“Very pleased with what happened today. I’m proud of our players. I thought they did a really good job of starting the game with a lot of energy and going up 21-0. I thought our defense made a good stop after the fumble on the kickoff return. We forced a field goal instead of a touchdown. I thought that was a big play.”
— Georgia coach Mark Richt’s opening thoughts about the game
“You look at a team like Georgia, they lost a tough one a week ago and responded with a complete football game and beat us in every phase. We’ll see if we can have the resilience to bounce back and find a way to go on the road and get a victory this week.”
—Kentucky coach Mark Stoops on regrouping to play Tennessee next week
“It’s premature right now to say how we’re going to use (Todd Gurley) just yet. But we went through this little stretch where we were banged up. Now for what seems like the most important game of the year that will decide the fate of our season, we’ve got everybody back. We’ve got our backfield back, so it’s a good time to have everybody healthy.”
— Georgia quarterback Hutson Mason on incorporating Gurley with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel
“We definitely felt like we had a chance. We came in and just wanted to continue the game plan. We just came up short there at the beginning (of the second half), and it changed the whole outcome of the game. Like I said, we had a chance.”
— Tailback Stanley “Boom” Williams, a freshman from Monroe who led the Wildcats with 100 yards rushing on 10 carries
“I know I haven’t taken Todd’s spot. I’m looking forward to Todd getting back on the field and playing with him again. I miss him out there. We also got Sony back today, which took a lot off my shoulders.”
— Georgia tailback Nick Chubb, who rushed for 170 yards on 13 carries
“I was just believing in what my coach tells me. Last week I wasn’t hitting the right holes and going to the right places. But today, I believed in what he called and hit the right holes. That’s it.”
— Freshman Isaiah McKenzie on returning a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown
“A lot.”
— McKenzie on how many times he returned a punt and kickoff for a touchdown in high school
“It was great just going out there and playing hard for the guy next to me. I tried to give it my all. That’s what everybody else did.”
— Freshman tailback Michel on playing for the first time in six weeks
“I knew I was playing. I practiced the whole week. I practiced hard and felt good. The game went smooth.”
— Michel on when he knew if he would play Saturday
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