On Saturday, Georgia football has another monumental matchup as the Kentucky Wildcats stroll into town looking to spoil the Dawgs’ chances at something special.
ESPN College GameDay will be in town, and so will SEC Nation, so everyone knows what kind of implications this game has.
Two undefeated SEC teams remain, and no, Alabama isn’t one of them — it’s these two squaring off in the Classic City.
If Georgia wins this game, they have essentially clinched the SEC East race, even with Missouri, Florida and Tennessee left on the schedule. The same could be said for Kentucky because they have Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Tennessee left on the docket.
So it comes down to who can win in Athens on Saturday. A lot can happen between now and that first weekend in December, but still, this game has a lot riding on and will be one to remember.
Kentucky has a stout rush attack and will lean heavily on it, while Georgia’s offense has a good balance of rush and pass. The Dawgs running game has increased the last few weeks and will continue to be the emphasis against the Wildcats.
Even though Kentucky is a formidable opponent and will be the next test for Georgia, the Wildcats haven’t seen a defense quite like this one. No matter what anyone says, to give up just 33 points in six games is outstanding, and the Wildcats better come ready.
With back-to-back emotional wins for Kentucky, they take on their first true road test of the season. As for Georgia, they welcome back GameDay for the second time in three weeks and have played on a stage this big in back-to-back SEC West games.
Even with Georgia still working through injuries, the matchup just isn’t as close as people think. Here are six bold predictions that will lead the Dawgs to a 7-0 start and into a much-needed bye week.
Georgia football sees fourth straight game with at least 200 rushing yards
Since the Vanderbilt game, Georgia football has rushed for at least 200 yards. While the run game seemed to have a slow start at the beginning of the season, the Dawgs have caught it right up to speed with the passing attack.
Between Zamir White, James Cook, Kendall Milton and Kenny McIntosh, regardless of who gets the handoff, they have found success.
Recently, White has just looked different on the field. He runs with this purpose – like he wants to run over anyone in his path, and he will until physically forced to the ground.
In the last two weeks against Arkansas and Auburn, he has 33 carries for 147 yards and four touchdowns, giving him back-to-back games with two scores. White has done something in the last couple of weeks that just elevates him to another level.
With him on the rise and how the Dawgs performed against Kentucky last year, Georgia will make it four games straight with rushing for 200-plus yards. Last year the Dawgs recorded 215 yards on 43 carries and scored twice.
However, this year it’s at home between the hedges, so I could see Georgia taking it another level.
Let’s take this prediction one step further — White will earn at least 100 of those yards and score two more times.
It’s overdue for White to have a break-out game, and while it is running back by committee, his grit the last couple of weeks will elevate him to lead the team on the ground against Kentucky.
Kendall Milton could also be a person who gets in the endzone for his second career touchdown against the Wildcats.
Stetson Bennett will complete at least 60% of his passes
Stetson Bennett is having a fantastic season and proving to the doubters why he is the Dawgs chosen one right now. With JT Daniels still working through an injury, the Mailman has settled into the starting role, and the Dawgs haven’t skipped a beat.
Kentucky has a solid rush defense, averaging 3.43 yards a run play and 111.33 a game. So if the Wildcats stop the run at first, the Dawgs will need Bennett to make plays through the air.
Bennett will complete at least 60% of his passes on Saturday and show out again in front of the home crowd. He isn’t just the game manager people think he is, Bennett can make plays, and he will finally do it against an SEC secondary in style.
The Wildcats give up 193.7 yards through the air a game, which is where teams have hurt them. However, it won’t be an easy task. Even though they give up that many yards a game, Kentucky has 24 pass breakups on the year — the second-best in the SEC.
Last year, Bennett went 9-of-13 for 131 yards and two interceptions, so he will have this game circled because it’s a chance for him to get redemption. Not that he needs to, but it’s another test he can ace being the leader on offense.
In the five games, he has seen action in this year, Bennett has completed 43-of-62 passes for 746 yards, eight touchdowns and just two interceptions. He completes 69% of his passes and averages around 12 passes a game. However, that’ll be different in my opinion against Kentucky.
Bennett will throw closer to 20-plus times, and he will stay on-trend with his completion percentage. He just needs to let the line block for him and make intelligent decisions. Kentucky only has 23 quarterback hurries and 13 sacks on the season, so Bennett just needs to do his thing and find his guys — the rest will take care of itself.
Georgia football’s tight ends will lead the receiving pack
Georgia football has two of the most talented tight ends in the entire country on their roster, and now they are both finally healthy.
All season, Brock Bowers has led the way, emerging as someone to keep an eye on despite being a freshman. Darnell Washington is back, and while he slowly got implemented into the offense against Auburn this week against Kentucky, both will be at the top of the receiving page.
Washington is a freak athlete who will be a mismatch for every single defensive back in the country. At 6-foot-7 260-pounds, he towers over defenders. So Bennett just needs to place the ball where he can get it, and either he will catch it or draw a pass interference call.
While Kentucky has the second-most pass breakups in the conference, they haven’t taken on a target like Washington.
Bowers has 20 catches on the year for 315 yards and four touchdowns. He is one of Bennett and JT Daniels’ favorite targets, and after this big week on the recruiting front, it would only be smart for offensive coordinator Todd Monken to use the tight ends a lot.
These two could see a pair of touchdowns themselves, and I would go as far as to say Bowers will get No. 5 and No. 6 on the season. He has been quiet the last couple of games, so it’s time for him to make some plays in an explosive way.
Georgia football holds Kentucky to under 150 rushing yards
Georgia football has the best rushing defense not just in the SEC but the entire country. They are the No. 1 overall defense, and it isn’t close.
The Dawgs allow just 66.50 rushing yards a game and a stout 2.23 yards a run play. Those numbers are elite caliber, and not many teams are even matching them.
While Georgia hasn’t faced a team, who likes to run the ball as Kentucky does, but at the same time, it’s just the next test on the schedule.
Kentucky is extremely confident in their top running back Christopher Rodriguez and his ability to tote the rock. He has 120 carries for 768 yards and five touchdowns on the season. Rodriguez averages 6.4 yards a touch, and he is one tough back.
Behind him is Kavosiey Smoke, who has 45 carries for 263 yards and one touchdown. Will Levis, the Wildcats quarterback, has three rushing scores and 163 rushing yards himself.
As a whole, Kentucky averages 214.17 rushing yards a game and 5.5 yards a carry. Those numbers are pretty stout, but they haven’t played a team like Georgia. This defense has a way of making teams look overrated after they get done with them, and Kentucky will be their next victim.
Kentucky should be confident, but against this elite defense, they won’t rush for over 150 yards. Since they are a run-heavy team, it wouldn’t be surprising if they earned the most rushing yards against the Dawgs this season, but it won’t be anything close to their average.
Georgia will wear down Kentucky and make them question every decision because that is what this defense does.
The Dawgs will shut down that rush attack and force Levis to make plays through the air. However, that is if he even has time to do so.
Georgia Football collects 10 total havoc plays against Kentucky
Georgia football’s defense is elite. We’ve already been over that for six straight weeks.
This eliteness won’t leave them on Saturday as the next prediction is Georgia will amass at least 10 havoc plays. So when we say havoc, we’re referring to tackles for loss, sacks, quarterback hurries, interceptions, fumbles, and pass breakups.
After a successful week on the Plains, Georgia returns to the scene of the crime, where they stunned the Hogs. This week, they’ll stun the Wildcats with the 12th Dawgs showing up in a big way. This 3:30 p.m. kickoff will only make the Dawg fans happy, which helps the defense out even more.
Georgia has 109 total quarterback hurries through six games, which is an average of 18 a game. The second closest team in that stat category is Florida with 29. Georgia has 80 more than Florida and 86 more than Kentucky. The Dawgs know how to create pressure, and Will Levis hasn’t seen an animal like Georgia football’s defense.
After getting Bo Nix four times last week, the Dawgs also led the SEC in sacks at 22. That seems like a solid number for the Kentucky game.
Georgia is tough and likes creating havoc for other teams. Kentucky is their next victim, and if the Dawgs can get the crowd into it and stay into it, this game could get ugly and fast for the Wildcats.
Kelee Ringo gets his second career interception and first pick-six
Kelee Ringo has been a force of nature for the Dawgs in the secondary. He has been a shutdown corner all season and gains more confidence each week.
Against UAB, he recorded his first career interception, and our boldest prediction is that he will not only collect his second career interception but that it’ll be a pick-six.
Georgia has multiple pick-sixes on the season and is overdue for another one.
Ringo has 18 targets, three catches allowed, no touchdowns allowed, and his one interception on the year. This guy is all he was hyped up to be out of high school and more. He has a giant heart and loves this football team, which makes him fit right in with this team and what they’re trying to do.
This game would be perfect because the fans are trying to pink-out Sanford Stadium. With it being breast cancer awareness month, Ringo will have the perfect opportunity to honor his mother by getting another interception this season. If he were to do something like getting his first career pick-six, I just hope it’s in front of his mother.
Ringo is remarkable and the next leader of this secondary, so with the midway point of the season coming up, it’s time for the youngster to step into that role. He has all the tangibles to be one of the greatest corners in college football. Now he just has to keep going.
Saturday will be a showdown between the Dawgs and the Wildcats. While Kentucky has every right to be confident and ready for Georgia, I don’t think they are prepared for the battle they’re about to fight in between the hedges.
This Georgia team is nasty in all the right ways, and with College GameDay and SEC Nation in attendance, the Dawgs aren’t letting this one slip by them.
Georgia puts Kentucky in their place and sends them back to Lexington with their first loss of the season as the Dawgs will win it 42-10.