The Georgia Bulldogs defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 13-12 in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday night for their first conference victory of the 2024 season. Following the game, assistant sports editor Andy Mathis graded each position group’s performance.
Quarterbacks
Abnormal is the word for starting quarterback Carson Beck’s performance against the Wildcats on Saturday. He finished the game 15-for-24 for 160 yards and no touchdowns, a steep drop-off compared to his first two weeks, where he looked like the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL draft. While Beck’s stats were lackluster, all the blame cannot be placed on his shoulders. He was often left to fend for himself due to poor offensive line play. His mishandled snap on 3rd-and-6 with 7 minutes left, though, almost resulted in a turnover and nearly swung momentum back to Kentucky.
Grade: C+
Running backs
While it wasn’t a spectacular performance for Trevor Etienne and the rest of the running back corps, they did enough to secure the win. Etienne rushed for 79 yards on 19 carries, and Branson Robinson added 5 yards on 2 carries, including a crucial 3-yard touchdown, the only one of the game. The backfield showed toughness running between the tackles in what was a gritty, low-scoring affair, but they lacked explosive plays due to limited running lanes.
Grade: B-
Wide receivers
The Dominic Lovett show was on full display Saturday night. Lovett finished with 6 catches for 89 yards, becoming Beck’s go-to target, especially in the second half. His pair of 33-yard receptions, including one late in the game, helped Georgia maintain possession and drain the clock. Despite Lovett’s strong outing, the rest of the receiving group was relatively quiet, unable to get separation against a stout Kentucky secondary. Dillon Bell had a big 33-yard grab of his own midway through the third quarter.
Grade: B
Tight ends
Oscar Delp stepped up in critical moments, particularly on a late-game catch that allowed Georgia to ice the clock and solidify the win. He did fumble on the play but was bailed out by Arian Smith, who was there at the perfect time. Delp’s solid blocking and Beck’s reliance on him in key situations were pivotal. With the offensive line struggling, Delp often stayed in to assist in blocking, providing much-needed support in the run game as well. Stanford transfer Ben Yurosek struggled a lot in this one, missing several key blocks that turned into big tackles for loss by Kentucky.
Grade: B-
Offensive line
This was one of the most abysmal showings by an offensive line in the Kirby Smart era. Georgia was held to 31 rushing yards on 12 carries in the first half, and the pass protection was equally problematic. Kentucky’s defensive front overwhelmed the Bulldogs, frequently getting pressure on Beck. The loss of starting guard Tate Ratledge to injury compounded the struggles, and his absence was felt for the remainder of the game. Beck was hit multiple times, and the run blocking was ineffective, forcing Georgia to punt on its first four drives. The only reason this grade is not an F is because Georgia squeaked out the win.
Grade: D
Defensive line
Christen Miller and Nazir Stackhouse led the charge for Georgia’s defensive line. Stackhouse’s late-game pressure on Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff was essentially a game-sealing moment, forcing a punt with less than three minutes left. While the defensive line allowed some chunk runs, they made the necessary stops to limit Kentucky to field goals instead of touchdowns. However, Kentucky churned out 170 rushing yards on the ground, or 212 if you subtract the sack yardage. They controlled the line of scrimmage all game, and that falls on the defensive line. Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins had another nice performance with two tackles for loss and a sack.
Grade: C
Linebackers
Georgia’s linebacking unit was instrumental in containing Kentucky’s offense. Though Kentucky rushed for 170 yards, the linebackers made key tackles and helped force Kentucky to settle for field goals. Raylen Wilson’s strip-sack in the second quarter set up Georgia’s first points, shifting momentum when the offense was struggling. Jalon Walker was everywhere for Georgia and got pressure on Vandagriff several times. The group was solid in pass coverage as well, limiting Vandagriff’s options downfield. Even Chaz Chambliss had a great rep in coverage where he was in the receiver’s pocket about 30 yards downfield and forced an incompletion.
Grade: A-
Secondary
The secondary had an up-and-down performance. Kentucky’s passing game was relatively quiet, but Georgia’s defensive backs were heavily involved in run support due to the Wildcats frequently breaking into the second level. Four defensive backs recorded over five tackles, a testament to the front seven’s struggles in wrapping up running backs at the line of scrimmage. The group allowed a few third-down conversions, but held firm when it counted. Julian Humphrey played really hard in this game, with his best play being a diving pass deflection on a big third down in the third quarter.
Grade: B-
Special teams
Special teams were crucial in Georgia’s narrow win. Brett Thorson punted six times for an average of 49.5 yards, flipping field position when Georgia’s offense sputtered. Peyton Woodring hit a 34-yard field goal in the second quarter and a 30-yarder in the third, as well as his game-winning extra point that provided the final margin.
Grade: A