ATLANTA - Kirby Smart gave his team a new nickname on Saturday night.

Smart stood on the stage after Georgia won the SEC Championship in a 22-19 overtime thriller against Texas. As he looked out on his players, decked out in special shirts and hats, he dubbed them the "Never say die Dawgs."

That name has never been more appropriate than Saturday, as the Bulldogs overcame injuries, a halftime deficit, and some occasionally mediocre play on both sides of the ball to win the third SEC title of the Smart era.

"I've had more physically tough, I've had more physically talented, but I don't know that I've ever had a more mentally tough team," Smart said. "They just keep coming and keep coming, and they never say die. I have a lot of respect for the leaders in that room because of what they've been through, probably the hardest schedule in the history we've ever had. And they endured it, they came out on top, and they fought their way through it."

Veteran safety Dan Jackson has been through so much in Athens. He has been on campus since 2019, going through a pandemic, winning two natoinal championships, and suffering the heartbreak of a near-miss last season. This season has also seen Jackson and the defense go through its fair share of ups and downs on the field.

This team, Jackson said, is the most resilient he's been a part of.

"We've been in the fire more," Jackson said when asked why that is. "It might not, we don't want it to be close every game, but just the way we fight and the way we communicate and our work ethic, I think."

By contrast, running back Trevor Etienne is new to Georgia's DNA traits, a four-pillar mantra that includes resiliency. Etienne transferred from Florida during the offseason and has been a key cog in Georgia's offense.

It didn't take Etienne long to buy into the resiliency of this group of Bulldogs.

"One of the first games I was like, after the Bama game I said this, I was like, we never panic," Etienne said. "I don't know if that's a good thing or it's a bad thing. And it turns out being good for us because no matter what the situation is, no matter what happens, I believe and I have complete confidence in this team."

More adversity lies ahead for Georgia. They await their College Football Playoff fate while also keeping an eye on the injury status of quarterback Carson Beck, who missed all but one play of the second half with an elbow injury.

But as they've shown all year long, the Bulldogs will be ready to fight no matter the circumstance.

"I don't know if y'all hear it, but I hear people doubt us all the time," receiver Arian Smith said. "So if you count us out, that's on you, but we always count ourselves in."