The game that was
Georgia (9-2, 7-1 SEC) clinched the SEC East championship and a berth in the SEC title game by beating Kentucky 19-10 in the season's final game in Sanford Stadium. Georgia's defense controlled the game, and the Bulldogs mustered enough offense with four Blair Walsh field goals and a touchdown catch by Marlon Brown, who ran the wrong route on the play.
What we learned
1. The first two games didn't define the season after all. Throughout the offseason, the consensus in Bulldog Nation was that the season would be shaped by what happened in the opening games against top-10 opponents Boise State and South Carolina. Wrong. Georgia lost both of those games but has won nine in a row since.
2. The defense is dominant, especially against the run. Georgia held Kentucky to 23 yards rushing and moved up to No. 2 in the nation in rushing defense. The Bulldogs have allowed 81.3 yards rushing per game, behind only Alabama (74.6). Georgia's next opponent, Georgia Tech, ranks No. 2 in the nation in rushing offense, gaining 323.6 yards per game on the ground.
3. Between injury and suspension, the tailback position again is in disarray. Carlton Thomas' suspension and Isaiah Crowell's ankle injury continued a two-year trend of trouble at the marquee position. Georgia tailbacks have drawn six suspensions this season -- Thomas for the Boise State, New Mexico State and Kentucky games; Crowell for the New Mexico State game and the first quarter of the Vanderbilt game, and Ken Malcome for the New Mexico State game. And then there have been the injuries to Crowell (ribs, wrist, elbow, thigh, knee and ankle) and Richard Samuel (heel, ankle).
The numbers game
13
Yards gained by Kentucky in the second half.
Sound bite
"It's tough to play against a [defense] with great personnel, great schemes and athletic players."
-- Kentucky coach Joker Phillips
Loose ends
Thirteen of Georgia's 19 points followed Kentucky turnovers -- a Walsh field goal after Branden Smith returned an interception 53 yards to the Kentucky 27; a Walsh field goal after Quintavius Harrow forced a fumble on a kickoff, recovered by Brandon Bogotay at the Kentucky 30, and an Aaron Murray-to-Brown touchdown pass after Jarvis Jones forced a fumble that was recovered by Christian Robinson at the Kentucky 10. ... Kentucky's touchdown followed a Georgia turnover, a Malcome fumble that the Wildcats recovered at the UGA 27. ... For the season, Georgia has converted 27 opponent turnovers into 96 points, while opponents have converted 17 Georgia turnovers into 42 points. ... Nose guard Kwame Geathers did not play because of an ankle injury suffered against Auburn the week before. ... Jones' 2.5 sacks gave him 12.5 for the season, tied for No. 2 nationally. ... Saturday's game was officially a sellout, but there were thousands of empty seats in the student sections. Friday was the last day of classes before a week-long Thanksgiving break at UGA.
What's next
The Georgia-Georgia Tech game is set for a noon kickoff Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN. Tech is 8-3 (5-3 ACC).
Tim Tucker
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