What You Need to Know From UGA's Sluggish 14-3 Win over Kentucky
#5 Georgia Football Postgame Notes Vs. Kentucky, Oct. 31, 2020
Get our insider newsletter today
*Defense Limits Wildcats To A FG: Fifth-ranked Georgia blanked UK in the second half in helping post a 14-3 victory and improve to 4-1. UK finished with 229 yards of total offense on 64 plays. In the first half, the Wildcats ran 33 plays and tallied 121 yards of total offense. Coming in today, Georgia ranked 2nd in the SEC in Scoring Defense at 19.5 points per game while UK was averaging 24.4 points a game. Last year, Georgia blanked the Wildcats 21-0 in the rain.
Georgia sophomore Nakobe Dean had a team-high and career-best 14 tackles while senior Richard LeCounte had a career-high 13 stop plus he recovered a fumble and had three pass breakups. Also of note, senior Devonte Wyatt tied his career-high with seven stops, all in the first half.
Redshirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari had his team-leading fourth sack to stop UK’s second drive of the contest. Later, he combined with Adam Anderson for another sack to give him 10 in his career. Senior Jermaine Johnson had his second sack of the season and now 4.5 for his career. Sophomore Travon Walker notched his first sack of the year and 3.5 for his career.
*The Running Game: The Bulldogs utilized the running game, tallying 215 yards on 43 attempts. Sophomore Zamir White set career highs with 26 attempts for 136 yards and one TD. Georgia’s opening TD drive featured all running plays, 12 total, and covered 86 yards in 5:06. Bennett capped the drive with a two-yard score. Georgia’s first pass attempt came on its 16 play of the game although there was one scramble by Bennett on the opening touchdown drive on the fifth play when he was looking to pass. In the second half, White added a 22-yard TD run on 4th-and-1 to make it 14-3 with 11:38 left in the 3rd quarter. White notched his first 100-yard game, and the first by a Bulldog since D’Andre Swift (103) against Texas A&M last year.
*Another Road Win: Junior Stetson Bennett (9-for-13, 131 yards, 2 INTs, 1 rushing TD) directed No. 5 Georgia to a 14-3 road win as the offense posted 346 yards on 57 plays. In the first half, the Bulldogs ran just 28 plays with three possessions: the first resulted in a TD followed by a punt and then an interception. The Wildcats led in the time of possession 19:17 to 10:43 in the first half. Bennett did have a 46-yard pass to junior RB James Cook. His first interception came on a tipped pass that stopped a scoring drive as the Bulldogs had reached the UK 10 late in the second quarter. To start the second half, Georgia marched 75 yards on seven plays in 3:22 for a TD and a 14-3 lead. On the drive, Bennett had a 33-yard completion to freshman Darnell Washington. On a 4th-and-1 at the UK 22, Zamir White ran it in for a TD, his sixth of the year and ninth of his career. Cook led the team in catches with four for 62.
*Special Teams Summary: Redshirt sophomore PK Jack Podlesny went 2-for-2 in PATs overall and a 53-yard field goal attempt to end the first half was blocked following a low snap. Podlesny is 8-for-11 in field goals including hitting a pair from 50-plus yards this year. Georgia now has made an NCAA record 308 consecutive PATs as the streak includes six kickers dating back to 2014.
Junior punter Jake Camarda finished the first half with one punt for 54 yards and placed it at the UK 7 with no return. In the second half, he punted once, a 41-yarder with no return that he placed at the UK 10. For the second straight game, he took care of the kickoffs. Coming in today, Camarda ranked No. 2 nationally in punting (50.7 avg.) and the team is third in Net Punting (47.9). Today, he finished with an overall and Net Average of 47.5 average
*No Points Off Turnovers: Georgia forced one turnover, a fumble in the second half, and it led to an interception. UK got no points off two Bulldog miscues. The fumble was caused by Monty Rice (his second of the year) and recovered by Richard LeCounte, his first this year, at the UGA 36.
*Series History: With the win, Georgia owns a 60-12-2 edge in the series that dates back to 1939. Georgia now has won 11 straight, which marks its longest stretch of success in the series. The teams have played annually since 1956.
*For Starters: Junior Money LB Quay Walker and freshman WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint made their first career starts while junior WR Trey Blount made his first this year and second of his career (only other came in 2017 SEC Championship Game). The longest active starting streak on offense belongs to center Trey Hill now with 23 while Richard LeCounte leads the defense with 23 straight and 33 for his career. Senior Monty Rice saw his starting streak end at 18. Georgia did not have any penalties in the first half while UK had three for 24 yards.
*Captains: Georgia senior Malik Herring and juniors Eric Stokes and Trey Hill served as the captains. Georgia won the toss and elected to defer until the second half.
*Up Next: Fifth-ranked Georgia (4-1) will face No. 10 Florida (2-1) in Jacksonville, Sat., Nov. 7 in Jacksonville at 3:30 pm on CBS. The Gators face Missouri tonight in Gainesville.