FINAL: Georgia Shell-Shocks Kentucky with a 50 Burger
Five weeks through the college football season, Georgia looked vulnerable. The college football world wondered if and when the Dawgs could flip the switch and look like a title contender. Kirby Smart heard the chatter. His team responded accordingly.
Georgia reminded the college football world why they are the two-time Defending National Champs. Kentucky could not get out of the way of the steamroller at Sanford Stadium.
Georgia scored on its first six possessions as Carson Beck carved up the Kentucky defense en route to a 51-13 victory, their 23rd-straight win.
Brad White‘s defense entered the matchup ranked 10th nationally in SP+. They held opponents to 30 points or less in 10 straight games and had not given up 250 passing yards in a game this fall. Beck had 307 yards by halftime and Georgia held a 34-7 lead. The Dawgs finished the night with 608 yards of total offense and All-American tight end Brock Bowers caught seven passes for 132 yards and a score.
Georgia’s first-year starter completed 28-of-35 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns. His counterpart, Devin Leary, failed to complete more than 55% of his passes for the third straight game. The Kentucky quarterback was 10-of-26 for 128 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
It’s Kentucky’s 14th-straight loss to Georgia. The Wildcats drop to 5-1 ahead of a battle for second in the SEC East against Missouri next Saturday at Kroger Field.
Costly Early Kentucky Penalties
Self-inflicted mistakes have put the Kentucky offense behind the chains all season. They were talented enough to overcome those mistakes against Vanderbilt. That was out of the question against Georgia.
Jager Burton was flagged for holding on the opening possession. It proved to be a drive-killer after Leary missed an open Tayvion Robinson on third and long. On the following possession Kentucky drove the ball inside the Georgia 40-yard line. This time Burton dove on a Georgia defender after the whistle to torpedo a drive.
It wasn’t all on the Kentucky guard. The Wildcats were on the verge of making their first stop of the game when Deone Walker swatted a pass at the line of scrimmage. As the ball rolled around on the ground, Walker lowered his shoulder and trucked a Georgia offensive lineman. The late hit moved the chains, keeping a 95-yard touchdown scoring drive alive.
Max Hairston Provides Pop
The game was out of reach at halftime, but Kentucky showed some resolve by punching back in the second half. Beck overthrew his deep target and Max Hairston was there to pick it off. The Kentucky cornerback returned it 48 yards inside the Georgia 30-yard line. He now leads the SEC in interceptions with four.
Two plays after the pick, Ray Davis got loose on a screen and took it 26 yards to the house. The running back is the first Kentucky Wildcat to score a touchdown in the first six games of a season. Kentucky’s lone bright spot, Davis averaged 3.9 yards per carry and finished the night with 95 total yards.
Kentucky vs. Georgia Bloody Box Score
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