Have you ever wondered if Georgia Bulldogs head coach will be tagged along with a Missouri Tigers player’s wrongdoings? All thanks to Mizzou’s safety, Philip Roche. The fans are attacking Kirby Smart. The 19-year-old player was arrested on Monday night, July 29, in Columbia, based on three separate warrants for failing to appear in court.

Lately, college football has been plagued by athletes being put behind bars. This has become more routine in Smart’s Bulldogs than in the other teams. And how could the fans just let go of the opportunity? They lassoed Roche to put down Smart.

Roche’s arrest mirrors Smart’s program’s speeding scandals

Roche was set to begin his sophomore season with the Tigers when he hit a roadblock. The safety received all three warrants earlier this month. They consist of citations covering back-to-back speeding offenses and breaking speed limits. He landed himself in further trouble by missing out on the court appearances. On July 31, the University of Missouri athletics beat writer Eli Hoff posted on X, “#Mizzou safety Phillip Roche was arrested Monday night after three warrants were issued for failing to appear in court. Since March 30, he has received multiple citations for going 45+ mph over the speed limit. It’s unclear whether he will be suspended.” 

And how did Smart’s name come up in this case? Of course, it had to. After all, over the past year, at least 24 players have been arrested for speeding and reckless driving during the Georgia HC’s tenure. The latest addition to the list are three players, all in July: WR Rodarius “Rara” Thomas, linebacker Smael Mondon, and offensive lineman Bo Hughley. This was enough for fans to attack Smart, even though he is not the Missouri HC.

Fans react to Roche’s arrest with Kirby Smart references

The situation has arisen so that whenever any player from any program gets tangled in legal woes, Smart’s name is used to describe the situation. For example, a fan used the Georgia HC’s name as slang: “What in the Kirby Smart is going on here??!!”

Now that Roche has been arrested, a fan took the fact for granted that he is bound to be in Athens, “Was he trying out for Georgia?” Another fan dropped a GIF to showcase what might have been the Georgia HC’s reaction: “Kirby watching that warrant get served. Georgia’s reaching out to Roche’s people as we speak.” Since Roche has been cuffed, the fan passed a sarcastic jab that this will make it easy for him to enter Bulldogs.

A die-hard Missouri fan held Smart responsible for plaguing the Tigers’ culture, “Kirby Smart tampering with my roster smh.” Time to wait and see where Roche’s fate ultimately leads him!