Give credit where credit’s due.
Kentucky had its back against a wall following an embarrassing loss against South Carolina a week ago.
The Wildcats proved physical up front on both lines of scrimmage to give Georgia a ton of problems. The Bulldogs had all sorts of issues moving the ball on offense, finishing with 262 total yards.
But in the end, Georgia’s talent won out in a hard-fought and sloppy 13-12 win.
What it means
It’s not a good look, and it’s possible that Texas is the No. 1 team in the nation Sunday afternoon. But in the end none of that stuff matters. Just keep winning and everything else will take care of itself.
This was not a pretty victory, obviously. It was as ugly as it could possibly get. But hey, it’s a win, nonetheless.
There will likely be a lot of complaining and upset feelings from the fan base after this scare. But this game resembled Georgia’s close win against Missouri in 2022, where the Bulldogs found themselves in a close contest when no one expected it. These games happen.
Sometimes, it’s just good to survive and advance.
Georgia didn’t play well but this had more to do with Kentucky’s defense. The Wildcats deserve a ton of credit for an exceptional performance against the top-ranked team in the nation.
A question that needs answering
Will the offense rebound against Alabama?
After two stellar performances offensively against Clemson and Tennessee Tech, the Bulldogs looked pedestrian against Kentucky.
Again, credit the Wildcats for a great game on defense. But we all know the Crimson Tide will be a more formidable group to play against.
Perhaps it’s a good thing for Georgia to have a subpar game this week so that it can identify some issues over the bye and be ready to go against Alabama in two weeks.
Three important plays
Sack-fumble: With under five minutes to go in the first half, Raylen Wilson sacked Brock Vandagriff and Damon Wilson recovered a fumble. This led to Georgia’s first field goal of the game.
Late batted pass: Late in the fourth quarter, Georgia batted a pass from Vandagriff to force a fourth down. With around three minutes to go, Kentucky decided to punt instead of go for it, giving the Bulldogs the ball with 2:58 to go in the game.
Play-action for first down: On second-and-9 with 2:53 to go, Georgia ran a play-action pass to Dominic Lovett for 33 yards and a first down. That propelled the Bulldogs to take most of the air out of the game and come away with a much tougher-than-expected victory.
Grading Georgia
Offense: C
Georgia’s offense rode the struggle bus throughout the entire game. The offensive line, which received a ton of accolades throughout the first two weeks, did not have a good game. Kentucky’s defensive line made things terribly difficult the entire game.
Defense: A-
Kentucky was able to move the ball between the 20s. But Georgia’s defense was exceptional at holding the Wildcats to four field goals. Fans will lament the fact that Kentucky churned out some first downs on the ground and that yards after contact were much more than the first two games. But the defense was crucial in keeping Kentucky out of the end zone.
Special teams: A
Brett Thorson will be an NFL punter for many, many years.
Season grades to date
Offense: B+
Defense: A
Special teams: A
