The final third of Georgia’s regular season began with something approaching a must-win game against Kentucky. Time was, the only sort of games the Bulldogs played against Kentucky were better-not-lose affairs. But times change.
The Wildcats entered Saturday’s game with a chance to move into a first-place tie atop the SEC East. Georgia entered with a chance to fall below .500 on the season. We say again: This year is not like most years.
For these Bulldogs, this ending wasn’t like recent endings. Having lost four of five, Georgia restored a bit of order to nature. Rodrigo Blankenship’s 25-yard field goal as time expired made the Bulldogs a 27-24 winner. That kick capped a 67-yard drive that saw Georgia mix short Jacob Eason passes and runs up the middle to sublime effect.
It had been a strange night. Georgia seemed the better team throughout, but fell behind early and took forever to nose back ahead. When finally it did, a Kentucky field goal with 2:47 remaining tied the score at 24. But the Bulldogs responded without needing to convert on third down.
The first half was an improvement over recent games for Georgia, even if the scoreboard didn’t cooperate. The Bulldogs trailed 14-13, having outgained Kentucky 238 yards to 175, having forced four punts. As it happened, the half’s biggest play was a punt short in both length and hang time, but heavy in impact.
Isaiah McKenzie, whose decision not to field the previous punt led to Georgia starting a drive on its 4, rushed forward to field this one. He was hit a nanosecond after the ball arrived. Kentucky’s J.D. Harmon recovered the fumble at the Georgia 38.
Three plays later, Kentucky had the lead. Stanley “Boom” Williams rushed for 4 yards and drew a face-mask penalty. He rushed again for 6. Then he burst over the left side and through an attempted sandwich tackle by cornerback Deandre Baker and safety Aaron Davis. (Yeah, Boom went boom.) The Wildcats led 14-10.
On this night, it was clear Georgia made running the ball a point of emphasis. Jim Chaney moved from the sideline to the press box, and apparently that lofty perch enabled the offensive coordinator to see that handing the ball to Nick Chubb and Sony Michel mightn’t be a bad idea. The Bulldogs had 24 first-half rushes against 11 passes.
Their first drive began with four consecutive runs, whereupon Eason threw twice. The first pass was incomplete. The second, on third-and-11, found McKenzie in stride on a slant for a 38-yard touchdown.
In four minutes and 10 seconds, Georgia had mustered as many touchdowns as in 60 minutes against Florida in Jacksonville. This was a bright start for a team that needed one. But, as has happened more than once this season, the follow-through was slow to develop.
Case in point: Georgia’s second possession saw four consecutive rushes by Chubb, then two more by Michel. These six plays netted 36 yards and three first downs and moved the ball from the Bulldogs’ 4 to their 40. A touchdown would have made the score 14-0. The Bulldogs never even crossed midfield.
Georgia called another run. By now tired of being pushed backward, the Wildcats started blitzing defensive backs. On first-and-10, Harmon dumped Chubb for a loss of 4. On second-and-14, Marcus McWilson dropped Michel for a loss of 4. Then the Bulldogs were flagged for delay of game. A good-looking drive had become third-and-23, which soon became a Georgia punt, which led to Kentucky’s tying touchdown.
The second half began with a Chubb fumble and Kentucky’s abject failure to benefit. The Wildcats tried a field goal from 44 yards. They made it. They were called for holding. They wound up punting.
When next Kentucky took the ball, they did better. Benny Snell Jr. burst up the middle for 26 yards. Georgia’s Dominick Sanders was called for a personal foul. Snell nearly scored on a Knowshon Moreno-type hurdle at the pylon. He did score — albeit after a replay review — from the 1. Georgia trailed 21-13.
Needing an answer, Georgia moved past midfield and punted after tackle Tyler Catalina was called for a false start on fourth-and-1. The Wildcats, who hadn’t won five SEC games since the 10-1 season of 1977 (which featured a 33-0 win in Athens with Prince Charles in attendance), had the ball with a chance to take a two-score lead. Then they remembered who they were.
Garrett Johnson lost a fumble after being hit by Georgia’s Maurice Smith. Georgia’s Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 49-yard field goal. Jeff Badet bobbled what should have a been a 50-yard reception into Baker’s grateful arms.
This was getting semi-comical. More hilarity ensued. Chubb appeared to fumble (again) but was ruled down. After a replay, it was announced that the call on the field had been upheld. Then, just as Georgia was set to run a play, a whistle was blown: The review was being reviewed further. This angle showed that Chubb had indeed lost the ball.
Credit Georgia’s defense for giving its offense a chance, and this offense needs lots of chances. Finally it generated a touchdown, Michel darting around the right side from 26 yards out after Eason found Isaac Nauta for 29 up the seam. Eason’s next pass to Nauta yielded a 2-point conversion. Having trailed for 30 minutes and two seconds, Georgia led 24-21. It would lead at the end, too.
