For a second consecutive Saturday, the Kentucky football team hits the road. When they invade Athens for a noon kickoff on ABC, Mark Stoops’ club will be attempting to end a losing streak. To be more specific, they’ll look to end a few streaks. In order to do that, they’ll have to knock off Kirby Smart’s club, which is coming off a loss of its own. Let’s break it down by giving a preview of both teams, looking at some series history, and giving you a prediction as Kentucky tries to end a losing streak.
Facing An Angry Georgia Squad
Work To Do
The Wildcats did some very good things in the first quarter at South Carolina. They scored on their first drive for the first time in what seemed like forever. In addition, they actually led at the end of the stanza 10-7.
Unfortunately, it all fell apart in a disastrous second quarter. Getting his first SEC start, the South Carolina defense got to quarterback Cutter Boley, picking him off twice and returning a fumble for a touchdown. When it was all said and done, USC went into the half up 28-10 in an eventual 35-13 victory. Boley finished 10-19 for 124 yards with two picks and a fumble.
One thing the Cats did well on Saturday was run the ball. Seth McGowan ran for 112 yards and a touchdown. Many of those came in the first quarter. It was when the Cats got away from the run that things fell apart. Stoops said after the game that McGowan was a little banged up, which necessitated the switch. In order to have a chance on Saturday, they’ll have to run the ball well. However, that may be a problem facing the Georgia defense. Let’s look at the Bulldogs as Kentucky tries to end a losing streak.
Scouting Georgia
The Bulldogs come into Saturday sporting a 3-1 record and are ranked 12th in the nation. Georgia saw their 33-game home winning streak end at the hands of Alabama. However, we have them solidly in the College Football Playoff.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton has completed almost 70 percent of his passes for 851 yards and five touchdowns with no picks. In addition, he’s run for 144 yards and three scores. Georgia already has two running backs over 200 yards on the year. Chauncey Bowers has 240 to go along with three touchdowns, while Nate Frazier has 219 and two touchdowns.
When Stockton throws the ball, his favorite targets are Colbie Young and Zachariah Branch. Young leads the team with 17 receptions for 238 yards and a score, while Branch has 14 catches for 216 yards and two scores.
On the other side of the ball, a pair of linebackers leads the way. C.J. Allen has 30 tackles, while Raylen Wilson is right behind with 29. The Bulldog rush defense is once again among the best in college football. Only allowing 91 yards per game, that puts them 21st in the nation.
However, if there’s an issue with the group, it’s defending the pass. So far in 2025, they rank an un-Georgia-like 87th in the country, giving up nearly 233 yards per game. Joey Aguilar lit them up for 371 passing yards two weeks ago, while Ty Simpson went for 276 last week.
Can one of the worst pass offenses in college football take advantage? That’s the big question for Saturday. Now that we’ve looked at both squads, let’s look at the (one-sided) rivalry as Kentucky looks to break a losing streak.
Series History
If you are a member of the Big Blue Nation, you already know how this rivalry plays out, and it’s not pretty. Saturday marks the 79th time the two schools have met, with Georgia holding a margin of 64 wins to 12 for Kentucky and two ties. Furthermore, the Bulldogs are on a 15-game winning streak, with many of them being double-digit wins. The Wildcats’ last win came back in 2009 when the Cats outscored Georgia 28-7 in the second half to record a 34-27 win in Athens.
Last season, Kentucky had one of its best chances to break the streak. Unfortunately, after failed pass attempts on second and third down, Stoops punted on fourth and eight from the Bulldog 47. Georgia went for 33 on a third and nine deep in their own territory, preserving a 13-12 win.
Now that we’ve previewed both teams and given you some history, it’s prediction time as Kentucky tries to break a losing streak.
Who Wins On Saturday?
As we mentioned at the beginning, the Cats are looking to end several streaks. Not only have they lost 15 straight to the Bulldogs, but they’ve also lost seven straight SEC games. The last win came over a year ago when they won at Ole Miss.
Here’s another stat for you: Kentucky hasn’t scored more than one touchdown in 11 straight games against Power Four opponents. Unfortunately for the Cats, Georgia’s weakness, pass defense, doesn’t play into their strength, which is running the ball. Boley and offensive coordinator Bush Hamdam think the Cats are close to a breakthrough. Saturday would be an excellent time for it.
Look for Kentucky to try to keep it close by doing what they do best, running the ball and keeping the Bulldogs off the field. Georgia opened as a 20.5-point favorite, and they’ve actually had trouble covering against the Cats recently. On Saturday, they’ll barely cover.
Georgia 34-13
Thanks for checking out our preview here at Last Word On College Football as Kentucky tries to end a losing streak.
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