By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Kentucky just can’t seem to get over the proverbial hump against Georgia.
The Wildcats (3-4, 1-4 Southeastern Conference) dropped their 10th consecutive setback to the Bulldogs with a 21-0 loss Saturday night in Athens. Kentucky coach Mark Stoops fell to 0-7 against Georgia, despite several close calls in the past few years. The shutout loss was the first for a Kentucky team since a 2012 when the Wildcats dropped a 40-0 loss to Vanderbilt.
Kentucky’s defense held Georgia scoreless in the first half. But they lost 21-0. (UK Athletics photo)
A steady rain throughout the contest brought on by tropical storm Nestor played in Kentucky’s favor especially in the first half, which ended in a 0-0 deadlock. The weather elements were less beneficial for the Wildcats in the second half as the Bulldogs scored three touchdowns to put the game out of reach.
A couple of mistakes by the Wildcats — a botched punt and a fumble by Kentucky quarterback Lynn Bowden — led to a pair of scores by the Bulldogs in the third quarter that gave the hosts the cushion they needed to hold off the Wildcats.
Making his second consecutive start, Bowden finished with 99 rushing yards but Kentucky’s passing game was virtually non-existent for the second straight week. Bowden completed two passes on 15 attempts for 17 yards and one of his potential completions was dropped in the end zone by running back Chris Rodriguez in the second half that could have avoided the shutout.
Overall, Kentucky managed just 177 total yards, with 160 of those coming on the ground. The Wildcats were 3-for-13 on third downs and were 0-2 on fourth-down attempts.
Much like Kentucky, the Bulldogs (6-1, 3-1) didn’t have much success throwing the football, but used a grinding ground game to wear down the Wildcats’ offense, especially in the second half. Georgia rushed for 235 yards, with featured back D’Andre Swift paving the way with 179 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs averaged more than six yards per carry and was perfect in the red zone.
Kentucky’s defense was solid early and forced Georgia to punt on six of its first seven drives of the game.
Gametracker: Missouri at Kentucky, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. TV/Radio: SEC Network, UK Radio Network.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.
