Cats Take on the Kings of College Football
On Saturday night under the lights in Athens, the Kentucky Football team takes on the current gold standard of college football. The Wildcats made a statement last Saturday and have a chance to make an even bigger one this week. However, it’s not going to be an easy task. Let’s look at both teams and give you a prediction as Kentucky faces number one Georgia.
An Award Winning Week
The Wildcats emphatically announced they’ve flipped the script against Florida with a huge victory. Not only was it UK’s third straight win over the Gators for the first time since the 1950’s it was the largest win margin since 1979. Headed by Ray Davis’ 280 yards on the ground he won pretty much every national trophy.
Critics are raving about @Ray_Davis07🤩🍿
🔗 https://t.co/YwfxHwJh0g pic.twitter.com/Ju1TSYY0j6
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) October 3, 2023
Through five games Davis leads the SEC with 594 yards, eight touchdowns, as well as in yards per rush at 7.8. For Kentucky to pull the upset they’re going to need a huge game from him.
Currently, Georgia ranks 37th in the nation giving up 113 yards a game. That’s down some from previous years. A week ago Auburn ran for 219 yards against the Bulldogs, the most allowed by UGA since 2016. Teams who have been able to run the ball against Georgia have at least given themselves a chance to win.
With the Wildcats getting back to focusing on the run game Devin Leary didn’t have to do much against the Gators. In fact, he only threw for 69 yards. Last year against Georgia Barion Brown had a huge game with 10 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. To give themselves a chance at a win they’re going to have to click on all cylinders and avoid turnovers.
Let’s now turn our attention to the two-time defending national champions as Kentucky faces number one Georgia.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Kirby Smart’s squad heads into Saturday sporting a 5-0 record and ranked number one in the country. In addition, they hold down the top spot in our Last Word bowl projections. They are led by quarterback Carson Beck who so far in 2023 has thrown for 1,497 yards and seven touchdowns.
Georgia’s running attack isn’t nearly as strong as it’s been in years past. In fact, only one runner, Daijun Edwards with 260, has rushed for more than 100 yards this season. He also leads the team with five touchdowns.
When they throw the ball Beck’s favorite target is tight end Brock Bowers. Last year’s John Mackey Award winner for best tight end Heisman candidate has 30 catches on the year for 413 yards and three scores. He’s coming off his best game of the year against Auburn when he caught eight balls for 157 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Georgia’s been very opportunistic on defense with seven interceptions. They are led by Tykee Smith with three. In addition he’s second on the team in tackles with 20. Leary’s had issues with picks in 2023 so that’s definitely something to watch. Linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. leads the defense with 25 tackles and a sack. One other interesting stat Georgia is 96th in the nation with only eight sacks. It will be up to the Big Blue Wall, who had a great game against Florida, to keep them out of the backfield.
Now that we’ve previewed both teams let’s look at their history as Kentucky Faces Number One Georgia.
Series History
Saturday marks the 77th time the Bulldogs and Wildcats have met on the gridiron. The series is very one-sided in Georgia’s favor. Currently, UGA holds a 62-12 lead with two ties. Furthermore, they are on a 13-game winning streak. Kentucky’s last win came back in 2009 as Randall Cobb led the Cats to 34-27 victory in Athens. The Wildcats’ last win in Lexington was in 2006 when Kentucky picked off Matthew Stafford three times in a 24-20 win.
A season ago Brad White’s defense held the Bulldogs to a season-low 16 points. Had Kentucky’s offense been able to get anything going things could have gotten very interesting. Nonetheless, Georgia was able to pick up a 10 point win. Remember this is the same club that scored 50, 42, and 65 in their last three games on their way to a second straight title.
We’ve previewed both teams now there’s only one thing left to do. It’s prediction time as Kentucky faces number one Georgia.
Who Wins on Saturday?
This is the last season of divisions in the SEC before Oklahoma and Texas join next year. That means it’s Mark Stoops‘ last shot at winning the East. The Wildcats are one of four teams to never win their division with the others being Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.
After starting slowly in the first three games the Wildcats got off quickly starts in the last two. On the other side of the ball, Georgia has been slow starting in many of their games. They trailed South Carolina 14-3 at the half before winning 24-14. Last week they fell behind 10-0 before rallying to win. Not only must the Cats start strong they must avoid the Georgia second-half onslaught.
On paper, this Bulldog team isn’t as dominant as in years past and the upset is there for the taking. Look for this one to go down to the wire before Smart’s club finds a way to win.
Georgia 27-24
Thanks for previewing the game with us here at Last Word On College Football as Kentucky faces number one Georgia. We’ll be back after the game with a complete wrap-up.
