UGA 63 – Kentucky 31: An offense’s masterpiece
When a win is so decisive, we tend to blow right by it, especially with such a big game up next. Kentucky has dropped several games after a fast start, but this was still a team that had defeated South Carolina and hung with the #1 team in the nation just a few weeks earlier. Georgia fans have fresh memories of close calls in Lexington, and no one knew how the team would respond after the flat performance in Jacksonville. Fortunately, the team seems to have had an easier time with that than I did. The Dawgs scored 21 points in both the first and third quarters and pulled away for a 63-21 win over Kentucky. The 63 points were the most scored by a Mark Richt team against an SEC opponent.
Nothing too organized here…just some more thoughts from a very enjoyable win.
- It didn’t take long to start seeing the differences from last week’s Florida game. A kick return unit that had blocked so poorly in Jacksonville opened up an expressway-sized lane for Isaiah McKenzie on the opening kickoff, and Georgia’s return specialist went 90 yards untouched. We hadn’t heard much from McKenzie – or the return game in general – for several weeks, so it was a nice shot in the arm to get 14 points directly from an area of the game that was pretty dismal just a week ago.
- Hutson Mason wishes every opponent wore Kentucky blue. A year ago Mason took over against the Wildcats after Murray’s injury, and Mason threw 13-for-19 with two touchdowns – one passing and one rushing. That wasn’t a bad debut for a backup who came in cold off the bench. Now the starter, Mason was efficient, smart, and accurate in his best performance yet. It wasn’t all easy tosses – Mason and his receivers tested the limits of the field, and it took a combination of precise passes, sure hands, and agile footwork to complete several of Georgia’s passing touchdowns.
- Mason made a difference from the beginning. Chubb’s first run lost yardage. Mason picked up eight yards on his own on second down to set up a manageable third down. He found Bennett in close quarters to move the chains, and the Dawgs had their first of eight third down conversions.
- It’s easy to underrate the week-to-week improvement in Georgia’s offense. Kentucky is, after all, a step down in class from Florida on defense, and the Wildcats really began to look like a team that hadn’t had a bye week since September 20th. All that said, you rarely see that level of execution even against the worst opponents, much less against a team on the brink of bowl eligibility. Georgia was perfect on third downs, didn’t turn the ball over, never punted, and got points from every drive on which they didn’t take a knee.
- Defense was a little more of a mixed bag. Georgia’s run defense still showed some of the same issues that caused them problems against Florida. Kentucky popped off a long touchdown run in the second quarter not so much because of the horrible containment we saw a week ago but because a senior inside linebacker missed the tackle. Not great, and Herrera needs to make that tackle, but also not a sign of a structural flaw in the defense. Georgia struggled a bit with Kentucky’s power formation – the diamond backfield which featured two blocking backs.
- The Dawgs had better success against Kentucky’s passing game. Kentucky posted only 139 yards through the air – just 4.5 yards per attempt. The yardage and completion percentage were season lows for their decent quarterback, Patrick Towles. Georgia’s line was able to tee off on the pass after opening a 25-point lead not long into the third quarter, but the pressure was effective from the outset.
- Even with some difficulty stopping the run, the defense had its moments. The three-and-out on Kentucky’s first series allowed Georgia to build on the momentum from the opening kickoff and establish the double-digit advantage they’d enjoy for the rest of the game. Holding Kentucky to a field goal after the Wildcats recovered a short kickoff was very important at the time and preserved a two-score lead. Of course the interception to open the second half was big. Kentucky closed the first half with a score, and they started the second half with a chance to get within four points. There was probably some luck involved on the tip, but credit to Corey Moore for being alert enough to make a difficult catch just inches from the turf. Those are plays Georgia didn’t make last year.
- I’ll be honest – I had written off Rumph. We knew he wouldn’t be redshirted, and I figured he wouldn’t see the light of day again. In his first action of the season, he led the team in receptions and yardage. We saw how his size is a big advantage on two catches: one where he used his body to essentially “post up” a defender and then later when he outjumped the defender and turned the catch into a long reception. If he’s available for the rest of the season, he’s an intriguing matchup problem on the outside.
- Speaking of impact receivers, Mitchell continues to round into form. His first touchdown of the season was a nice throw and catch in stride on a route that a healthy Mitchell will win every time. My favorite though was a tougher catch that Mitchell made low and along the sideline. That’s the reliability that made him such a dangerous target earlier in his career.
- As the Gurley suspension ends, I don’t know what more we can do to appreciate Nick Chubb. Whatever praise we give him, it seems as if it’s not enough. Even in the Florida loss, he was a bright spot and put up more yards in Jacksonville than any Georgia back since Moreno in 2007. He’s been consistently excellent even as defenses began to key on him. His 671 yards in these four games tops the season total for all but 13 ball carriers in the SEC.
- And welcome back to Sony Michel. Michel quietly posted 84 yards of his own, and it was almost cruel to see a rested Chubb trot on the field towards the end of a drive. The offense just seems to open up more with Michel available, and he can be used in the backfield or in the slot. One thing we didn’t see at Kentucky: Michel might be Georgia’s best operator of the wildcat offense.
- Dinged-up or disciplined? The theories about why Leonard Floyd saw so little time at Kentucky abound. There’s no doubt that Floyd played poorly against Florida, but he wasn’t alone. Lorenzo Carter made the most of the start; it had been a while since we had heard much from him.
- Chubb, Michel, Carter, McKenzie – all freshmen. Blazevich notched his first touchdown reception and followed it up with another. That’s going to be a nice core to have around.
Six weeks ago, the Dawgs were said to rely too much on a single player. With that player unavailable, the team went on a four-game road trip and posted a 3-1 record. A freshman tailback emerged as a star, and the senior quarterback was a steadying leader. The defense made progress but showed the frustrating inconsistencies of a unit dealing with both talent and experience issues. It wasn’t enough to keep the team in the national playoff picture, but the Dawgs return from the road and the Gurley suspension with a realistic shot at the division title. Now it’s time to put it all together and finish out the regular season at home.