Georgia performed well on both sides of the ball against Kentucky on Saturday, leading to a 35-14 win. The No. 12 Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) had slow starts in two previous ranked matchups against Tennessee and Alabama, so head coach Kirby Smart wanted to see his players execute early against the Wildcats (2-3, 0-3).
“I was excited about our guys getting a fast start today. I think that was the goal,” Smart said Saturday after the victory. “It’s the goal every game, but to start early and start fast, I thought we had good energy on offense over Kentucky.
Georgia scored on its opening possession, driving down the field with a 12-play, 75-yard march. The Bulldogs used a balanced offensive attack, with quarterback Gunner Stockton scoring on a 12-yard scramble.
The Georgia defense then forced a punt, regaining possession. It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to extend their lead, as Stockton once again found the end zone, scoring on a six-yard run to put them up 14-0 after the PAT.
“We just always want to start fast and play our brand of football,” Stockton said.
Georgia scored only seven points against Tennessee and Alabama in the first quarter but led 14-0 after the opening period versus Kentucky. The Bulldogs added another touchdown on the ground from wideout Dillon Bell to lead 21-7 at halftime. They maintained their momentum over the Wildcats and never slowed down.
Georgia’s defense allowed a 29-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter when Wildcat quarterback Cutter Boley connected with tight end Josh Kattus for the score, but the unit was nearly flawless afterward. The Bulldogs limited the Wildcats to converting only 1-of-4 third downs in the first half.
The Georgia defense struggled to get off the field on third downs against Alabama but performed significantly better against Kentucky. The Wildcats converted only 3 of 11 thirddown attempts in the loss.
The fast start on both sides of the ball on Saturday wasn’t limited to only the first half, either. Kentucky went threeand- out on the opening drive of the third quarter, followed by a quick score from the Bulldogs.
Stockton connected with tight end Oscar Delp for a 36-yard gain, setting up Bell to score his second rushing touchdown a few plays later.
Bell took a reverse handoff and crossed the goal line from three yards out.
After another punt from the Wildcats, Georgia extended its lead after nine plays. Running backs Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier moved the chains with their feet before Stockton hit Bell with a 33-yard pass deep inside opposing territory.
Stockton connected with running back Cash Jones for a 19-yard touchdown a few plays later, as he scored with just over four minutes left in the quarter.
Following that score, Ryan Puglisi replaced Stockton at quarterback and finished out the game for the Bulldogs.
Kentucky added one more touchdown late in the 4th quarter to reach the final score.
“I thought they had a good plan in terms of how to execute. Every time we play them, it’s really physical. It was physical again. It’s always going to be physical,” Smart said. “I thought some players had some good individual performances. We still have a long way to go to improve and get where we want to go.”