LEXINGTON, Ky. — Top-ranked Georgia isn’t allowing many points right now, a daunting obstacle for a Kentucky squad seeking ways to score some.
Those opposite trends don’t appear likely to change in Saturday night’s matchup of former SEC East rivals, but Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart believes the Wildcats still pose a threat.
“They are just as dangerous whether they won or lost that game, in my opinion," Smart said of the Wildcats' 31-6 loss to South Carolina. “I know the football players they got. I know how physical they are. I know how they’re coached. And we’ve got to get ready for a really tough opponent.”
The Bulldogs (2-0) have fulfilled the preseason hype as Southeastern Conference favorites and enter league play having outscored Clemson and Tennessee Tech by a combined 82-6, allowing each only a field goal.
Last week's 48-3 shellacking of the Golden Eagles was a breather on many levels, with Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck tossing five touchdowns to five players in just over one half of action. The ’Dawgs outgained Tech 498-134 in a game shortened to 10 minutes in the fourth quarter.
Georgia ranks fifth in FBS total defense (161 yards per game) and 33rd in offense (472.5). The Bulldogs seek their 15th consecutive series win and enter as 24 1/2-point favorites according to BetMGM College Sports Odds.
Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC) aims to rebound from one of its flattest overall performances under Mark Stoops against South Carolina. The Wildcats managed just 183 yards and two field goals in the loss and failed to score a touchdown for the first time since losing 21-0 to Iowa in the 2022 Music City Bowl.
Stoops lamented his team’s tepid response against the Gamecocks but owned up to the loss. He hopes players take responsibility for their own shortcomings and rise to the challenge against the Bulldogs.
“Bottom line, we’ve got to get better, and we have a great opportunity to do that this week against the very best teams in the country,” Stoops said. “So, we’ll be up for that challenge. I do expect our team to respond."
Don't we know you?
Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff and senior outside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson will face their former Georgia teammates after transferring last season. Dumas-Johnson, a 2022 Associated Press second team All-American, made 126 tackles with 17 for loss and 9.5 sacks in 38 contests with 24 starts for Bulldogs. Vandagriff, who will make his third collegiate start backed up Stetson Bennett through two title runs and Carson Beck last season.
Run’Dawgs run
Trevor Etienne, who was suspended for the season-opening win over Clemson after an offseason arrest, provided a spark to the running game in his Georgia debut. The transfer from Florida rushed for 78 yards on just five carries against Tennessee Tech, including a 45-yard scamper. Nate Frazier and Branson Robinson also chipped in as the Bulldogs averaged 6.9 yards per carry.
“I think we have the best running back room in the country,” offensive tackle Xavier Truss said. “As long as we do our job up front, we’ll get to showcase those guys all season.”
Better protection
Kentucky’s offensive line seeks major improvement after South Carolina stuffed many plays before they could develop. The Wildcats yielded five sacks for 41 yards, lost 60 yards on 11 tackles and generated just 44 yards passing – with some of those struggles occurring before left guard Jager Burton and Gerald Mincey left with injuries. Mincey is listed as probable and Burton doubtful on the SEC availability report.
Discipline
Committing 11 penalties for 63 yards was bad for Kentucky. Worse was the Wildcats’ manner in doing so: two holding calls among three consecutive flags (one offsetting) during a third-quarter possession. That sequence followed a costly fourth-down offsides penalty that gave the Gamecocks a first down and set up a TD that made it 17-6. The Wildcats rank mid-pack in the SEC with 108 yards but Stoops is stressing better self-control against the nation’s top team.
Dawg-ged defenders
Georgia is one of six teams not to have allowed a touchdown and is tied for fourth nationally in scoring defense. The Bulldogs have not allowed any first-half points through two games, and the second field goal came on the game’s final play.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Georgia opens Southeastern Conference play looking to tie South Carolina atop the standings and win its 15th straight against Kentucky. The Wildcats aim to avoid a 0-2 SEC start after losing 31-6 to South Carolina in an effort that was flat in all aspects.
KEY MATCHUP
Georgia’s scoring defense is tied for fourth in FBS with just two second-half field goals allowed to Clemson and Tennessee Tech, the second coming on the game’s final play. The Bulldogs enter with linemen Mykel Williams listed as doubtful and Jordan Hall, Xzavier McLeod and Warren Brinson questionable by the SEC. The Bulldogs will face a Kentucky offense hungry to rebound from gaining just 183 yards and kicking two field goals against South Carolina, the first time since December 2022 it hasn’t scored a touchdown. The Wildcats yielded five sacks to the Gamecocks and must shut down a pass rush that has registered five through two games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is 15-1 as the starter and is coming off a career-best five-touchdown passing performance against Tennessee Tech. The senior is 53 yards away from 5,000 career and has completed 72% of his passes for 520 yards and seven TDs this season.
Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson transferred from Georgia last winter after earning an Associated Press second team All-American selection in 2022. He recorded 126 tackles and 9.5 sacks over three seasons with the Bulldogs and has six stops (1.5 for loss) so far with the Wildcats. Dumas-Johnson intercepted a pass in the season opener against Southern Miss.
FACTS AND FIGURES
Georgia RB Trevor Etienne rushed five times for 78 yards in his debut after transferring from Florida. ... The Bulldogs have a SEC-record 27 consecutive regular season wins. … Fifteen Georgia receivers caught passes last week against TTU. … Arian Smith (129 yards), TE Lawson Luckie (80), Dillon Bell (78) and Dominic Lovett (66) each has one TD to lead the receivers corps. … Kentucky starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff transferred from Georgia after backing up Stetson Bennett through two national title runs and Carson Beck last season. … The Wildcats face Georgia as the No. 1 team for the fourth consecutive season. … Kentucky’s Barion Brown needs three catches to become the school’s 20th receiver with 100 career. He had caught one in 27 consecutive games before the streak ended against South Carolina. ... Offensive linemen Gerald Mincey and Jager Burton are listed as probable and doubtful respectively on the SEC player availability list.
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