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
truly study the game of football, the trends, and what's going on
October 21st, 2012
10:28 am
Beat the Gators or else,
Georgia fans are fed up with all the excuses.
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:29 am
@wastedyears
Again you are being too kind……”.ugly” is not the word you’re looking for………try “ax murder”……..
wastedyears
October 21st, 2012
10:29 am
SAT 3.30PM…CBS…LITTLE BOYS IN A GROWN MANS WORLD
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:30 am
that should “term” not “word”…..
wastedyears
October 21st, 2012
10:32 am
CAN WE JUST PHONE IN THE JAX GAME JUST TELL THEM WERE NOT A FOOTBALL TEAM TODAY…..I MEAN THIS YEAR
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:33 am
@wastedyears
You’re almost right……should be LITTLE GIRLS IN A GROWN MANS WORLD……
World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party
October 21st, 2012
10:37 am
Todd Grantham’s defense is 50th in points allowed,
Florida is 4th in points allowed,
I need a cocktail.
wastedyears
October 21st, 2012
10:37 am
HEY AT LEAST WE HAVE THE BEST TENNIS AND GOLF TEAMS JUST HAS LONG HAS THERE IS NO-CONTACT..YOU SEE THATS WHEN WE START TO HAVE ALOT OF PROBLEMS MAYBE WE SHOULD LEAVE THIS SEC THING ITS JUST NOT WORKING OUT ANYMORE DO THEY HAVE A OPENING IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE????
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:37 am
I did enjoy watching Spurrier on the sidelines yesterday as his world turned to s#!%……
wastedyears
October 21st, 2012
10:38 am
SKIP THE COCKTAIL.. GIVE ME THE BREWERY FOR THIS ONE
Michael
October 21st, 2012
10:39 am
Its clearly a coaching problem.
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:40 am
@ wastedyears
we’d just get our a$$es kicked there as well………come to think of it we’d get our a$$es kick at the Div III level..
wastedyears
October 21st, 2012
10:40 am
IS VINCE…ERK..AND HERSHEL…AVAILABLE???
lakedog39
October 21st, 2012
10:40 am
running backs are tacked standing up, not running down low, “behind their pads”. lineman are slow & content to block their opposing player, but not pursue others. No FIRE & EMOTION, anyware.. Reflexs attitude of coaching staff. Way too layed back. Florida’s coach will have his guys hungry and mean…look out UGA
Kristin
October 21st, 2012
10:41 am
Hey AJC copy editors – Lynch’s first name is Arthur, not Aaron.
Santana
October 21st, 2012
10:41 am
A 29-24 win against a 1-5 team. Was ranked 11th before the game. UGA vastly overrated team.
Plush
October 21st, 2012
10:41 am
Wow, a lot of negativity but it’s well deserved. In one year, FL has blown by us. GA is stuck below the great teams and always will be with this staff. Somehow, they lack the toughness and consistency to win the big games anymore against ranked teams. How does a defense with so many returning starters that played well last year, play so poorly against inferior teams. With so much talent and to give up so many big plays is hard to watch. Anyone that thinks that GA is going to waltz into Jax and beat up on the Gators, is definitely drinking with something in their Koolaid! Just want the Dawgs to play up to their potential for a whole year. Is that too much to ask?
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:41 am
@ Michael
ya think!!!!!!!
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:45 am
@ Plush
See Michael’s 10:39 am post….
wastedyears
October 21st, 2012
10:45 am
MAYBE LITTLE LEAGUE??? HEY ATLANTA IS GETTING A LAUNGERAY LEAGUE TEAM NOW THATS QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT!!!!
WILLY
October 21st, 2012
10:46 am
YOU IDIOTS ARE SO NEGATIVE THAT IS PATHETIC. YOU JUST LIKE TO BE SO EVERYONE CAN LICK YOUR ASS YOU FREAKING MORONS. IF YOU DONT LIKE UGA YOU SHOULD GO TO UCF OR SOMEONE ELSE
28 point favorite
October 21st, 2012
10:49 am
Richt is coaching like he is at FSU (free shoes u) and in the ACC. He just hasn’t figure out the SEC. He can finess some of the avg teams, but play a SC, LSU,UF, and ALA he gets lit up. Muschamp gets it and turned the worst Fla team in 20 years around in 1 year!
That’s what coaching is all about.
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:51 am
atta boy WILLY…….bask in the warm glow of mediocrity………..you deserve it……..unfortunately UGA fans deserve more…
ugab
October 21st, 2012
10:54 am
CMR and company had 2 weeks to prepare for Kentucky, 2 freaking weeks. It looks likes CMR let all the players off the first week to go visit their families. How many time did they practivce this week? 2 or 3? Every player looked tired. They had no fire. FLORIDA GATORS STAFF AND PLAYERS ARE PLAYING PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL. MUSCHAMP IS ON FIRE AND I LOVE IT. CMR IS A DEAD HEAD COACH.. GIVE ME THE ADDRESS TO WRITE THE PRESIDENT AND AD AT UGA. IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE PEOPLE. THE PLAYERS KNOW IT. THE FANS KNOW IT. I WANT TO SEE A GAME WHERE THE DAWGS CAN COME OUT AND BE PHYSICAL AND PLAY WITH PASSION. WHERE ARE ALLTHE COACHES ON THE SIDELINE FOR THE DAWGS. EVERY TEAM I WATCHED SATURDAY HAD COACHES ON THE SIDELINE COACHING THE PLAYERS UP. MAN MUSCHAMP WAS IN HIS PLAYERS FACE. WTH. IT IS TIME FOR A CHANGE.
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
10:55 am
@26 point
you’re wrong…..he has figured in out…….and he is just content with the situation…..very good point about Muschamp……
GwinnettDad
October 21st, 2012
10:55 am
@WILLY – evident from you use of caps and emotional outbursts of who here has been sniffing way too many fannies.
Hairy Dawg
October 21st, 2012
10:55 am
Somebody got to get the bad fans off this here site. Dawgs is ready to unload the whooping can on Gaytors. We rested and prepped for Gaytors during off week. Now we apply the smack down that Judas Muschump deserves. Kens Tuck game not look so good but that was all just to siked out Gaytors. Now Gaytors overconfidencing and not come ready for the manomano fight.
Despite sorry rotten bad fans on here Dawgs will be ready to grab reptile by tail and make some Gaytor skin luggage, boots and belts. Coach Richt has Muschumps number and we on a table running to SEC East, SEC, and BCS Champs. Bad fans better do Christian thing and get on board and support Coach Richt. Then once Adams gone Dawgs really expands dominants with removed pointy head restrictions. Go Dawgs!
pioneer
October 21st, 2012
10:57 am
“Monumental matchup?” Huh? I keep waiting for proof that Georgia plays as well as it has to and has much more in the tank than they’ve shown. A funny feeling there’s nothing much left in the tank. Gators 35, Dawgs 14.
El-Toro GATA
October 21st, 2012
10:57 am
Our D is in disarray, we cant stop the run and we cant stop 3rd down. mediocre teams like buffalo, FAU, Kentucky put huge numbers. our offense cant adapt to what on the field. our offensive line is soft. our special team is poorly coached and an average person can see that!
our coach is proud of 6-1 record! the best win was against Vandy!!!
whoever wins in Jacksonville will have his butt handed to him by Alabama.
Bama is just a solid, solid team that has no nonsense.
Florida is a solid team and I think we can beat Florida if we don’t commit mistakes! but ONE THING Im SURE ABOUT IS Im NOT THAT EXCITED ABOUT PLAYING FLORIDA
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
11:00 am
@ Hairy Dawg
you certainly have a way with words………English Composition major??
ugab
October 21st, 2012
11:01 am
WILLY? Do you like the way the players are playing? Do you like the way the coaches for Uga are coaching? I am a ga fan till I DIE. I AM SICK OF THE POOR COACHING. The fans and players deserve a change. CMR needs to step down. Fl will be fired up, because they can clinch the east if they beat the dawgs. CMR will not have the players fired up. SC took the life out of the players and coaches. The coaches do not know how to light the fire back up. Every Ga fan knew Kentucky had a very good chance to beat CMR and Co.. The man needs to step down!!!! Did you see CMR on sideline??DEAD HEAD. ?That is the truth. God says tell the truth. CMR is a good man. We need a SEC Coach. preach that
ugab
October 21st, 2012
11:03 am
Redandblack who cares about proper grammer. We are blogging!! Not writing a Paper. idiot.
MontanaDawg
October 21st, 2012
11:03 am
To voice your concerns to McGarity. Please do so in a professional manner (ie not like we do on this blog!): gmcgarity@sports.uga.edu
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing can stop it
October 21st, 2012
11:03 am
Have you idiots finally realized what I’ve been trying to tell you all off season?
TODD GRANTHAM IS NOT A GOOD COORDINATOR!!!
And you idiots gave him a raise and blamed the 37 pts AVG to ranked teams on the offense.
This is why you cannot win a title.
You are football idiots and the rest of the country laughs at you.
ugab
October 21st, 2012
11:04 am
I blog from my phone most of the time on the go. Sorry for not spell checking you.
28 point favorite
October 21st, 2012
11:06 am
Willie, didn’t UCF already kicked Richt’s a$$—–just axe’in
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
11:06 am
@ pioneer
I think you may be just a little off….Carolina put 35 on us…….Florida put 44 on them……I say 75 to 0
maybe we get a late face saving TD…..
MontanaDawg
October 21st, 2012
11:07 am
To air your concerns to President Michael Adams: presuga@uga.edu
Unless you are a large donor I wouldn’t expect your e-mail to make any difference but it might make you feel like you are at least a concerned alumni or fan. I sent my comments last night.
ugab
October 21st, 2012
11:08 am
Let’s all make sure we get our contracts for winning 10 games, but losing the big games. Is Uga that confused. Ga will get embarrassed by Fl. I only have to hope that we lose to Ga tech. I guess that is what keeps CMR in athens. STEP Down.!!!!!It is time for a change.
JW
October 21st, 2012
11:08 am
Let me say this to the gentleman who questions Bulldog fan loyalty when that fan base is only stating what is fact and which is constantly being borne out by the Bulldog’s on-field play.
Maybe the fan base is just damn tired of the same old BS year after year after year, where Mark Richt and the rest of the Georgia football program annually proclaims a great recruiting year and then goes about self-promoting the team in order to obtain a high ranking in the polls. Yet, when they have to put their money where their mouth is, they fall flat on their face. And that is entirely due to, and is the responsibility of, the coaching staff at Georgia. Mark Richt should have gotten rid of Mike Bobo a long time ago but instead he keeps him around so he himself does not have to be involved in the play calling, which once upon a time he did. Do you thing Spurrier would not be involved in play calling at South Carolina? Maybe that is one of the reasons that Spurrier and USC seemed to have owned Georgia for the last few years. Mediocre play when you are supposed to be dominant hurts recruiting. Mediocrity is going to continue to be the norm at Georgia until some changes are made in the coaching department.
In college football, there seems to be one big difference between being eternally optimistic and facing reality and that is winning when you are supposed to win and doing so in a dominating way. Other than Notre Dame, I don’t know of any other college football team in the nation that has been so undeserving of the lofty ranking they have received over the years than those that Georgia has enjoyed. Those high rankings are due solely to the hyperbole and hype from Georgia’s PR machine than from actually on-field play. So, my answer to the comment about just being fair weather friends of the program, I thing that the crux of the criticism centers around the fact that we, the so-called Bulldog nation, are just fed up with the lies and deception that annually comes out of Athens only to constantly fall short of what has been promised.
Next week, even if Florida is favored by 40 points, I wouldn’t bet on Georgia to even cover the spread and I base that on Georgia’s play against Tennessee, South Carolina, and Kentucky. They just don’t seem to be able to simultaneously put a good offense and a good defense on the field each Saturday. They either have a good offense and no defense, or a good defense and no offense. So, unless a miracle happens and Florida suffers debilitating injuries or pre-game illnesses that will prevent a lot of starters from suiting up, I’m afraid that Georgia is in for a very embarrassing loss next week. Maybe Mark can keep selling more Ford trucks. After all, he’s been selling us crap for a long time now as far as the football team is concerned.
Stop THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES
October 21st, 2012
11:09 am
Enter your comments here
DGD
October 21st, 2012
11:10 am
WE WIN AGAINST LACK-LUSTER SEC TEAMS BUT ALWAYS LOSE THE BIG GAME…I RATHER UF GO TO SEC CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE IF UGA GO…WE GOING TO GET EMBARRASSED AGAIN LIKE LAST YEAR. MURRAY AND UGA AS A WHOLE NEVER SHOW UP AGANIST ELITE COMPETITION…ITS BEEN LIKE THAT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW…IF WE DON’T WIN THIS OR EVEN LOOK COMPETITIVE THEN ITS TIME FOR COACHING CHANGES…WE ALWAYS HAVE TOO MUCH TALENT FOR THIS EVERY YEAR
Tn Dawg
October 21st, 2012
11:10 am
Like I said before the SC game, Murray cannot win a game that matters, Stats are good but when you put them up against a pityful team like Kentucky and win buy 5 points come on man!!!! The coaching staff was simply out coached Bozo with the same stale play calling and the Defense my 7-8- year old team plays with more passion and fire. Mark Richt get your a$$ out of Georgia Now!!!!
dawginduluth
October 21st, 2012
11:10 am
Folks, I give you a good example of the problem: one Hairy Dawg. He’s been hitting the Richt bong with Rambo. Characterstically, Hairy is a blind believer in Richt and his mediocrity, his lame excuses and his inability to take great raw talent to the next level. Hairy thinks that UGA is getting the best that $2.8 million can buy. Nothing better. No other options. All is well with Hairy.
And, of course, any criticism of the great coach, Mark Richt, only means that the critics are “bad fans.”
Hairy Dawg is a perfect example of the problem.
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
11:14 am
@ugab
So I’m guessin’ based on your remarks about blogging on “the go”, that you’re one of those stupid a$$holes who text while driving so as to put everyone else in danger. Talk about an ignorant s#!&head……
Stuart
October 21st, 2012
11:14 am
Dooley told Richt on the plane back to Athens after Richt had been hired. “The only concern I have about you is you are not tough enough to coach in the SEC.” Dooley made a great read on Richt
Stop THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES
October 21st, 2012
11:16 am
I can bet if Ga does win against FL the team & coaches will be praised. That being said fans can be two faced!! If fans call theirselves “real loyal dogs fans” they will stand by the team and coaches no matter what. It is not the coaches fault and they are not the ones playing. I am beginning to agree with people that say Ga fans are soar and rude losers. I am a dogs fan and I do not get all upset if they lose they lose and that just means the other team outplayed them that game. GROW UP PEOPLE!!
DGD
October 21st, 2012
11:17 am
AND IS IT JUST ME OR HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE NOTICED THAT THE STRENGTH&CONDITIONING PROGRAM IS NOT UP TO PAR…THE OL GET PUSHED AROUND ALL GAME BY ELITE TEAMS AND NOBODY ON DEFENSE IS GETTING OFF BLOCKS AND MAKING PLAYS…WE NEED ANOTHER S&C COACH
redandblack
October 21st, 2012
11:18 am
@ JW and dawginduluth
Very well said gentlemen……
DGD
October 21st, 2012
11:18 am
Chip why haven’t B. Smith been getting reps at punt return?….he’s been doing it his whole career.