Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 14th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The top-ranked team in the nation, Georgia, will put their impressive 41-game winning streak in the regular season to the test this Saturday as they travel to Lexington, Kentucky for a SEC matchup against the Kentucky Wildcats.

The Bulldogs (2-0) have not suffered a regular season loss since November 7, 2020, when they were defeated by Florida. Last Saturday, they solidified their position as the team with the longest winning streak in SEC history by easily defeating Tennessee Tech 48-3. With a dominant performance against then-No.14 Clemson in Week 1, Georgia has outscored their first two opponents by a staggering 82-6.

In their latest victory, quarterback Carson Beck tied a school record with five touchdown passes in just over half a game. As they prepare for their first conference game, head coach Kirby Smart and his team will face their first road challenge.

"Playing at Kroger Field is always tough," Smart acknowledged. "We have seen in our previous games there that it is a difficult place to play. There is a lot of excitement in facing a SEC opponent on the road, and we know how challenging that can be. We need to be prepared for a physical and demanding game, as it always is when we play against Kentucky."

This Saturday will also mark a reunion for former Georgia quarterback and current Kentucky starter, Brock Vandagriff. In his three seasons as a backup for the Bulldogs, Vandagriff threw for 165 yards and two touchdowns in limited playing time. However, in December, the highly-touted recruit from Georgia transferred to Kentucky.

"Brock made a great contribution to this university," Smart praised. "He was an excellent teammate and a great young man who always prioritized the team. I have a lot of respect for what he did here."

Vandagriff's second touchdown as a Bulldog came in last year's 51-13 victory over Kentucky.

After a solid performance in their Week 1 win against Southern Miss, Vandagriff and the Wildcats had a disappointing offensive showing in their 31-6 loss to South Carolina at home last Saturday.

Vandagriff completed only 3 of 10 passes for 30 yards and threw an interception before being replaced by Gavin Wimsatt, who went 3-for-7 with 14 yards and an interception.

Facing a team he is familiar with, Vandagriff knows that a repeat of last Saturday's loss will not be enough against Georgia.

"Georgia is a strong team, and we are also a good team," Vandagriff stated. "Our main focus right now is putting that game behind us. We need to make sure we learn from our mistakes, go through them at full speed on Monday, and then we will focus on Georgia when the time comes."

In his 12th year as Kentucky's head coach, Mark Stoops has yet to defeat Georgia, with all but one of their meetings resulting in double-digit wins for the Bulldogs.

"We need to move on quickly," Stoops emphasized. "But first, we need to take responsibility for our performance, and that is what we will do. We need to improve. Our schedule only gets tougher as we face Kirby's No. 1 team in the nation. We will rise to the challenge, and I expect our team to respond."

Georgia has dominated this series, holding a 63-12-2 record against Kentucky. The Wildcats' last victory over the Bulldogs was in 2009. They have a 3-17 record against No. 1 teams, with their most recent upset being against LSU in 2007.

PREDICTION

Georgia Bulldogs

Kentucky Wildcats

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Kentucky Wildcats Recap SEP 14TH 2024

Trevor Etienne ran for a team-high 79 yards on 19 carries, helping No. 1 Georgia eke out a 13-12 win over Kentucky on Saturday in Lexington, Ky.

Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) won its 42nd straight regular season game as Carson Beck completed 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards, while Dominic Lovett caught six passes for 89 yards in the Bulldogs' SEC opener.

Former Georgia quarterback Brock Vandagriff was 14 of 27 for 114 yards, while Demie Sumo-Karngbaye ran for a game-high 98 yards as Kentucky (1-2, 0-2) dropped its second straight game and its 15th consecutive game to Georgia. Alex Raynor was 4-for-4 on field-goal attempts, accounting for all of Kentucky's scoring.

Holding a 6-3 halftime lead, Kentucky put together an 11-play, 61-yard drive that was capped with Raynor's third field goal, extending the Wildcats' lead to 9-3 at the 9:03 mark of the third quarter.

On the ensuing Georgia drive, Beck found Lovett for a 33-yard pass and Dillon Bell on a 20-yard pickup, setting the offense up on the Kentucky 32-yard line. Georgia got as far as the Wildcats' 12, where Woodring hit his second field goal, a 30-yarder to trim the deficit to 9-6 with 3:52 left in the third.

After a Kentucky punt, Etienne accounted for 51 of Georgia's 68 yards on the next drive, setting up Branson Robinson's 2-yard rushing score, giving Georgia a 13-9 lead with 12:20 remaining in the game.

Kentucky answered with Raynor's fourth field goal, a 51-yarder to cut the Georgia lead to 13-12 at the 8:01 mark. After forcing a three-and-out, Kentucky had a fresh set of downs on its 16 with 6:25 left but was forced to punt at the 2:58 mark.

Beginning on their own 15-yard line, Beck and company ate up nearly all of the remaining time before punting with 18 seconds left. Kentucky couldn't advance past its own 32-yard line on the final play as the clock expired.

After Georgia punted on its first two possessions, Kentucky cracked the scoreboard with Raynor's 55-yard field goal at the 2:45 mark of the first quarter.

Following another Bulldogs punt, Vandagriff was sacked on back-to-back plays, with the second sack resulting in a fumble that was recovered by Damon Wilson II on the Kentucky 23-yard line with 4:45 left in the second quarter.

Etienne's 7-yard rush was the only positive play of the ensuing Georgia drive, but Woodring's 34-yard field goal tied the game at 3-3 with 3:52 remaining in the first half.

On the following Wildcats' drive, Kentucky ate up 3:43 of clock, taking a 13-play, 61-yard drive to the Georgia 14-yard line, where Raynor knocked down his second field goal, a 32-yarder with five seconds left in the half, giving Kentucky a 6-3 halftime advantage.