UPDATED: Georgia struggles vs. Kentucky, but win sets up monumental matchup with Florida
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Florida did its part by taking down South Carolina on Saturday. Georgia followed suit by beating Kentucky, though it didn’t go down like anyone predicted.
Nearly a four-touchdown favorite, the No. 11-ranked Bulldogs (6-1, 4-1 SEC) found themselves in a street fight with the 1-7 Wildcats. Georgia finally eked out a 29-24 victory, but there was hardly a wild celebration in postgame locker room. Even the tone of the ever-optimistic Mark Richt seemed indifferent and weary.
“You know what, I’m happy with the victory,” Richt said somewhat unconvincingly. “We’re what, 6-1? That’s not bad.”
It’s good enough to set up at SEC Eastern Division showdown next Saturday in Jacksonville. After Saturday’s disparate results — the No. 2-ranked Gators (7-0, 6-0 SEC) thumped No. 7 South Carolina 44-11 in Gainesville — not many will give Georgia a chance in their annual rivalry game next to the St. Johns River. Still, a win over what will be a favored Florida team will put the Bulldogs in the driver’s seat to repeat as SEC champions.
“That’s why you play on Saturdays,” Richt said.
Kentucky was certainly saying that Saturday. Georgia needed a record-setting night from quarterback Aaron Murray, a roughing-the-kicker penalty and an a hotly-contested onsides kick recovery to settle Saturday’s score. The victory wasn’t finalized until the Bulldogs stopped Kentucky’s final pass for a 13-yard gain at the Wildcats’ 30-yard line as time expired.
Aaron Murray’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Lynch – it was his fourth on a record-setting night — made it 29-17 with 7:51 to play, the first time the Bulldogs had been ahead by more than a touchdown all night. Ultimately, that play gave Georgia the cushion it needed to get back to Athens with the victory.
Murray finished with a career-best 427 yards on 30-of-38 passing and now holds the school record for career touchdown passes with 75. David Greene (2001-04) had the previous record with 72.
“I’m not a record guy,” said Murray, who also set the school mark for completion percentage with 30 or more receptions (78.95). “I just want victories. I want championships. That put us another step closer toward achieving those goals. We just have to go out there and keep competing and winning games.”
Said Richt: “A lot of things have to go well to throw the ball like that. You’ve got to be able to protect, to run good routes, to put the ball on the money and catch it. And you have to have a good idea what you’re doing. You have to have some scheme involved in there. I thought everything came together well.”
Murray completed the majority of his passes to wideouts Tavarres King and Malcolm Mitchell, who finished with nine receptions apiece. King had 188 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a 66-yarder. Mitchell had 103 yards. Marlon Brown dropped what would have been a sure-fire touchdown from 52 yards out in the second quarter.
Despite their struggles running the ball — they managed only 77 yards on 32 attempts — the Bulldogs’ claim their ability to throw the ball gives the offense confidence heading into Saturday’s game against the defensive-minded Gators.
“I think so,” King said. “I think those big guys, our O-L, will take pride in protecting No. 11 and let him get it down field to his boys.”
Florida’s offense might be licking its chops after getting a close look at Georgia’s defense, which continued to give up yardage in huge chunks to the previous hapless Cats. Kentucky, which came into the game 13th in the 14-team SEC in total offense, gained 329 yards, 198 of it in the first half . The Wildcats converted 4-of-7 third downs in the first half, all on runs, and finished 6-of-14.
“hey ran the ball on third-and-10 or so a lot and we let them run for first downs,” defensive coordinator Todd Grantham said. “We need to stop that in the zone that we have if we play physical. Obviously we’re going to address that. I didn’t think we played the third-down runs well and we need to clean that up.”
The game was still in the balance when Georgia’s Connor Norman recovered on onsides kick attempt by Kentucky with 3:59 to play to thwart the final upset attempt. It was a bang-bang p[lay as Kentucky’s kicker Joe Mansour hesitated to pounce on the ball as it slowly rolled 10 yards. Norman dove in under Mansour, a LaGrange native, just as he went down.
“Connor was heads up to go in there and snatch it and convince the refs it was his,” Richt said.
The Bulldogs were able to knock out three first downs after that and ended its possession at the Kentucky 16 when tight end dropped what would have been a first-down catch at the Wildcats 1.
Kentucky had time only to get off one desperation pass, which it completed to no avail at its own 30. The plan was for some sort of hook-and-lateral, but Georgia’s Shawn Williams was on Kentucky’s La’Rod King too fast and wrapped him up before King could get rid of it.
“Well, I don’t live in ‘almost,’” said Kentucky coach Joke Phillips, who drops to 12-21 as the Wildcats’ coach. “At the end of the year, we don’t say we almost win. The records say wins and losses. This was a loss.”
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555 comments Add your comment
GB's Hamburgers
October 20th, 2012
11:11 pm
Really odd game tonight. I think we could have established the run but we really didn’t try. Threw the ball a lot because it’s the kind of game that makes Murray look like superman. With almost no pressure coming, Bobo chose another long ball night. A cohesive offensive rhythm was never established and there was little regard for time of possession. It’s how you make an easy game difficult.
TotallyDisgusted
October 20th, 2012
11:12 pm
Total coaching failure. Can’t wait to turn on the radio on Monday and listen to the official apologist, BB. Is Jeff Schultz the only journalist in Atlanta to call this what it is?
cugas
October 20th, 2012
11:12 pm
I’m with you Ward.
Brewmaster
October 20th, 2012
11:12 pm
We are 6-1, and you losers make it sound like we are 1-6 ! Murray was amazing. Where are you idiots who say he is too short ? Call me crazy, but I think we will beat the Gators. Even then, you naysayers will still complain.
Ward
October 20th, 2012
11:14 pm
The only way we can get what we want is to demand change from the UGA administration… We must start a campaign that floods their offices with communications demanding a change.
JRW7
October 20th, 2012
11:14 pm
I agree, DAWGS are the worst 6-1 team in college football, terrible defense! Defense stinks!
Dude84
October 20th, 2012
11:16 pm
Ward, what is McGarity’s and Adams emails?? I would like to send one suggesting Richt’s and Co.’s firings before the Fla game, to FIRE things up!!! I am tired of squeeking by much lesser teams 9 or 10 games a year and FALLING FLAT EVERY big game 3 or 4 times a year…another 10-3 season playing in the outback bowl, after getting SMACKED by FLA next week….anyone who thinks we will even be competitive is an idiot…. PLEASE WRITE MCGARITY and ADAMS NOW!!!!
cugas
October 20th, 2012
11:16 pm
Does Mark Richt even look like he wants to be the coach?
Jacob
October 20th, 2012
11:16 pm
Dude84, you have your facts wrong. We have beat more ranked teams than 1 since 2006. But if you go back to the start of the 2008 season, it’s only 3, I think. 1 was against a #7 Tech team. I was at that game where “We Run This State.”
JD
October 20th, 2012
11:16 pm
It is time for this coaching staff to go. There is no fire or determination from Coach Richt and it shows in his players. Watch Saban, Muschamp, and many others, you see them get fired up and in their players faces when they do not perform as expected. You see none of that from this staff. I believe Richt has solid Christian beliefs and is a Godly man but, he just does not seem to want it like he did in the first part of his career at Georgia. Again, it is time for him to go or we will be that 10-2 or 9-3 team that can never win a championship.
Ward
October 20th, 2012
11:16 pm
Brewmaster you are delusional… I need the Kool-aid that you are getting because I see Murray have passes knocked down a lot, not throw the ball away ever, never beat ranked teams, and just generally have feet that look happier than those that belong to gay male ballerinas.
Dude84
October 20th, 2012
11:17 pm
Please post McGarity and Adams emails Ward!!! I honestly dont have them and cant find them anywhere…I have some serious messages I want to flood their e-mails with…
UGA Alummy
October 20th, 2012
11:17 pm
Richt should have been fired years ago. But a “successful” 2010, filled with victories over patsies and pimped to high heaven by ajc “pundits” continue to prop the faker up. If only Florida would win 70-0 and Ga Tech would eke out a victory, perhaps the powers-that-be would wake up and smell the corpse.
Ben
October 20th, 2012
11:17 pm
Can’t defend performace from coaches or players tonight but anyone who says CMR lacked enthusiasm tonight clearly wasn’t watching the game
UGA FAN
October 20th, 2012
11:18 pm
No need to panic, UGA will be fine next WEEK, all i know is that they play Florida so hard every year, they do match up pretty well, so no need to worry.
A win is a win, i wana sleep and enjoy ‘W’ for today GO DAWG,
cugas
October 20th, 2012
11:18 pm
I love to watch Murray fold like a cheap tent when the blitz comes…..has he ever considered ducking, running, or throwing it away….no….better to just drop into the fetal position.
Ward
October 20th, 2012
11:18 pm
Here is Mr. McGarity’s email:
gmcgarity@sports.uga.edu
DAWG
October 20th, 2012
11:19 pm
This is the second year for the head coach of Florida and his team is undefeated and more than likely will win the east. On the other side of the coin we have a coach with twelve years and two SEC titles. I have been waiting for another national title since 1980, and I figure I will be in a nursing home or be six feet under before we even come close. Look at LSU, Alabama, Florida and Auburn, all with national titles. The only crystal Georgia will own will have to be ordered from Belk’s or Wal-Mart.
GB's Hamburgers
October 20th, 2012
11:20 pm
Florida’s defense is back and that Boise State offensive coordinator is a force to be reckoned with. The USC defensive coordinator (who looked like a genious agaisnt Bobo) was totally overmatched in this game.
Ugh vs uf
October 20th, 2012
11:20 pm
Anyone looking for UGA VS UF tickets? I have 4? Trying to figure out the price I want to put them at, when I do though I will be trying to sell them!
Patrick
October 20th, 2012
11:20 pm
Unexpected thiller–by who? Geoorgia continues to do the unexpected to the degree that it has become the norm for mediocre, uninspired play week after week.
Ward is exactly right-it is up to the supporters of UGA football to demand better and to vote with their pocketbooks. The only way this program will improve is by a complete change in management. As an alumni that has finally had enough, I wonder how long the UGA faithful will tolerate this spectacle.
SatillaDawg
October 20th, 2012
11:20 pm
Weak win over a mediocre team.
Florida likely will kill us.
But I still bleed red and black, and will always pull for my DAWGS.
Sic ‘Em!
Ward
October 20th, 2012
11:21 pm
The only way to make a change is to make their lives painful and make sure that we no longer support them financially…
Disgusted Dawg
October 20th, 2012
11:21 pm
Does anyone seriously think Georgia has any chance against Florida or any one else for that matter after watching that debacle at Kentucky. The team is exactly what their Coach is, no soul and no heart. The rest of the staff is either completely clueless or just plain stupid.
Marshall Kerlin
October 20th, 2012
11:21 pm
Horrible, undescriable, no-passion, no coached Defense (oxymoron on the word defense). Really thought Grantham the answer after Terrible Willie Martinez days, but looks like I was wrong. Really, Kentucky? after a bye week? Cannot stop the run at all/ pathetic One guy came to play tonight, so maybe the JawgaJerks shud go un-roll Murray’s house and send him a big apology. Also can’t run the ball anymore – Gurshall,right,what a joke Looks like we the biggest Overrated team in the nation. Look for Gators by 35
MontanaDawg
October 20th, 2012
11:21 pm
Holy cow. What the heck did we DO during our bye week? Was CMR taking those boys to the pool every day or something? Maybe we went to the carnival as well. PATHETIC. An embarassing win over the weakest team in the SEC. This coaching staff has got to go!! Even if we win against Florida by some miracle I worry about the rest of our opponents on this schedule – albeit one of the easiest schedules we’ve ever seen. I really am at a loss for words. Wake up McGarity!! The circus has apparently come to town.
Frustrated Dawg
October 20th, 2012
11:22 pm
Ward, great post! Totally agree!!! I’m sick of hearuing about him being a good Christian man,. That might matter if he was a preacher, but he’s a football coach. What did it for me was when he was smiling as the team went into the locker room at halftime. Really? Your team is in a dog fight at KY, and you have a smile on your face going into the locker room at HT? Unbelievable
Dude84
October 20th, 2012
11:22 pm
Honestly, the most disgusting , EMBARRASSING part of the whole game was watching the disgustingly gross smile of Mark Richt the “coach” of the UGA football team as his team walked into the half BARELY winning (16-14) against the WORST team in the SEC Kentucky, a 1-6 team who is 0-4 in the SEC, and HE COULDNT CARE less HOW BAD his team is EMBARRASSING the university. I want him GONE YESTERDAY!!!!
cugas
October 20th, 2012
11:22 pm
Why does Bobo think that 4 yards running per play is not productive offense?
Ward
October 20th, 2012
11:23 pm
If you truly care about the direction of the program then YOU MUST SPEAK UP… Do it in a very professional way, but demand change! McGarity and Adams have to know that we will not give more money to school w/o massive changes.
bubba4dawgs
October 20th, 2012
11:23 pm
What in the hale has happened to this team? I couldn’t believe what I was watching, over 200 yds. rushing by Kentucky??????? Give me a break!! Grantham, what are you doing with this bunch?? They looked like they were half asleep! Are all of them on the funny weeds now?? Kentucky was totally predictable and your D still couldn’t stop it. They couldn’t and didn’t pass the ball and your D couldn’t stop the run. How do ;you think you will stop the Gators run and pass?? Gee, I hate to see the score on this one! The Gators are licking their chops for sure! It ain’t gonna be pretty!!
Thank goodness for a good night by Aaron Murray and the receivers!
Georgia pulls out 29-24 win in unexpected thriller against Kentucky – Georgia – Dawg News
October 20th, 2012
11:24 pm
[...] is the original post: Georgia pulls out 29-24 win in unexpected thriller against Kentucky ← Back to Home Tags: aaron, finally, georgia, lexington, lynch, made, needed, night, [...]
Ward
October 20th, 2012
11:26 pm
I’ve really come to the point, and it pains me to say this, where I need us to lose more than just next weekend… I think 9-3 will get him fired, but I know 8-4 would without a doubt do it.
tmc
October 20th, 2012
11:26 pm
Coming off a loss two weeks ago where you got the living snot kicked out of you… An extra week to hear about how bad you played, And prepare for your opponent and you come out flat and look like you’re going through the motions and end up in battle to win the game against a horrible last place team in the conference? You got to be kidding me!
Yeah, there’s no coaching problem and UGA…
Strange Murphy
October 20th, 2012
11:26 pm
Grantham has no idea what he’s doing. So much was expected outta the Georgia D and two years in it has not shown a whole lot.
Richt, I love em but what he had he’s lost.
No I don’t know who we’d get to do any better or if we could get anyone. Time to join C-USA I guess.
Tide Roll
October 20th, 2012
11:27 pm
How in the world are you guys in a position of having a true freshman punter, kicker, and right tackle? Why do you guys have a 5′10″ 270 lb. center from a private school? Why do you have a walkon fullback from that same private school? How in the world do you go from Brandon Boykin as a punt returner to a walkon who’s only job appears to be fair catching the ball. How do you only have, what, 56 scholarship players on your roster. With these limited numbers you can’t afford a full contact scrimmage during the week. You’re too thin. This is why your team is soft. Maybe if this were Richt’s 1st year and the prior coach left the cupboard bare, but this is what, the guy’s 12th year? He and Bobo have absolutely no foresight and apparently don’t study rosters, their’s or their opponents, in the off season. There is no excuse for Richt to have you in this position. How do y’all stand it? Why do you put up with it?
Athens
October 20th, 2012
11:27 pm
@Dude84
You are a tool and clearly not an alum….We are concerned but don’t drop to your pathetic level…
dan
October 20th, 2012
11:27 pm
Call be delusional or crazy, but I think the Dawgs can beat the Gators next week.
Look we can’t be that surprised the Dawgs can out flat. They have had two weeks to get beat on by the fan base and were down on themselves. This is how this generation of kid plays. Win big, get over confident. Then get blown out, confidence goes in the crap house, and then play like a bunch of bums the next week as well. Same thing happened to South Carolina. This is the ” Everybody Gets a Trophy” Generation. When they get hit in the mouth they quit, unless you have a Coach like Nick Saban who is on their case for every little thing.
I know the Gators whooped up on USC, but IDK, they don’t feel like the real deal to me. I’m not sold on Jeff Driskell. I think this team is due for a fall. I really don’t think they’re that much better than USC( just like we’re not that much worse than the Gamecocks). Gators had a lot of balls bounce their way today. Everything went right for them and went wrong for the Gamecocks. But I just don’t see them going 12-0. I like the Dawgs to win next week, I really do.
Hairy Dawg
October 20th, 2012
11:27 pm
Some of you bad fans is traitoring on Dawgs just like Judas Muschumps. Coach Richt is back in race again and we only need repeat match-up result in Jax like Coach Richt did to Muschumps last year. Bad fans is stinking up joint when Dawgs win and got on a roll headed to Jax. We got to go down there smacking back on Gaytors that deserves the whooping. We don’t need no weakling Dawgs who don’t stand behind Coach and team in exploding on that sorry reptile waste from Gainsville. GATAs.
Go Dawgs!
Lilburn Dawg
October 20th, 2012
11:30 pm
Like it or not, a football team takes on the attitude of its coach. That’s just what has been the case in Athens for the past 5-6 years or so. Just watching Richt’s facial expressions and lack of enthusiasm on his weekly TV show tells the story. The man is emotionless and lifeless. He needs some anti-depressant medication.
The past few years have not been the glory days of UGA football. The right people in responsible positions need to wake up to the truth.
I wish we played Georgia State this year.
cugas
October 20th, 2012
11:30 pm
I agree Dan…..Gators ony had 190 yards of TOTAL offense. SC gave them 3 scores. We can win this thing….Go Dawgs!…..
Tide Roll
October 20th, 2012
11:30 pm
Richt and Booboo put the OFF in offseason.
RMikel58
October 20th, 2012
11:30 pm
CMR has no excuses! Unprepared and why is that? no full pad practices? Told the players to take the week off but dont get caught doing illegal things?
Why oh why can you not show up and dominate? Im 54 and i could hit harder than they could do on defense.
Richt has turned out to be an old burnt out coach that only worries about his sons college stats.
I dont care if we hire Pee Wee Herman………..Richts gotta go……..stop the bleeding and the suffering and give fans a coach who knows how to get excited on the sidelines and motivate his players.
Music City Dawg
October 20th, 2012
11:31 pm
I don’t know why the Dawgs have to make it so difficult. We should have jack-slapped Kentucky tonight. Instead our “vaunted” defense couldn’t stop the run in the first half and Kentucky stayed in the game the whole time. I don’t understand why the defense isn’t improving game over game. It takes them the whole first quarter to figure things out. They have done a great job in the 2nd half but what about the first half? What about showing up ready to stop the other team?
And why isn’t the offensive line showing improvement game over game? They do a good job for pass protection but what about opening up some holes for the running backs?
I am VERY afraid the FL game is gonna be a blow out if the Dawgs don’t bring their very best A+ game. I’m hopeful we can show up ready to take care of business and ready to play from the first kickoff. Go Dawgs!!!!
Gene
October 20th, 2012
11:31 pm
The orange blossom special is approaching the deer in the headlight.
Inlet Dawg
October 20th, 2012
11:31 pm
Our coaching staff recruits natural born world shakers then our coaching staff seems to forget the entire concept of football.
sprouse27
October 20th, 2012
11:31 pm
It was ugly. Can’t wait to watch the CMR show and how many powder puff questions Chuck Dowdle can pitch to CMR. Maybe the Watergirl knows….? A bye week, and the Dawgs struggle against KY? Grantham was the head of the class a year ago, and now our D looks awful. Dawgs could win the East next week, but it’s just very difficult to see how that team is going to manage to beat #2 Florida. It could get ugly early for the Dawgs in Jacksonville. Muschamp wil be the third FL coach to own Richt. It really is a merry go round we’re on.
John
October 20th, 2012
11:32 pm
UGA is 6-1 only because the only real team they played beatthe crap out of them, rest of teams are bum teams. Can’t really hang your hat on a record when your team has been playing chumps.
Ned from Hahira
October 20th, 2012
11:33 pm
Man, I luv dem dawgs. These here close games like tonite up in Kintucki shore are fun. I don’t like dem games where the other fellers get a big score first on us. Coach Rikt and the fellers do a good job a keepin some of em close and they’s excitin. Hope that un next weekend is cose cause them uns whenthe other fellers score a bunch ain’t nearly as excitin. Thanks coach fer keepin it excitin.
Dawg '94
October 20th, 2012
11:33 pm
The Georgia defense is undisciplined & the players do whatever they want to do on & off the field. Why was #44 allowed back on the field after that stupid penalty? Why does Rambo not get benched after stupid penalty? Richt & staff just puts up with it. The program needs a change & so does Richt. NO PASSION. I am sick of watching this Georgia team. Change is needed!!! GO DAWGS!!