How Kentucky football and No. 1 Georgia match up — with a game prediction
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Preview: No. 1 Georgia at Kentucky
Click below to read more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s preview coverage ahead of Saturday’s Kentucky-Georgia football game at Kroger Field.
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How the Kentucky Wildcats (1-1, 0-1 SEC) and the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (2-0, 0-0 SEC) match up at each position for Saturday’s SEC matchup — with a game prediction:
Quarterbacks
▪ After taking a physical pounding in Kentucky’s dispiriting 31-6 loss to South Carolina last week, Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff was listed by UK as “probable” on its Thursday night injury report to go up against his former team. Under constant duress from a dynamic Gamecocks pass rush, Vandagriff completed only 3 of 10 passes for 30 yards and threw an interception that safety Nick Emmanwori returned 24 yards for a touchdown. Playing for Georgia in last season’s 51-13 strafing of UK in Athens, Vandagriff completed 5 of 7 passes for 46 yards and a TD and ran twice for 27 yards in a mop-up role. Against South Carolina, ex-Owensboro High School star Gavin Wimsatt received his first game action for UK. The 6-foot-3, 227-pound transfer from Rutgers ran six times for 44 yards and completed 3 of 7 passes for 14 yards with an interception.
▪ Georgia’s Carson Beck has a viable claim to the mantle “best quarterback in college football.” The 6-4, 220-pound redshirt senior completed 23 of 33 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions in the Bulldogs’ 34-3 rout of Clemson in the season opener. Through two games, Beck has thrown for seven TDs and no picks. In last season’s rout of UK, Beck completed 28 of 35 passes for 389 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. In last week’s 48-3 win over Tennessee Tech, backup Gunner Stockton completed 10 of 12 passes for 90 yards.
Advantage: Georgia.
Running backs
▪ Kentucky’s Demie Sumo-Karngbaye ran effectively between the tackles in the loss to South Carolina. The 6-1, 210-pound product of Willingboro, New Jersey, gained 70 yards on 17 attempts. True freshman Jason Patterson, a 5-10, 206-pound product of Sneads, Florida, is listed as “out” for the Georgia game on the UK injury report after carrying 10 times for 45 yards vs. the Gamecocks. That likely will create a chance for meaningful playing time for redshirt freshman Jamarion Wilcox, a product of Douglasville, Ga.
▪ True freshman Nate Frazier leads Georgia in rushing. The 5-10, 210-pound freshman from Compton, California, has gained 111 yards on 17 carries, an average of 6.5 yards an attempt. After sitting out the win over Clemson for disciplinary reasons, Florida transfer Trevor Etienne made his Georgia debut in last week’s 48-3 win over Tennessee Tech. The 5-9, 205-pound junior carried five times for 78 yards, including a 45-yard run. He also caught two passes for 14 yards. In two games against Kentucky while playing for Florida, Etienne carried 20 times for 75 yards and scored one touchdown.
Advantage: Georgia.
Wide receivers
▪ Junior Dane Key had Kentucky’s only big play in the passing game in the loss to South Carolina, hauling in a 32-yard pass. For the game, the 6-3, 210-pound Frederick Douglass High School product had two catches for 36 yards. Two seasons ago, in a 16-6 loss to Georgia, then-freshman speedster Barion Brown had a monster game, catching 10 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown. Now a junior, Brown did not have a catch in the loss to South Carolina.
▪ In two games, Georgia senior Arian Smith has already set his career season high with nine receptions. Junior Dillon Bell has eight catches for 78 yards and a TD. He was a preseason Second Team All-SEC selection by Phil Steele. Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett has six catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys caught two passes for 63 yards and a TD in the win over Clemson. He caught three passes for 33 yards against UK last season in Vandy’s 45-28 loss to the Wildcats.
Advantage: Georgia.
Tight ends
▪ With Kentucky struggling to pass block vs. South Carolina, the UK tight ends didn’t get much chance to run pass routes. Redshirt junior Jordan Dingle caught a 5-yard touchdown pass in the season opener against Southern Mississippi. Junior Josh Kattus made his season debut in the South Carolina contest.
▪ Georgia has the unenviable task of replacing all-world Brock Bowers, now with the Las Vegas Raiders. Lawson Luckie, a 6-4, 240-pound sophomore from Norcross, Georgia, is off to a strong start with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. Oscar Delp, a 6-5, 245-pound junior from Cumming, Georgia, has one catch for 13 yards. Delp suffered what Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart characterized as a “slight” ankle sprain last week vs. Tennessee Tech. Last season against Kentucky, Delp had two receptions for 12 yards and a TD.
Advantage: Georgia.
Offensive line
▪ The Kentucky offensive line had a pass protection meltdown in the South Carolina loss, allowing Wildcats QBs to be sacked five times and hurried on four more plays. Against Georgia, the Wildcats will be without starting left guard Jager Burton, who is listed as “out” on the Wildcats injury report. UK head man Mark Stoops is relying on veteran center Eli Cox, a super-senior in his fourth season as a starter, to lead a bounce-back effort this week.
▪ Georgia is led by All-SEC candidates Xavier Truss at right tackle and Dylan Fairchild at left guard. Through two games, the Bulldogs offensive front has given up only two quarterback sacks and has opened holes effectively enough that Georgia ball carriers are averaging 6.6 yards a carry.
Advantage: Georgia.
Defensive line
▪ Kentucky star junior tackle Deone Walker has, not surprisingly, drawn heavy attention from opposing blockers in 2024. The 6-6, 345-pound junior from Detroit had three tackles in the South Carolina loss. Walker had four tackles and broke up a pass in UK’s loss at Georgia last season.
▪ Georgia junior end Mykel Williams is listed as “doubtful” to play on the Bulldogs’ Thursday injury report after suffering a grade two ankle sprain in the season opener and missing last week’s game. Before getting injured, Williams made two tackles for loss in the win over Clemson. Senior nose guard Nazir Stackhouse has made three tackles this season. He knocked down a pass against Kentucky last season.
Advantage: Georgia.
Linebackers
▪ Kentucky MLB Jamon Dumas-Johnson has a productive history in the UK-Georgia series — playing for the Bulldogs. Last season, Dumas-Johnson made four tackles and had 1.5 sacks for UGA vs. UK. Two seasons ago, Dumas-Johnson had eight tackles and half a tackle for loss against Kentucky. Redshirt senior WLB D’Eryk Jackson had six tackles and a TFL last week vs. South Carolina. The 6-1, 244-pound product of Dublin, Georgia, made 11 tackles against Georgia last season.
▪ Georgia WLB Smael Mondon had four tackles for coach Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs in the win over Clemson. He was a preseason First Team All-SEC choice by Phil Steele. Middle linebackers CJ Allen (nine tackles, one TFL) and Jalon Walker (nine tackles, 1.5 sacks) have been productive through two games.
Advantage: Even.
Defensive backs
▪ Kentucky strong safety Zion Childress was disruptive against South Carolina. The 6-foot, 195-pound Houston product made five tackles, three tackles for loss, had a sack and a forced fumble. Boundary cornerback Maxwell Hairston had a QB sack and forced a fumble last week vs. South Carolina. Last season at Georgia, Hairston made eight tackles and returned an interception 46 yards.
▪ Georgia strong safety Malaki Starks is an All-America candidate. Through two games, Starks has three tackles and an interception. Last season, Starks had a team-high five tackles vs. UK. Cornerback Daylen Everette has made four tackles this season.
Advantage: Georgia.
Special teams
▪ Kentucky place-kicker Alex Raynor supplied all of UK’s points vs. South Carolina, making field goals of 32 and 39 yards. In his two seasons with the Wildcats, Raynor is 13-of-14 on field goal tries. Punter Wilson Berry kicked six times vs. South Carolina for an average of 43.3 yards. Barion Brown returned four kickoffs vs. South Carolina for 74 yards.
▪ Georgia place-kicker Peyton Woodring is 4-of-4 on field-goal attempts this season with a long of 55 yards. In his career, Woodring has made 21 of 25 field goals and all 81 of his PAT tries. Punter Brett Thorson is averaging 49.4 yards a kick and has stopped four of his five punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Punt returner Anthony Evans III is averaging 10.63 yards on eight returns.
Advantage: Georgia.
Prediction
Georgia 34, Kentucky 16.
This story was originally published September 12, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
