Heartbreak In Lexington: Georgia Escapes With Gritty Win Over Kentucky

The Cats gave the Bulldogs all they had but came up just short.

Before Kickoff, if Kentucky fans had been told how the game would go, none of them would have believed it. From the jump, Kentucky came out firing on both sides of the ball. With the Defense feeding off the crowd's energy, they could put on a masterful performance against the dogs.

From the get-go, you could tell this game meant something to the Cats. Former Georgia Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson reunited with former coaches and players before the game. Unlike his teammate, Kentucky QB Brock Vandergriff did not interact with his former teammates, staying focused on his job.

The Cats forced Georgia to punt on their first four possessions of the game, only allowing three first downs. After a field goal by Kentucky, they had Georgia 3rd & 7 from their half of the field. QB Carson Beck threw a short ou to receiver Dominic Lovett, and the ball appeared to be caught. It popped up in the air and was grabbed by Kentucky player Zion Childress. Childress scampered 40 yards to the endzone, but after review, the controversial call confirmed the incomplete pass.

Following a Georgia punt, the Cats were at midfield when Brock Vandergriff was sacked, fumbling the ball and putting Georgia in field goal range. Georgia tied the game at three and looked to head into the half with the score even. An almost flawless performance by the UK in the first half should have been capped off with a touchdown when Georgia's safety came down and led with his crown on a possible targeting call that was not flagged. Two 50/50 calls that didn't go the Cat's way could have been the difference in this one.

Kentucky looked even more confident getting the ball in the second half, up 6-3. They began pounding the rock through the heart of the Georgia defense. Running back Demie Sumo Karngbaye had 22 carries for 98 yards, as the Cats ran for 170 on a stout Georgia front. Kentucky drove down and kicked another field, making it 9-3 in the third quarter.

Georgia wasn't going to stay out of the endzone all night. Beck and Trevor Etienne led a long Georgia drive down the field, capped off by an Etienne touchdown. The Cats trailed 13-9 and began to sputter on offense, struggling to come up with the big play they needed to seal the game. They kicked another field goal with 8 minutes to go in the fourth to make it 13-12 and give themselves a chance to win the game.

This game could have gone the Cat's way if three plays had turned out differently. The first two were mentioned already on the missed targeting and overturned pick 6. The third came on the Cat's drive late in the 4th on 3rd and eight. The tight end did not chip the edge rusher before he ran his route, leaving him with an almost free shot on Vandergriff. If he is chipped, the tackle should slide wide enough. Vandergriff had Barion Brown on a drag underneath; that would have been enough for a first down and moved the cats in field goal range.

Kentucky fans can only be satisfied with how the team played just a week after one of the most embarrassing losses in Mark Stoops's tenure. The MVP for the Cats is kicker Alex Raynor, who went 4/4 on field goals, with two kicks from 50+ including a school record 55-yarder. Kentucky gets the Ohio Bobcats next week as they will look to regroup and get back on track against a much lesser opponent.

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