How Georgia beat Kentucky: Bulldogs make a statement in Athens

Georgia dominates Kentucky to improve to 6-0 Seth Emerson and The Athletic College Football Staff (Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The goal was to invoke Isaac Newton. This is, after all, still a university, so think highly. Think of a wrecking ball, Georgia coaches told their players, force equals mass times acceleration,

Georgia dominates Kentucky to improve to 6-0

Seth Emerson and The Athletic College Football Staff

October 8, 2023 at 7:55 AM EDTHow Georgia beat Kentucky: Bulldogs make a statement in Athens

(Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Georgia’s offense looked elite, but has defense met expectations?

The goal was to invoke Isaac Newton. This is, after all, still a university, so think highly. Think of a wrecking ball, Georgia coaches told their players, force equals mass times acceleration, put it in football terms and connect it all together.

Wait, someone asked Kirby Smart on Saturday, a wrecking ball a la Miley Cyrus?

“I don’t even know who Miley Cyrus is,” Smart said. “What does she have to do with a wrecking ball?”

She has a song, someone said. Google it, someone suggested.

“I know Eric Church like a wrecking ball,” Smart said.

Read more here.

GO FURTHER

Georgia’s offense looked elite in Kentucky win, but has defense met expectations?

FINAL: Georgia 51, Kentucky 13

Cats have lost 14 straight to the Dawgs, who sure look like legit national title contenders again.

After a 5-0 start, UK’s closing gauntlet is off to a demoralizing start. Ranked Mizzou, UT, Bama and Louisville still to come.

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Georgia football finally plays like the No. 1 team in win against Kentucky

Georgia football finally plays like the No. 1 team in win against Kentucky

ATHENS, Ga. — There was something different in this game. Brock Bowers, maybe the most unassuming star player in Georgia football history, actually flexed in the end zone after a touchdown. Carson Beck, also not known for trash-talking, appeared to be doing that with a few Kentucky players.

There was just a sense one got this week that Georgia was tired of not playing up to its usual standard, tired of hearing about its slow starts. Throw in an unbeaten opponent and a night game at home, and the elements were there for Georgia to finally show up and play a complete game.

Thanks mainly to Beck and the offense, that’s precisely what happened. Georgia was electric on offense, scoring on eight of its first nine drives, including all six in the first half. The Bulldogs made a game of ranked opponents look like a guarantee game: No. 1 Georgia 51, No. 20 Kentucky 13.

GO FURTHER

Georgia football finally plays like the No. 1 team in win against Kentucky

We may have a dynasty on our hands

This is the Georgia team that can win a third straight national title. A complete, physical team. A dominant team. It looked like an angry team. One that had heard enough about its slow starts and struggles in its first two SEC games (including from me). With Alabama in charge in the SEC West and Georgia in charge in the SEC East, it looks more normal than we expected in the nation's best conference.

Big day for Georgia's offense

Georgia goes over 600 yards and 50 points with the backup offense in against Kentucky.

It’s a no-silver-lining night for Mark Stoops. Meanwhile, Louisville just extended its lead to 24-13 over Notre Dame.

Georgia leads 44-13 in the fourth quarter

That's 500 yards of offense for Georgia as Carson Beck hits Brock Bowers with a 21-yard touchdown pass and the Bulldogs lead Kentucky 44-13. Beck has had his best game of the season, by far, with 389 yards and four touchdowns. He has completed 28-of-35 passes.

Brock Bowers' last three games

  • 9 catches, 121 yards, 2 TD
  • 8 catches, 157 yards, 1 TD
  • 7 catches, 132 yards, 1 TD

That's 24 catches, 410 yards, 4 TD in three games. That's an all-league SEASON for most tight ends.

Freak show.

UGA 44, UK 13, 0:39 3Q

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Kentucky cuts into Georgia's lead

Maxwell Hairston continues his breakout season and gives Kentucky a tiny flicker of life, breaking up Carson Beck's near-perfect game with Hairston's fourth interception of the season and a long return.

Georgia up big at the half

The story for Kentucky is that it was not prepared to meet this moment. The defense, typically one of the best in the country under Mark Stoops and coordinator Brad White, gave up a too-easy touchdown to open the game and never even really bothered Georgia in the first half. Giving up 384 yards and 34 points without a single stop in the first 30 minutes is a shocking level of incompetence, highlighted by twice leaving all-world tight end Brock Bowers running wide open.

An even worse look? Offensive lineman Jager Burton killed both Kentucky’s first two promising drives with bone-headed penalties — a completely unnecessary hold and a stunning elbow drop to a defender who was already on the ground — and defensive lineman Deone Walker extending a UGA drive with an equally foolish personal foul. Combine those mistakes with yet another series of misfires by quarterback Devin Leary and the Wildcats were sunk by the end of the first quarter.

Losing to the two-time defending national champion, a team you’ve lost to 13 straight times, is no great shame or shock, but to lose this way with a chance to make a national statement is surely going to sting Stoops and a fan base that wanted to believe this year was different.

Halftime analysis as Georgia leads Kentucky, 34-7

Well, everyone was wondering when Georgia would start faster and play a complete game. This is that game, and there were hints around the program this week that would happen. Just a sense that it was fed up with not playing to its potential, as well as the outside (and justified) criticism that it wasn't playing up to the usual Georgia standard. The fact it was an unbeaten opponent and a home night game added to the educated guess this would be the game the old Georgia finally showed up.

Or the new Georgia, carried by its offense, especially Carson Beck, who passed for 307 yards in the first half alone. Georgia scored on all six of its possessions, and the two field goals came after Brock Bowers dropped what would have been a touchdown, and when the offense ran out of time at the end of the half. Just a total domination by the Georgia offense.

Georgia leads 31-7 in the second quarter

Looks like the snap was low and the result of the play was still a touchdown, Kendall Milton running it in from 5 yards out.

Yup, that kinda game for Georgia.

Georgia has been dominant

Georgia has been dominant in this game against Kentucky, especially on offense. The Bulldogs lead 24-7, and they have 306 total yards of offense. Carson Beck has thrown for 253 yards and three touchdowns in a performance that should quiet any doubters who are out there.

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Carson Beck has started this game in spectacular fashion

The Georgia quarterback is 11-for-11 for 146 yards with two touchdown passes. The second was a beautiful toe-tapper in the end zone by Rara Thomas, initially ruled incomplete but overturned on review. Beck also converted a third-down by running for six yards.

No slow start for Georgia's offense this game: 14 points after two possessions, compared to 17 points in the first quarter over the first five games combined.

Kentucky gets on the board

That was a terrific drive — called and executed — really keeping UGA off balance. Ten plays, 75 yards, cashed on a nice Leary throw and Kattus catch.

Georgia 21, Kentucky 7, 6:44 2Q

Georgia leads 14-0 in the first quarter

Carson Beck has started this game in spectacular fashion: The Georgia quarterback is 11-for-11 for 146 yards with two touchdown passes. The second was a beautiful toe-tapper in the end zone by Rara Thomas, initially ruled incomplete but overturned on review. Beck also converted a third-down by running for six yards.

No slow start for Georgia's offense this game: 14 points after two possessions, compared to 17 points in the first quarter over the first five games combined.

In a game of Cats v. Dogs, can Kentucky run the ball?

Georgia's run defense has looked very un-Georgia like so far this season. Ray Davis' room to run was probably going to decide whether or not this game was competitive. Georgia ranked third nationally in yards per carry allowed last season. This year: 67th, despite a soft opening schedule.

Early returns: Promising for Kentucky. He had 19 yards on his first two carries.

Well, that escalated quickly

Georgia has been questioned all season due to their slow starts. Not so this evening in Sanford Stadium, as Carson Beck found Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for a 40-yard touchdown early in the first quarter.

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Who can challenge Georgia's three-peat?

Who can challenge Georgia's three-peat?

USA Today

Take your pick, if Georgia keeps messing around. It could be Kentucky, it could be Ole Miss, Missouri, Tennessee or even Florida. But if there’s one game on the schedule that on paper is the scariest it’s still Tennessee, because it’s the one true road game of those listed.

Who could stop Georgia's three-peat bid?

[Insert name of the first Good with a capital G team that Georgia plays]. Notice I said good there, not great. If the Bulldogs don’t snap into some urgency, I could see them losing to Mizzou, I could see them losing to the SEC West champ, and I could certainly see them losing to their semifinal opponent, which will be better battle-tested than UGA, guaranteed.

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