel it could have been better, but my job is to coach the football team and I’m going to do the best I can in my power,” Smart said.

Smart’s concerns could have been influenced by seeing the struggles of other AP Top 25 teams in road losses on Saturday, including Vanderbilt‘s stunning 40-35 upset of No. 1 Alabama.

Following this week’s game against Mississippi State, Georgia will play three consecutive games away from Athens, including an Oct. 19 game at No. 1 Texas and a Nov. 9 game at No. 9 Ole Miss. The Bulldogs return home on Nov. 16 to play No. 8 Tennessee.

Smart’s criticism of fans was a popular subject of questions at his weekly news conference Monday. He grew testy after he was asked at what point of the game he felt fans let the team down.

“It’s like you’re wanting to make this us against them,” Smart said. “That’s not really what this is about. We’re a team. We’re a unit and I think it’s OK to say how you feel and try to pull the family together and pull in the right direction and you guys want to make it about ‘Kirby said this.'”

Two Georgia players made available for interviews Monday, left guard Dylan Fairchild and outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss, said they were not aware of a decline in fan support in the game.

“Saturday, I mean, I was locked into the game,” Fairchild said. “I’m fully focused on what I have to do.”

Added Chambliss: “When I’m on the field, I’m not really big into all the juice and all that. I just want to focus on my assignment and getting communication across the field. You know, it’s kind of just like a dead silence out there.”

Smart said Georgia’s long streak of consecutive home wins may have spoiled fans.

“You win these games at home and maybe you take it for granted if you win so many games at home,” Smart said. “But I know this. It’s hard. These teams going on the road across the SEC, you make it hard on them by what you do and what you create. … It’s about us all pulling in the same direction.”

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Journalism opens as 8-5 favorite for Preakness

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Journalism opens as 8-5 favorite for Preakness

HALETHORPE, Md. — Journalism is the morning line favorite for the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes.

The Kentucky Derby runner-up to Sovereignty opened at odds of 8-5 on Monday night when post positions were drawn for the middle leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Journalism is again set to be ridden by jockey Umberto Rispoli and leave the starting gate from the No. 2 post.

Post time is set for 7:01 p.m. EDT on Saturday.

No. 7 Sandman is the 4-1 second choice in the field of nine, which does not include Sovereignty after his owners and trainer decided not to run the Derby winner two weeks after his triumph at Churchill Downs. The Preakness goes on without a true shot at a Triple Crown winner for a fifth time in seven years since Justify swept all three races in 2018.

Bob Baffert, who trained Justify and 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, is entering Goal Oriented looking for a record-extending ninth victory in the race. Fellow Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas can tie Baffert if he wins the Preakness back-to-back, this time with American Promise a year after Seize the Grey ended Mystik Dan’s Triple Crown bid.

There are three Derby horses running in the $2 million Preakness at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore: Journalism, American Promise and Sandman, the latter of whom will be ridden by John Velazquez for trainer Mark Casse. American Promise drew the No. 3 post and opened at odds of 15-1.

New to the Triple Crown trail, along with No. 1 Goal Oriented (6-1), are No. 4 Heart of Honor (12-1), No. 5 Pay Billy (20-1), No. 6 River Thames (9-2), No. 8 Clever Again (5-1) and No. 9 Gosger (20-1).

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U.S. shut out by Switzerland at hockey worlds

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U.S. shut out by Switzerland at hockey worlds

HERNING, Denmark — Switzerland, last year’s runner-up, shut out the United States 3-0 and handed the Americans their first loss at the ice hockey world championship Monday.

Damien Riat, Jonas Siegenthaler and Dean Kukan scored in the Group B game in Herning. Netminder Leonardo Genoni stopped 23 shots for the shutout.

“Give credit to Switzerland,” U.S. coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “But I know our group has a lot more in them. We’ll regroup and get ready to play Norway.”

Riat put Switzerland ahead with 7:14 remaining in the first period, redirecting the puck into the goal from the air. It was the first goal the U.S. conceded at the tournament.

The second followed 3:13 later by Siegenthaler from the blue line. Kukan’s came halfway through the final period from the top of the left circle.

“After the first goal we did a better job,” Swiss forward Kevin Fiala said. “We got into it more and more, and shut them out.”

Fiala recorded an assist in his first game at the worlds. He joined the Swiss late after his Los Angeles Kings were eliminated from the NHL playoffs in the first round.

U.S. goalie Joey Daccord made 24 saves.

The U.S., which beat Denmark 5-0 and Hungary 6-0 in its first two games, will next face Norway on Wednesday.

In other games, Martin Necas had two goals and David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists as the defending champion Czech Republic used a four-goal middle period to ease past Denmark 7-2.

Nick Olesen also had a goal and an assist for Denmark.

In Stockholm, Sweden topped archrival Finland 2-1 on goals from Leo Carlsson and Jonas Brodin for a third victory in regulation from three games.

Austria defeated Slovakia 3-2 in a penalty shootout.

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Leafs’ Domi fined $5K for hit to Panthers’ Barkov

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Leafs' Domi fined K for hit to Panthers' Barkov

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was fined $5,000 — the maximum amount allowed by the league’s collective bargaining agreement — for boarding Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov as time expired in Game 4 of their second-round Eastern Conference playoff series Sunday.

Toronto was trailing 2-0 when the final buzzer sounded, and Domi hit Barkov from behind, sending him headfirst into the boards. Domi was given a minor penalty for boarding at the time while several other scrums broke out before officials moved players off the ice.

Florida’s victory evened the best-of-seven series at 2-all. Game 5 is set for Wednesday in Toronto.

Toronto coach Craig Berube didn’t comment on the Domi hit directly Monday, but he did say he thought Dmitry Kulikov‘s hit on Mitch Marner “was way worse”

On that play, the Panthers defenseman caught Marner up high with an elbow, leaving the Leafs forward momentarily dazed. No penalty was called on Kulikov.

It wasn’t the first elbowing incident to draw attention in the series.

In Game 1, Panthers forward Sam Bennett sent an elbow to the head of Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz shortly before Stolarz left the game. He was later hospitalized for further evaluation and hasn’t been able to resume skating since. There is currently no timeline for his return.

The physical intensity of the series might continue to rise now that it’s down to being a best-of-three. Based on how Game 4 played out, the Leafs are prepared to push back when they host Florida on Wednesday.

“We expected [the physicality], and I think we’re fine with it,” Berube said. “We’re handling it. We’re physical. I thought we were the more physical team [in Game 4].”

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