LEXINGTON, Ky. – Neither Georgia players nor coach Kirby Smart doubted they would be the last ones standing in a dogfight with Kentucky.
It just took the top-ranked Bulldogs longer than expected to prove it. Much longer.
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Branson Robinson rushed for a 3-yard, go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and Georgia overcame a lethargic performance to rally past and then hold off Kentucky 13-12 on Saturday night.
The Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) struggled to find continuity on either side of the ball and trailed 9-3 early in the third quarter against a Wildcats squad intent on rebounding from their own flat effort in a 31-6 home loss to conference-rival South Carolina. Peyton Woodring's 30-yard field goal late in the third quarter got Georgia within three before the 'Dawgs followed with their longest drive of the night at just the right time.
Trevor Etienne’s 12-yard run, 11-yard reception and 8-yard rush got the Bulldogs to the Kentucky 29. The Florida transfer then broke right for a 17-yard run to the 11, stepping out of bounds as he tip-toed down the sideline trying to reach the end zone. Robinson took it in from there three plays later for Georgia’s first lead at 13-9.
“Trevor was gassed and we sent Branson in there," coach Kirby Smart said. "He had a little juice, makes people miss and (it was) a really physical run.”
The Wildcats weren’t done, answering with Alex Raynor’s 51-yard field goal to get within a point. His school-record 55-yard kick gave Kentucky the initial lead, and he added two more from 32 and 40 yards for an advantage that held for more than three quarters — though not enough to put Georgia away. Kentucky (1-2, 0-2) got the ball one final time at its 20 with 9 seconds left but could only gain 17 yards on two plays before time ran out.
“So proud of the resiliency our kids showed," added Smart, whose team beat Kentucky for the 15th consecutive time. "They never flinched. We thought this would be a blow-by-blow game. We talked all week about blow by blow, delivering more blows than them. We said the first chop of the tree doesn’t chop the tree down. It takes sometimes 272 ax chops, and it took every single one tonight to get the job done.”
Etienne rushed 19 times for 79 yards while Robinson, a sophomore who missed last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, had five yards on two carries. Quarterback Carson Beck completed 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards, including with his longest completion of 33 yards to Dominic Lovett with 2:45 left. That put the Bulldogs at midfield and provided breathing room in a game where nothing came easy.
Georgia's defense overcame the absence of several players to ultimately make it harder for Kentucky. The Wildcats were held without a touchdown for the second consecutive game and became the ‘Dawgs’ fourth consecutive opponent unable to reach the end zone dating back to last season. The Bulldogs have yielded just 18 points through three games.
Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandergriff, who transferred from Georgia after backing up Beck last season and Stetson Bennett during the Bulldogs' two national title runs, completed 14 of 27 for 114 yards but was sacked three times. Two came consecutively in the second quarter, the second resulting in a strip fumble by Raylen Wilson and recovered by Damon Wilson II at the Kentucky 23 and setting up Woodring's game-tying 34 yard field goal.
Kentucky was the aggressor for the first 30-plus minutes, building a 6-3 halftime lead off Raynor's first two field goals. The Wildcats also outgained the Bulldogs 130-63 by the break, nothing great, but a huge improvement from last week's lackluster 183-yard outing. They were outgained 199-124 after halftime.
“Give them credit. They made more plays than us,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “We played hard and thought we had opportunities to win the game.”
Fighting back
Georgia converted just 5 of 13 third-down chances and committed nine penalties for 85 yards. At the same time, the Bulldogs converted all three red-zone opportunities and didn't allow a sack despite being frustrated by Kentucky's defense.
“They're a physical team and there's a lot of respect there, but we were able to pull it out,” said Beck, who acknowledged a tough hit to his shoulder but said he'll be fine. “A win is a win, and I'm really proud of the guys.”
The Takeaways
Georgia: The Bulldogs were outgained in the first half and seemed out of synch for much of the night. But they limited Kentucky to field goals, and it was just a matter of time before they put something together to win a tough battle after two dominant performances.
Kentucky: This game wasn't make or break, but the Wildcats had to move the needle after a dud performance against the Gamecocks. They were able to move the ball and even outgained the Bulldogs 284-262 but entered the red zone just once and didn't reach the end zone for the second consecutive week. That wasn't going to get it done against Georgia.
Up Next
Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 28 in a rematch of last season's SEC championship won by the Crimson Tide 27-24.
Kentucky hosts Mid-American Conference member Ohio in its final non-league game before resuming SEC play.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football