Georgia Bulldogs ride punishing ground game for SEC road win at Kentucky
There must be something about those visiting locker rooms in Lexington.
No. 5 Georgia (4-1) utilized a pair of impressive offensive drives at the start of each half against Kentucky (2-4) on Saturday. That turned out to be enough, as the Bulldogs held on for a 14-3 victory over the Wildcats at Kroger Field.
After stopping Kentucky and new starting quarterback Joey Gatewood on the first drive, the Bulldogs started to mash. Their opening drive went 86 yards on 12 plays, all of which were runs. A 2-yard zone-read keeper from junior quarterback Stetson Bennett put the Bulldogs on top 7-0.
The Wildcats answered with a long drive late in the half. But after 19 plays and over 10 minutes off the clock, the Georgia defense bowed up and forced a field goal to make it 7-3 at halftime.
Bennett and the offense got the ball after intermission and once again imposed their will. A 75-yard touchdown drive culminated in a 22-yard run from redshirt sophomore Zamir White on fourth-and-1. Of the 75 yards gained on the drive, 42 came on the ground.
“Our kids were resilient,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “Our kids responded. Tough environment to play in, and I’m really happy about the way we responded and came out and had the opening drive of the second half. It was big.”
There were plenty of chances to widen the lead. In the red zone late in the first half, Bennett threw his second interception off a batted ball in as many weeks. Up 14-3 in the third quarter, another pick came off a miscommunication between the signal-caller and freshman receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. These miscues highlighted another day where the offense just couldn’t get things going consistently.
“I thought we played well except for me today,” Bennett said after the game. “I don’t think I played horrible, just those two passes, just bad.”
Still, the defense stifled the Wildcat offense all game long, helping the Bulldogs to their 11th consecutive win over the team from the Bluegrass State.
Georgia football stars of the game
Zamir White
White’s winding Georgia career hit another milestone on Saturday.
He recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of his time with the Bulldogs. White punished the Wildcat front, rushing for a career-high 136 yards on 26 carries, as well as the long touchdown.
That score served as the offensive highlight of the day for the Bulldogs. White took a handoff up the middle on fourth down, stumbled and then regained his balance before outrunning defenders to the end zone.
James Cook
With each passing week, Cook’s role in Todd Monken’s offense continues to grow.
The junior had a solid day on the ground, rushing for 39 yards on six carries. But just like against Alabama, his biggest contributions came through the air.
Cook led the team with four receptions for 62 yards. He connected with Bennett on a 45-yard pass late in the first half that had Georgia in position to score until an interception. Still, the shifty back from Miami keeps proving he can make a difference on the ground and in the air.
Richard LeCounte
In a game where Kentucky’s offense focused mainly on the ground game, the senior safety still changed the game.
He tied for the team lead with 12 tackles, leading an effort that kept the Wildcats out of the end zone. LeCounte also recovered a third-quarter fumble forced by senior linebacker Monty Rice, stopping one of the few strong drives Kentucky produced on offense
Next Georgia game
Who: Georgia vs. Florida
Where: TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida
When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7
TV: CBS
This story was originally published October 31, 2020 at 2:59 PM with the headline "Georgia Bulldogs ride punishing ground game for SEC road win at Kentucky."