This is the official A Sea of Blue Open Game Thread for the Kentucky Wildcats @ Georgia Bulldogs. Game particulars are as follows, courtesy of UKAthletics.com:
Date & Time Saturday, Nov. 21 7:45 p.m
Coverage TV: ESPN2 Radio: BBSN
Live Stats
Online Audio
Online Video via ESPN360
Location Sanford Stadium Athens, Ga.
This game represents a chance for Kentucky to do something it has not done in along while -- win three road games in the SEC. Also, unlike last season, seven wins in the regular season would certainly be much more impressive than six, and even if three wins in the SEC East isn't exactly impressive, it is better than two. Plus, beating a national power like Georgia, even in a down year, would be a terrific notch on Kentucky's belt.
But all that is much easier said than done.
More after the jump.
Stats comparison, courtesy of CFBStats.com:
Team Statistics | Kentucky | Opponents | Georgia | Opponents |
Scoring: Points/Game | 26.8 | 21.7 | 27.5 | 25.9 |
Scoring: Games - Points | 10 - 268 | 10 - 217 | 10 - 275 | 10 - 259 |
First Downs: Total | 202 | 175 | 166 | 181 |
First Downs: Rushing - Passing - By Penalty | 115 - 76 - 11 | 86 - 79 - 10 | 62 - 90 - 14 | 68 - 97 - 16 |
Rushing: Yards / Attempt | 4.73 | 4.61 | 4.23 | 3.39 |
Rushing: Attempts - Yards - TD | 430 - 2035 - 22 | 385 - 1776 - 13 | 319 - 1350 - 12 | 355 - 1203 - 7 |
Passing: Rating | 107.27 | 105.09 | 132.11 | 134.55 |
Passing: Yards | 1477 | 1656 | 2090 | 2138 |
Passing: Attempts - Completions - Interceptions - TD | 258 - 145 - 11 - 9 | 269 - 130 - 13 - 12 | 274 - 155 - 14 - 18 | 299 - 174 - 7 - 19 |
Total Offense: Yards / Play | 5.1 | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.1 |
Total Offense: Plays - Yards | 688 - 3512 | 654 - 3432 | 593 - 3440 | 654 - 3341 |
Punt Returns: Yards / Return | 12.77 | 5.89 | 10.70 | 10.47 |
Punt Returns: Returns - Yards - TD | 22 - 281 - 1 | 9 - 53 - 1 | 20 - 214 - 0 | 19 - 199 - 0 |
Kickoff Returns: Yards / Return | 23.88 | 21.78 | 21.27 | 26.95 |
Kickoff Returns: Returns - Yards - TD | 41 - 979 - 1 | 41 - 893 - 0 | 49 - 1042 - 2 | 39 - 1051 - 1 |
Punting: Yards / Punt | 39.46 | 38.73 | 49.04 | 41.20 |
Punting: Punts - Yards | 46 - 1815 | 55 - 2130 | 45 - 2207 | 55 - 2266 |
Interceptions: Returns - Yards - TD | 13 - 183 - 2 | 11 - 61 - 0 | 7 - 61 - 1 | 14 - 113 - 3 |
Fumbles: Number - Lost | 12 - 6 | 10 - 3 | 17 - 8 | 12 - 1 |
Penalties: Number - Yards | 46 - 403 | 56 - 459 | 89 - 725 | 79 - 638 |
Time of Possession / Game | 30:38.00 | 29:21.40 | 28:46.50 | 31:13.50 |
3rd Down Conversions: Conversion % | 40.27% | 39.86% | 39.37% | 34.78% |
3rd Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions | 149 - 60 | 148 - 59 | 127 - 50 | 138 - 48 |
4th Down Conversions: Conversion % | 73.68% | 52.94% | 50% | 53.85% |
4th Down Conversions: Attempts - Conversions | 19 - 14 | 17 - 9 | 12 - 6 | 13 - 7 |
Red Zone: Success % | 79.49% | 74.29% | 95.83% | 81.25% |
Red Zone: Attempts - Scores | 39 - 31 | 35 - 26 | 24 - 23 | 32 - 26 |
Field Goals: Success % | 66.7% | 72.7% | 93.3% | 94.1% |
Field Goals: Attempts - Made | 12 - 8 | 11 - 8 | 15 - 14 | 17 - 16 |
PAT Kicking: Success % | 94.1% | 92.6% | 100% | 96.4% |
PAT Kicking: Attempts - Made | 34 - 32 | 27 - 25 | 31 - 31 | 28 - 27 |
2-Point Conversions: Success % | 0% | 0% | 50% | 50% |
2-Point Conversions: Attempts - Made | 1 - 0 | 1 - 0 | 2 - 1 | 2 - 1 |
As you can see from the stats above, the Wildcats are fairly evenly matched with the Bulldogs, overall, this year. Pay particular attention to the special teams stats, as this is an area that Kentucky has been strong in this year, and the Bulldogs have been rather weak on.
The big question to me is the lines. Georgia has very large, strong lines on both sides of the ball. Kentucky's offensive line has been very good all season, but against the bigger, faster lines of the SEC top-tier schools, they have struggled more. The defensive line has been inconsistent. We never know what we will get for sure, but they are far more vulnerable in this game than the O-line.
Kentucky's skill players are very much the equal of Georgia this year, particularly when Randall Cobb is on the field. There have been questions about Cobb's availability for this game, and as far as I know, he is still a game-time decision. With Cobb out of the game, Kentucky's chances of winning drop significantly.
Alright, 'Cat fans, let's cheer Kentucky through to an outstanding weekend of success, both on the court and on the gridiron.
Go, 'Cats!