LEXINGTON, Ky. — Well that was unexpected.
While No. 1 Georgia was expected to cruise to an easy win in its first SEC matchup and first SEC road game of the year, this one came down to the last second.
The Bulldogs did ultimately win 13-12, but it wasn't a clean win. Here's three takeaways on how their performance in this win.
Sloppy from start to finish
It wasn’t a great day for the Georgia offense.
Quarterback Carson Beck had one of, if not his worst performances since becoming Georgia’s full-time starter. He only threw for 160 yards and only completed 63 of his passes, both are career lows or nearly career lows since becoming a starter.
He never looked comfortable, and a large part was due to his offensive line. The protection up front for the Bulldogs wasn’t consistent and the Wildcats defensive line found its way into the backfield early and often.
While Kentucky never got a sack, they did net three tackles for a loss and kept the Bulldogs in check. Georgia didn’t even score points until late in the second quarter and didn’t find the endzone until the fourth quarter. It certainly didn't help that top offensive lineman Tate Ratledge also went down with an injury in the first half.
Running back Trevor Etienne eventually found a little success, as he finished with 79 yards rushing, but every facet for Georgia’s offense was shut down all game.
Good, but not great
Coming into this matchup, there was an expectation that Georgia would have more success on defense than South Carolina did last week. The Gamecocks held Kentucky to only six points, and some thought Georgia could net its first shutout.
Four field goals later and that clearly isn’t the case. While allowing four field goals isn’t the worst performance a defense can have, there were a few things exploited that could be troublesome for the Bulldogs down the line.
Kentucky running back Demie Sumo-Karngbany nearly ran for 100 yards, as the Wildcats themselves nearly ran for 200 yards all together. Quarterback Brock Vandagriff was held under 100 passing yards, which is an impressive feat, but he still hurt the Bulldogs on the ground.
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins was able to bring Vandagriff down and get in the backfield consistently, as he netted his second sack this season and two tackles for a loss. Jalon Walker also brought consistent pressure off the edge. Overall, Georgia had three sacks and five tackles for a loss.
While Georgia’s pass rush wasn’t a full disaster, its run stopping ability was rough and the team, as a whole, had a hard time finishing tackles. The Bulldogs will have to turn a few things around going forward to keep its status as a championship contender alive.
Remaining on the road
It's safe to say that Georgia’s first SEC road game didn’t go exactly as planned.
The No. 1 team in the country was expected to dominate and it didn’t go that way. Instead the Bulldogs won by one and only put up 13 points in a weak offensive performance.
The Bulldogs, after a bye week, next have to travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to play the No. 4 Crimson Tide after in a matchup that has Georgia fans more worried than they were a few weeks ago.
Georgia has a lot to turn around in that time. The run defense was weak, the pass defense will have to prepare for its toughest test all season and the offense certainly can’t put up 13 points.
However, for this game, to paraphrase head coach Kirby Smart, winning isn’t easy. The Bulldogs can enjoy the win, but have a lot of ground to make up before taking on Alabama in two week.