Following No. 5 Georgia’s grind-it-out 14-3 victory over Kentucky, the Wildcats’ Mark Stoops met with the media, as did a couple of his players, to discuss their setback this afternoon in Lexington. The following are key bullet points from Kentucky’s media session:

…Beginning with Stoops’ opening statement, the Wildcats praised the Bulldogs’ defensive effort. Georgia limited its host to a field goal, 229 total yards, and a mere 3.6 yards per play. The Bulldogs also forced a fumble and totaled four quarterback sacks.

“First of all, you have to give Georgia credit. We knew going into the game that they were one of the best defenses in the country—if not the best,” Stoops said. “They really played well. They put a lot of pressure on us and did some really good things.”

…Although the Kentucky offense featured running back Chris Rodriguez, who rushed for 108 yards on 20 carries, its air attack was essentially grounded. Auburn-transfer quarterback Joey Gatewood struggled in his first collegiate start. The former Rivals100 prospect completed 15 of 25 passes against the Bulldogs—and wasn’t intercepted—however, he passed for only 91 yards, including a completion-long of just 11 yards. He also rushed for only 23 yards on 16 rushes. Gatewood, too, had nothing but praise for the Georgia defenders.

“First off, all the credit goes to Georgia’s defense,” Gatewood said. “They’re a good physical team upfront, and their secondary is obviously pretty good. They’re physical, a good team, and prepared.”

…Offensively, the Bulldogs totaled 215 rushing yards, including 136 from Zamir White. Still, two costly interceptions thrown by quarterback Stetson Bennett, and the fact the offense had a time of possession of only 25 minutes, were two primary reasons Georgia was limited to 14 points—the fewest points scored by the team in a victory since a 13-7 win over Auburn in 2016.

“Defensively, the guys played with good energy, were extremely tough, and we played physical,” Stoops said regarding his Wildcat defenders. “We had a couple of takeaways to give us an opportunity–to change field position. But, in the end, you have to play really perfect to make some big plays to beat a team like that—and we didn’t do it.”

…Notably, with Georgia leading by 11 points with just over nine minutes remaining in the game, Kentucky got the ball on its own 10-yard line. According to Stoops, if the ‘Cats were to ever pass the ball downfield against Georgia, they realized it had to be right then and there. Regardless, Kentucky’s final two offensive drives totaled a scant 20 yards on 16 plays—and it never really threatened to score against the Bulldogs’ praiseworthy defense.

“We were trying to get the ball down the field—absolutely. It just wasn’t happening,” Stoops said. “[Georgia is] well-coached. They’re not stupid. They know—and they were taking [passing opportunities] away.”