Georgia prepares for tough Kentucky test on both sides of ball
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs have already faced several impressive SEC opponents so far in 2022, but few present quite the challenge that the Dawgs face against the Kentucky Wildcats. Earlier this week, Palmer Thombs told you about the importance of physicality in Saturday’s matchup, but looking deeper into it, Kentucky has two dominant players that epitomize the Wildcats’ standard. The success that the Dawgs find on Saturday will largely come down to how well they can limit the production of Kentucky quarterback Will Levis and running back Chris Rodriguez on offense while also being able to test a talented Wildcat defense.
Will Levis
If you’ve kept up with Will Levis over the past year, then you’re aware of how controversial he is. Not only does he put mayonnaise in his coffee, but many people are unsure whether Levis is an “elite quarterback prospect” or not. On the season, Levis has 18 total touchdowns with nine turnovers coming into this weekend’s game with just 1,889 total yards. It’s not all his fault though being sacked 34 times this season, the second most among all Power 5 quarterbacks (LSU’s Jayden Daniels is first with 38).
Despite his lack of production on the year, many NFL Draft analysts are still extremely high on him as a draft prospect. Pro Football Focus predicts him off the board at No. 3 overall over the likes of Georgia’s projected top picks Jalen Carter and Kelee Ringo.
Earlier this week, Kirby Smart addressed the challenges in preparing for Levis, along with the qualities that make him such a good quarterback prospect.
“As far as Will Levis, this guy’s got a bazooka for an arm. He can make all the throws. He’s a really good athlete, and he’s physically and mentally really tough,” Smart said. “He’s wired that kind of way to compete against you. It’s not like he’s going to shy away from contact. He doesn’t get flustered by rush. He’s not afraid of standing in there and taking shots. That’s one of the number one qualities of a quarterback is can they stand in there and be unaffected, and he has been. He’s shown that. He’s actually shown the ability to break tackles and make plays out of the pocket.”
Chris Rodriguez
Fifth-year senior Chris Rodriguez should be a very familiar player for Bulldog fans, as the running back’s tenacity and power pop off the screen on a weekly basis. While Rodriguez is currently seventh in the SEC in rushing yards on the season, he ranks first in yards per game (122.17) having only played in six due to an offseason off-field matter that kept him out for the first four games.
Despite what some would consider an underwhelming season for far for Rodriguez, averaging a career-low 5.5 yards per carry, Smart displayed immense respect for the challenge that the running back presents to the defense, comparing him to another popular Wildcat running back.
“One of the most physical runners I’ve seen, and it just seems like Kentucky always has that guy. Benny Snell was that way. They’re just, it almost feeds to their personality,” Smart said. “You watch and you’re like, well, how did he get through that tackle? And you don’t really know because he just keeps going when people hit him. Great challenge. Great challenge to be physical with this guy and match his love for contact.”
Georgia linebacker Smael Mondon also understands the challenge of facing Rodriguez, but he knows that in order to stop him, it has to be a group effort.
“Chris Rodriguez, he just runs the ball physical. Down-hill, hard-nosed running, seeks contact. so tackling him, you’re gonna have to really bring your feet, wrap up, gang tackle, swarm.”
Kentucky defense
On the defensive side of the ball, Kentucky’s secondary proves to be one of the strongest units in the SEC, averaging the 16th fewest passing yards allowed per game in all of college football, and the second least in the conference. The Wildcats have not yet allowed an opposing quarterback to throw for over 250 yards in a game, a mark that Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett has been able to surpass in all but one game this season (208 passing yards vs Auburn).
This Saturday will mark Smart’s seventh time that the Georgia head coach has faced off against the Wildcats since coming to Athens. Kentucky may be one of the two SEC East teams that Smart has never lost to (Missouri being the other), but he is not taking the competition lightly this week.
“…They have really good defensive coaches. Coach Stoops is very involved. Coach (Brad) White does a tremendous job. They’re very consistent because they’re physical. They don’t allow you to get the run game going. They play a lot of odd front, which makes for really tough sledding in terms of large human beings being inside. You don’t move and displace them very well. They’re very multiple in coverage, so we’ve had ’em on tape multiple times. I know going into Tennessee, Mississippi State, you find yourself watching Kentucky a lot. And I have a lot of respect for what they do defensively and the players they have that do it. They do a great job.”
Kickoff between the Dawgs and Cats will be at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS, but you can follow along with DawgsHQ to get live updates from Lexington.
