Stellar defensive performance not enough as Kentucky falls to No. 1 Georgia
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Game day: No. 1 Georgia 16, Kentucky 6
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Georgia football game at Kroger Field in Lexington.
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Kentucky football’s attempt at a fourth-quarter rally against No. 1 Georgia fell short Saturday in a 16-6 loss that dropped the Wildcats to 6-5 on the season and 3-5 in SEC play.
The UK defense stymied a Georgia offense that entered the day ranked sixth in points per game on a cold, windy day, but Kentucky’s offense struggled to move the ball for much of the game against the nation’s best defense. The Wildcats did finally find some offensive momentum in the fourth quarter, down 16-0, but Georgia was able to make just enough plays to keep the score at a comfortable margin.
Overshadowed in the loss was a stellar performance from freshman wide receiver Barion Brown, who caught 10 passes for 145 yards and one touchdown for Kentucky.
Kentucky’s defense held Georgia to just six points in the first half, stepping up twice in the red zone after extended drives, but the Wildcat offense squandered its own first-half opportunities.
UK reached the Georgia 32-yard line on its first drive, which started at its own 4-yard line, but was stopped on a fourth-and-1 attempt. Kentucky’s second offensive drive reached the Georgia 18-yard line before quarterback Will Levis threw an interception in the end zone. The interception was Levis’ sixth turnover in the red zone this season.
The defense gave Kentucky more hope on the opening drive of the second half when redshirt freshman safety Jordan Lovett interception of a Stetson Bennett pass, but Kentucky went three-and-out on the ensuing drive, losing 6 yards. Georgia was finally able to impose its will after a punt, gaining 54 of 58 yards on the ground to score its first touchdown win a 9-yard run from Kenny McIntosh.
Kentucky’s offense finally showed some life after the Wildcat defense stopped Georgia on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter. Levis completed 5 of 6 passes for 71 yards and gained 10 yards on the ground to lead Kentucky to its first touchdown, an 8-yard completion to Barion Brown on fourth-and-2. Kentucky was unable to convert the two-point attempt to pull within one possession but did earn some respect with the 99-yard drive.
After another stop from the UK defense, Levis hit Brown for a 47-yard gain on the first play of the following drive, but the possession eventually stalled at the edge of the red zone. Levis was initially flagged for intentional grounding when throwing the ball out of bounds on third down, but the officials picked up the flag after realizing Brown would have been in the area of the pass if he had not been knocked to the ground. No flag for holding or pass interference was thrown though, and UK had to settle for a 38-yard field goal attempt that Matt Ruffolo missed wide left after a low snap.
TURNING POINT
Following Lovett’s interception, Kentucky started a drive at its own 11-yard line. Chris Rodriguez gained 3 yards on a first-down carry, but that gain was quickly negated by a false start from wide receiver Dane Key before second down. A screen pass from Levis to running back JuTahn McClain was stopped for a loss of 4 yards. Levis then was unable to hit McClain through tight coverage on third down, forcing a punt. A favorable Kentucky bounce on the punt gave Georgia the ball at its own 42-yard line, but the Bulldogs gained at least 4 yards on each of the next six plays. McIntosh pushed the lead to 16-0 with his touchdown, a margin that it was clear Kentucky’s offense was going to be unable to overcome.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Give it to Georgia’s defense as a whole. The Bulldogs held Kentucky to 295 yards. Levis threw for 206. Rodriguez gained 51 yards on 17 carries. Cornerback Kelee Ringo grabbed the interception in the end zone that stopped a Kentucky scoring chance in the second quarter.
KEY STAT
Kentucky’s season-long red zone struggles continued with the Wildcats able to turn just 1 of 3 red zone possessions in to points. The Wildcats entered the game ranked 99th nationally in red-zone scoring percentage.
This story was originally published November 19, 2022 at 6:40 PM.
