Dawgs Buried Wildcats’ Offense

In the University of Georgia Bulldogs (UGA Dawgs) final SEC game of the year, their defense showed the nation why losing so many 2021 players to the NFL draft really didn’t phase college football’s number one team. 

On the road against the home Kentucky Wildcats, when the Dawgs’ offense struggled to put together any stellar drives, the defense showed up and buried the Wildcats’ offensive attack in a close 16-6 matchup. 

The win keeps the Dawgs undefeated overall at 11-0 and 8-0 in conference play, while the loss drops the Wildcats to 6-5 and 2-4 in the SEC East. 

After clinching the SEC East on Nov 12 with a 45-19 win against Mississippi State, the Dawgs’ offense seemed to be looking ahead at some turkey dinner rather than the endzone.

A week prior to the game, UGA head coach Kirby Smart had told reporters that he predicted  a “physical … line-of-scrimmage game,” which is definitely what fans witnessed. 

After the game, Smart addressed the slew of reporters during his post-game press conference. 

“I don’t want to say it was a lethargic win,” he said, “but it was very ho-hum.”  

Through one half of football, both offenses were moving the ball almost as if the tryptophan had set in.

Field goals appeared to be the theme during the first 30 minutes, with UGA’s junior place kicker  Jack Podlesny accounting for all the nine points (3 for 3 on field goals).  

A 9-0 game in the third turned to 15-0 at the 6:27 mark when senior tailback Kenny McIntosh scampered nine yards into the endzone.  Podlesny converted the extra point to put the home team up 16-0. 

McIntosh led a stellar running game.  He carved out the home team’s defense for 143 yards on 19 carries and added another 19 yards receiving.  As a team, UGA’s ground game finished the night with 247 yards on 44 carries. 

Defensively, the Dawgs held the Wildcats to just 295 total yards – only 89 on the ground and 206 through the air.

Redshirt sophomore and 2021 national title star Kelee Ringo accounted for the team’s lone interception.  Outside linebacker Robert Beal Jr. and defensive lineman Javon Bullard combined for a sack. 

Offensively for the Wildcats they found a little life close to the middle of the fourth quarter after senior quarterback Will Levis found freshman receiver Barion Brown on an eight-yard touchdown. A failed two point attempt ultimately kept the score at 16-6. 

Up next, the Dawgs close out the regular season at home against fellow Georgians, the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech (5-6). The non-conference game is scheduled for this Saturday, Nov. 26 at noon. 

The Dawgs will attempt to finish the season with a perfect home record. A feat that they have accomplished four times in seven seasons under Smart. It will also mark the sixth time in the school’s history where they finish perfect.  It would be the second with Smart at the helm.