Breakdown: Kentucky vs. Georgia

Ten down, two to go. Georgia and Tennessee are all that stands between now and the conclusion of football season. It seems like just yesterday Big Blue Nation was giddy to get the Stoops era started, and while the season may have underwhelmed for most, you can’t deny the visible improvement on the field. The product is getting better, and if history is any indication, this battle with Georgia could be the best chance for the Cats to pull off the upset since 2009. Wednesday: Flashback This guy needs no introduction: Aaron Murray has been the face of Georgia football for what seems like forever. The senior quarterback has become arguably the best QB to ever play in Athens and he owns a host of school records. His 64 percent completion rate this year borders his best mark ever from a season ago, and his 8.93 yards per attempt is just shy of his 2012 mark of 10.09. In his career at Georgia, Murray has thrown for a whopping 12,983 yards and 117 touchdowns — which, when it’s all said and done, will put him in the top-10 in the NCAA all-time in both categories. He is very very good at what he does, and considering the gutsy performance he gave against Auburn last week, and this being his final home game, you know he’ll lay it all on the line. Nine players have double-digit receptions from Murray and 12 are over the century mark in receiving yards. His leading receiver is junior Chris Conley with 32 receptions and 442 yards, but Michael Bennett and Rantavious Wooten are atop the depth chart, with 31 and 24 receptions respectively, and nearly 800 yards combined. All three wide outs average more than 13 yards per reception and all together have accounted for 12 of Murray’s 23 passing touchdowns. All this talk about Murray and his receivers and still no mention of the best running back in the Southeastern Conference... and probably the country. Todd Gurley is an absolute monster, and while his cumulative stats have dipped from his freshman year thanks to an ankle injury that sidelined him for three games, he is healthy again and his talent level is just as disgusting (in the best way). A few other elite running backs have teed-off against the Cats this season: Florida’s Matt Jones rushed for 176 yards on 28 carries and a touchdowns; South Carolina’s Mike Davis ran for 106 yards on 21 carries and a pair of touchdowns; and Alabama’s T.J. Yeldon surpassed 120 yards on 16 tries with two touchdowns. And guess what? Gurley has the ability to eclipse them all. What makes Gurley even more dangerous is his use in the passing game. If you were playing NCAA fantasy football in a points-per-reception league, Gurley would probably be your top pick in the draft. In his last three games Gurley has caught 16 passes for 176 yards, which would equate to an extra 33 points in fantasy on top of his already gaudy rushing stats. Kentucky will be without cornerback Nate Willis, and that hurts. Bad. The Cats boast the fifth-best pass rush in the SEC with 21 sacks thanks to the efforts of Bud Dupree, Za’Darius Smith, and Avery Williamson, but they will need to crank it up a notch to keep Murray off balance as Kentucky’s secondary will be down one of its best men. Instead, D.J. Eliot and Stoops will be forced to send out two sophomores and a freshman in Fred Tiller, Cody Quinn, and Blake McClain. They will flank the two junior safeties Eric Dixon and Ashley Lowery. Jalen Whitlow had a rough outing against a fired-up Vanderbilt team last week and his performance ranks among the worst in his young Kentucky career. He threw for 120 yards but was held without a touchdown and threw four interceptions, albeit one occurred on a Hail Mary to end the 1st half. This week Georgia can make life miserable once more for Whitlow if they play to their potential. Junior linebacker Ramik Wilson leads the Dawgs’ defense with an SEC-best 110 tackles, nine for loss, three sacks, and five QB hurries. Alongside Wilson is junior Amarlo Herrera who is second on the team with 91 tackles, six knockdowns, eight QB hurries, and an interception. Sophomore linebacker Jordan Jenkins leads the team with 10 tackles for loss and junior defensive end Ray Drew boasts six sacks. Despite all the bumps in the road for Georgia this season, going from title hopeful to disappointment once again, the Bulldogs remain one of the most consistent teams in the country. Murray leads a high-octane offense scoring nearly 36 points per game, and they have only failed to score in five quarters all season long. That’s five out of 40. Murray gets points on the board; its’ the defense that has really let the team down. Murray is a hero is Athens, and Todd Gurley may be next in line. Kentucky will have their hands full battling not only a very good team, but what is sure to be some very emotional players and fans. @StuartHammerKSR