Georgia's Coming: What To Know About The Dawgs

The No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs are coming to town this Saturday for Kentucky’s final home game of the season, a noon kickoff on the SEC Network. It is also Senior Day in Commonwealth Stadium and one of UK’s final three attempts to earn a bowl bid. So it’s big.

Seeing as though KSR’s last two Wednesday night football previews were titled “Why Kentucky Will Win,” and those games didn’t pan out too well, tonight we’ll keep it simple with “What You Need To Know” about the visiting team.

Get educated, football fans:

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Georgia leads the SEC in scoring, ranked 10th in America.

The Bulldogs produce 40.5 points per game, best in the Southeastern Conference and ranked 10th nationally. Kentucky, on the other hand, has allowed just under 18 points per game to visiting teams through six home games this season.

The Cats average 29.2 points per contest, the 70th best total in the country.

Todd Gurley will not play.

Georgia’s prized running back will sit out against Kentucky, the final game of his four-game suspension. He will return November 15 against Auburn.

A Heisman candidate early in the season, Gurley was forced to sit out after it was discovered he received $3,000 for signed memorabilia. The NCAA announced last week he is cleared to return, but not until after Saturday’s game in Lexington.

Whew.

Nick Chubb is no slouch of a backup.

True freshman running back Nick Chubb picked up right where Gurley left off, leading the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to wonder if he may actually be an upgrade in the Georgia backfield. Chubb has 599 all-purpose yards and five touchdowns in three games since taking over as starter, an average of almost 200 yards and two touchdowns per game, all on the road in the SEC.

Life doesn’t get any easier for Kentucky’s defense with Gurley out.

Their fans know the importance of a good base coat.

Hopefully that kid doesn’t do road games.

The Dawgs’ turnover margin ranks second in college football.

Georgia’s offense has turned the ball over only five times this year — three interception and two fumbles — while its defense has forced 10 interceptions and recovered eight fumbles for a margin of +13 turnovers. Kentucky’s margin is also impressive, ranking 17th nationally, but the Cats are more prone to coughing it up on offense with 10 turnovers this season.

Georgia won at Missouri, by a lot.

If you’re the type that likes to compare common opponents, Georgia defeated Missouri, 34-0, in Columbia earlier this season. They also destroyed Vanderbilt but lost to South Carolina, although that was a road contest for the Dawgs, unlike Kentucky.

Read into that however you would like.

Kentucky has lost 15 of the last 17 in the series.

But man, those wins in 2006 and 2009 were an absolute blast. What do you say we run it back and trim that deficit to 15 losses in the last 18 games?

Starting quarterback Hutson Mason once tweeted a Coach Cal quote.

"Just go out, play your game, and dunk basketballs" -Coach Cal Kentucky

— Hutson Mason (@HMason14) April 6, 2014

But he also listens to Florida Georgia Line, so I can’t decide if he is likeable or nah.

There is a lot at stake for Georgia in this game.

Not only is Georgia playing for the SEC East crown, but a loss to Kentucky would likely force Mark Richt out of Athens. Several fans believe it is already time for him to go, after suffering a loss to a not-so-good Florida team last week, so a second consecutive loss to an inferior opponent may result in his termination. With that in mind, Georgia will be pumped up to play the Cats and not looking ahead to next week’s game against No. 3 Auburn. No trap game here.

I’m a Mark Richt fan, but let’s send him job hunting.

Beat the Dawgs.