5 Things You Need to Know About the Georgia Bulldogs

Around Big Blue Nation, this game was supposed to be one of the biggest in Kentucky Football history. Dreams of playing the Georgia Bulldogs for a SEC East championship were common throughout the fanbase at the beginning of the year. However, things have not gone as planned in Lexington. The Wildcats are just 6-4 and coming off of an ugly home loss to Vanderbilt. Quite simply, moral is at or near an all-time low.

While Saturday afternoon’s matchup with the Bulldogs doesn’t mean as much as BBN hoped, it still is a chance to play the #1 team in the country. Those opportunities don’t come around every day. Kentucky will need to be nearly perfect to even have a chance to win. The ‘Cats best shot still might not even be enough. However, seeing some improvements and keeping it competitive would be a welcomed sight for the fanbase.

As always, make sure you read Adam Luckett’s Scouting Report for an in-depth look at the Dawgs. Kentucky Sports Radio will be your best resource for all the pregame information you want leading up to the 3:30 p.m. kickoff. Now, let’s dive in to five things you need to know about the Georgia Bulldogs.

Consistently Efficient Quarterback Play

At 5’11” and 190 pounds, Stetson Bennett may not possess the traditional size of a top NFL prospect. However, at the college level, he is one of the most effective quarterbacks in the country. The super senior is currently 223-330 for 2,895 yards and 14 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. Bennett is tied for the team lead with seven touchdowns on the ground as well.

The big plays through the air haven’t come this season for the Georgia Bulldogs. Bennett is just 11^th in the SEC with four plays of 40 or more yards. Despite the lack of explosiveness, the veteran quarterback averages 8.8 yards per attempt through the air and does a great job of keeping the Bulldogs out of negative plays. When you add in his ability to scramble to keep plays alive, especially in the red zone, Bennett is absolutely one of the best players in college football.

Georgia Features Multiple Pass Catchers

Stetson Bennett is certainly not without talent around him. The Georgia Bulldogs have an excellent mix of size and speed on the outside to provide plenty of options for their veteran quarterback. The leader of the group through 10 games has been Ladd McConkey. The 6’0” redshirt sophomore leads Georgia with 43 catches and is tied with four touchdowns for the team lead. McConkey’s 43 catches have gone for 579 yards.

While there are a number of weapons on the outside, it is the tight end room that has been the staple of Georgia’s passing game. Sophomore Brock Bowers has caught 39 balls for a team-leading 615 yards and four scores. Kentucky must account for the future pro at all times. Alongside Bowers at tight end is 6’7” 270-pound behemoth Darnell Washington. The junior has reeled in 24 catches for 392 yards this season.

It is going to take a herculean performance from the Wildcats secondary on Saturday to keep these guys covered.

Bulldogs Rotation of Running Backs

Four different running backs have gotten 50 or more carries this season for the Georgia Bulldogs. Daijun Edwards and Kenny McIntosh lead the backfield with 92 and 91 rushes respectively. As a unit, the Bulldogs running game is flirting the 200 yards per game number as an extremely efficient attack.

Along with leading the way in attempts, Edwards has rushed for a team-best 499 yards and seven touchdowns. McIntosh isn’t far behind with 425 yards and six trips to the end zone. He will also factor heavily into the passing game as the senior has 31 catches for 323 yards as well.

As with most of the Georgia offense, the name of the game here is efficiency. Stetson Bennett will use his legs to avoid sacks, and the true running game stays ahead of the chains as well. Kentucky will have to find some ways to get the Dawgs behind the chains or it will be a long afternoon at Kroger Field.

Best Defense in College Football

The Georgia Bulldogs had five first round picks on last season’s defense. That would seem like an impossible amount of talent to replace in Athens. However, Coach Kirby Smart and company simply reloaded. Georgia is right back at or near the top of most statistical categories and has plenty of future NFL talent on the field once again.

Led by co-coordinators Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamp, the Bulldogs are second nationally in scoring defense allowing just 11.6 points per game. Opponents are producing just 4.5 yards per play, seventh best in the country, and putting just 1.17 points on the scoreboard per drive. Perhaps most impressively, Georgia is best in the country at preventing red zone touchdowns. Only 28.6% of the time does the opponent get six when reaching the red zone. Kentucky must convert scoring opportunities into actual points on Saturday against the Bulldogs.

Not a Lot of Defensive Havoc Production

If you are a Kentucky fan looking for some semblance of a silver lining going into Saturday afternoon this is it. It would be an overreaction to call it a weakness, but the Georgia Bulldogs don’t exactly create a ton of havoc on the defensive end.

The Dawgs come in at 89th in the country in tackles for loss at 5.2 per game. Their 11 total takeaways is just 102nd nationally. Part of the lack of havoc could simply be that Georgia doesn’t need those big plays. They are so solid at every position defensively that they don’t have to rely on pressure and turnovers to succeed. In theory, that could be good news for Will Levis and the Wildcats offensive line.