Blue Preview: Your guide to No. 9 Kentucky’s game vs. No. 6 Georgia

No. 9 Kentucky vs. No. 6 Georgia

When: 3:30 p.m., Saturday

Where: Kroger Field

TV: CBS (play-by-play, Carter Blackburn; analysts, Rick Neuheisel and Aaron Taylor; sideline, John Schriffen)

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1, XM Channel 192, Sirius Channel 81

Records: Kentucky (7-1, 5-1 SEC); Georgia (7-1, 5-1 SEC)

Series: Georgia leads 57-12-2 and has won eight in a row

Last meeting: Georgia defeated Kentucky 42-13 on Nov. 18, 2017, at Sanford Stadium in Athens

Favorite: Georgia is favored by 8.5 points

The story line

In the most consequential football game ever played at Kroger Field (which opened in 1973 as Commonwealth Stadium), Kentucky will face Georgia with the SEC East Division title and a berth in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta (Dec. 1) riding on the outcome. Since the SEC split into divisions in 1992, UK has never won the East nor played in the SEC title contest.

The big threat

Jake Fromm. After suffering through a difficult slog (16-of-34 passing, two interceptions, three sacks) in Georgia’s loss at LSU, some Bulldogs backers were calling for lavishly touted true freshman Justin Fields to supplant Fromm as Georgia’s starting quarterback. Fromm responded with a razor-sharp showing (240 passing yards, three TDs) in Georgia’s 36-17 pasting of No. 9 Florida last week in Jacksonville. The sophomore is now 19-3 as Georgia’s starting QB.

On the spot

Kentucky offensive line. Benny Snell continues to lead SEC rushers (935 yards), but has been held below 70 yards in two of the past three games. From the Florida game through halftime against South Carolina, the UK offensive front controlled the line of scrimmage. Starting in half two against the Gamecocks, Kentucky’s running attack has not been able to consistently open holes for Snell and the Cats offense has suffered. To upset Georgia, the UK offensive line must give Snell more room to run.

The mood

Combine giddy, ecstatic and joyful and you are still short of the euphoria of the Kentucky football fan. Decades of pent-up fan frustrations should be released Saturday afternoon at Kroger Field to create one of the most electric college football atmospheres of 2018. This is the game for which The Long-Suffering UK Football Fans have waited their whole lives.

Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory

This story was originally published October 29, 2018 at 11:49 AM.