Kentucky will not be playing for a SEC Championship in 2018. The Wildcats falling to Georgia on Saturday 34-17.
Kentucky hosted Georgia with the winner taking the SEC East title and earning a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship December 1st.
“Really you have to give credit to Georgia. They beat us in all phases,” said UK Head Coach Mark Stoops after the game. “Really played a good football game. There’s many things we will take from this. We can learn an awful lot.
Definitely was not our best effort. Not for lack of trying, but our team really had a good week of preparation and were excited to play,” Stoops continued. “We did not execute at times. At times we got out-manned. We missed more tackles than I could remember. Didn’t execute a few things.”
“Some of the young guys had their head down. The leaders were telling us that we were up, me, Josh (Allen), Terry (Wilson), Kash (Daniel),” said UK Running Back Benny Snell. “Telling guys to pick their head up, we still got more games to play. It’s fresh, we’re fresh off the loss, but we still got a good Tennessee team to play. We still got games we got to win. I feel them being down, but we gotta get up, we gotta get up.”
Kentucky hosted Georgia with the winner taking the SEC East title and earning a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship December 1st.
The Wildcats got the ball and Terry Wilson completed a pass to Isaiah Epps for a first down. Three plays later UK had to punt and Georgia’s Mecole Hardeman returned it 65 yards deep into Wildcats territory. Jake Fromm would complete a four yard pass to Isaac Nauta for the first score of the game. 7-0 Bulldogs.
On Kentucky’s second possession, the Cats would chip away and move it down to the Georgia 43 yard line but were forced to punt. The UK defense made a big 3rd and 1 stop thanks to Kash Daniel and Calvin Taylor to get the ball back for the offense.
Georgia was moving the ball again when a high snap to Jake Fromm sailed through his hands and Josh Allen was quick to recover for the Wildcats.
UK put together its best drive thanks to a steady mix of runs with Snell, Wilson and passes completed to Lynn Bowden. The Cats would have to settle for a Chance Poore field goal from 34 yards out. It was his first in Kroger Field. Georgia still up 7-3.
The Bulldogs put together their own drive near the end of the second half and D’Andre Swift finished it with an impressive run where he made two incredible moves to avoid tacklers. Georgia takes the 14-3 lead with 2:28 to go in the half.
UK had one chance before halftime to make something happen. They couldn’t and had to punt. Actually putting Georgia deep in its own territory, the Bulldogs moved it. However, another bad exchange and Josh Allen recovered his second fumble of the game. UK would trail 14-3 at the break.
It was not a great start to the second half. Georgia got the ball first. Elijah Holyfield would pick up 30 yards on a run. A couple of plays later, Darius West was called for targeting and ejected from the game. That means he’ll miss the first half of next Saturday’s game against Tennessee. Holyfield ended the drive with a four yard touchdown run. Bulldogs take a 21-3 lead.
Kentucky was unable to move the ball and on Georgia’s 2nd play from scrimmage, D’Andre Swift broke through the defense and went 83 yards for the touchdown. Bulldogs up 28-3.
The Wildcats finally got the offense moving. Wilson completed a 9 yard pass to Conrad to start, Wilson had a couple of nice runs and threw a 19 yard pass to Bowden. Then, Snell finished the drive with a 9 yard touchdown run. Cats down 28-10.
Again, the offense moved it as Wilson threw several passes to Tavin Richardson and Isaiah Epps. Then, maybe the play of the year. Wilson throws ahead to Rose, he tips it, the defender tips it and it ends up back in Rose’s hand where he takes it 31 yards for the score. Cats down 31-17.
Georgia would make one more drive and use a 38 yard field goal to secure the win. Kentucky loses 34-17 to fall to 7-2 overall on the season 5-2 in the SEC. Next up is a trip to Tennessee next Saturday in Knoxville.
Terry Wilson was 23-29 for 226 yards and a touchdown. Benny Snell, Jr. carried the ball 20 times for 73 yards and Lynn Bowden had 6 catches for 62 yards while A.J. Rose had 69 yards receiving.
