Georgia’s Oct. 16th battle with Kentucky was billed as the battle of the unbeatens, as both the Bulldogs and Wildcats rolled into Sanford Stadium a perfect 6-0.
Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs were starting to flex their muscles, and defensively, schools were already taking notice that the Georgia defense might be one of the best in many years.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops even made a joke about the "beasts" on UGA's team during a press conference a few weeks prior to playing the Bulldogs.
Georgia’s defense would certainly play a big role in what would ultimately be an easy 30-13 win.
However, it would be a heads-up play by running back Kendall Milton with the game still scoreless that saved the Bulldog from making the first big mistake of the game.
The play
The game was scoreless when Stetson Bennett dropped back to pass.
Wildcat defender Josh Paschal was right there, however, and the ball popped out of Bennett’s hands and rolled just in front of Wildcat linebacker Jacquez Jones.
On the play, Bennett’s arm appeared to be coming forward. Apparently, most of the other players agreed as play virtually stopped with the ball still bounding around on the ground.
Trouble was, there was no whistle. The ball was still live.
Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran and Milton were apparently the only players who knew otherwise.
It’s a good thing.
Milton rushed over to pick up the football, and actually advanced it eight yards to the Kentucky 19 before an official’s whistle finally blew.
The replay showed that Bennett had indeed fumbled the ball on what was the final play of the first quarter.
“Good Lord, that was huge. I thought it was a pass just how the ball, it just came out and went forward,” Bennett said. “Then I turned around and there was a bean bag on the ground. I was like, ‘Oh,’ and I turned around, and thank goodness Kendall was jumping on the ball, and it gave us eight yards.”
Georgia would score on the very next play when Bennett found a wide-open James Cook in the middle of the field for a 19-yard touchdown.
But credit Milton for it happening at all.
"It was unfortunate. I know me personally, I knew it was a fumble. I kind of just remember screaming at Kendall, ‘Go and get the ball,’ because I’m running right behind him,” Van Pran said. “I don’t think Kentucky realized it yet that it was a fumble. Just having the awareness of, hey man, this could possibly be a fumble, because the whistle hasn’t been blown yet, I think it was huge. Football is a game of momentum, so you never want to give the opposing team too much momentum."
