Stats Crunch: Kentucky Game

Georgia is once again No. 1 and has a perfect record. This Saturday the Dawgs will face another team with a perfect 6-0 record, the Kentucky Wildcats. The Bulldogs are 6-0 for the third time under Kirby Smart. Kentucky is 6-0 for the first time since 1950, when the Wildcats were led by a head coach named Bear Bryant.

Georgia has won the last 11 meetings over Kentucky and has defeated the Wildcats 60 times in all. Last week, the Bulldogs handled the Auburn Tigers 34-10 out on the Plains. Both Auburn and Kentucky appear on the list of teams that Georgia has defeated the most all-time. Check out this list as we look back at the win at Auburn and the game ahead to Kentucky in this week’s Stats Crunch.

Here's a list of the longest win streaks Georgia has had over its opponents.

The main reason Georgia is 6-0 is due to its dominating defense. The Bulldogs lead the nation in many categories. Here are three, and you can see the size of their lead in each case.

Georgia’s defense had four sacks last week against Auburn. Prior to facing the Bulldogs, the Tigers allowed just three sacks in their first five games combined. It was the third time this season the Dawgs have had at least four sacks in a game. The team has 22 sacks as a whole and leads the SEC in that category. The 22 sacks after six games are the most by Georgia under Smart.

The Dawgs’ offensive line has done the opposite. Georgia quarterback has only been sacked three times this season.

Defensively, the 33 points allowed so far this season are the second fewest in the SEC era (1933 to present). Only the 1935 team had fewer, and it allowed 24. The 1950 and 1954 teams were close, as they allowed 34 points through the first six games. The 1920 team holds the record for fewest after six games, when it allowed just three points. The three points came against Oglethorpe.

Also, the Bulldogs have allowed 33 points this season and yet their average margin of victory this season is 34.3.

On offense, it was the Stetson Bennett show again. He and JT Daniels have been leading the way for the Bulldogs. Each quarterback has done well, as you can see from these stats.

For the 19th time under Kirby Smart, and for the second time this season, Georgia rushed for and passed for 200 yards in the same game. The Bulldogs are 19-0 in that stretch when that happens.

Redshirt Freshman Ladd McConkey had career highs in both receptions and yards receiving. His 60-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter was his career-long, and his second score via the air this season (he had a touchdown run as well). He and fellow true freshmen Brock Bowers and Adonai Mitchell are among the biggest weapons in the passing game this season. Look at the leaders in touchdown receptions by SEC freshmen this season.

Bowers and McConkey each have a 100-yard receiving game this season. Georgia and FAU are the only two schools in the country with two or more freshmen who have 100-yard receiving games this season.

As for running the ball, Zamir White matched his career high and scored a pair of touchdowns for the second straight game. He's now scored at least one touchdown in 13 of his last 16 games, dating back to the start of last season. He now has 20 career touchdowns from the ground. That's tied for second for the most during Smart’s tenure (Nick Chubb and Sony Michel had more prior).

In sharing the load this season, Georgia has five running backs who have done some damage during the game.

Finally, another shoutout to the top dawg, Kirby Smart. Smart is 5-0 against Kentucky as a head coach, and was 3-1 against the Wildcats as a player. Did you know that Kirby had four of his 13 career interceptions against Kentucky, and all of them came against future top pick Tim Couch.