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Published Oct 5, 2023
BY THE NUMBERS: Previewing Kentucky vs. Georgia
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Jeff Drummond  •  CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor
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@JDrumUK

In our weekly pregame feature, Cats Illustrated takes a look at some of the more intriguing numbers going into Saturday's matchup between No. 1 Georgia and No. 20 Kentucky... 

3rd - Consecutive year that Kentucky has faced a No. 1 Georgia squad and the fourth year in a row that the Wildcats have faced the nation's top-ranked team (Alabama in 2020). This will mark UK's 20th game against a No. 1 team in program history. The Cats have posted a 3-16 record with the last win coming in 2007 at home against LSU.

6 of last 10 - Ranked opponents have lost to the Wildcats. Mark Stoops has 12 wins over ranked opponents during his time as UK head coach.

7th - Georgia tight end Brock Bowers' rank on the Bulldogs' all-time receptions list with 149. His 2,237 career receiving yards rank eighth in program history. He has nine career 100-yard receiving games, but only had two receptions for 10 yards in last year's matchup with Kentucky.

10.8 - Career rushing yards per carry average for Bowers, who also has five touchdowns via the ground during his time with the Bulldogs.

12 - Kentucky players on the roster from the Peach State: Linebackers Trevin Wallace (Jesup), Martin Thrower (Rochelle), D’Eryk Jackson (Dublin), and Mason Dailey (Milton); defensive back Jonquis “JQ” Hardaway (Columbus); running back Jamarion Wilcox (Douglasville); kicker Alex Raynor (Kennesaw); outside linebacker Grant Godfrey (Suwanee); offensive lineman Nick Pearson (Milton); wide receiver Dylan Gary (Sugar Hill); and defensive lineman Tavion Gadson (Savannah)

13.0/15.2 - Points allowed by the Bulldogs and Wildcats, respectively, both ranked in the Top 20 nationally.

16 - Points allowed by Brad White's UK defense in last year's loss to Georgia. Three of the four scoring drives for the Bulldogs resulted in field goals. The 16 points were the lowest total for UGA by 10 on the season. Georgia averaged 52.3 points in its three postseason games against LSU, Ohio State, and TCU.

24.6% - Third-down conversion rate allowed by the Georiga defense, which ranks sixth nationally.

29 - Yards rushing by UK running back Ray Davis against Georgia last season as a member of the Vanderbilt team in a 55-0 loss to the Bulldogs.

37-0 - Cats have outscored their first two SEC opponents in the first quarter. By contrast, Georgia has been outscored by South Carolina and Auburn 17-3 in the opening period this season.

54.6% - Third-down conversion rate by the Bulldogs' offense, which ranks seventh nationally.

75.8 - Rushing yards allowed per game by the Kentucky defense, which leads the SEC and ranks ninth nationally. The Cats are allowing only 2.5 yards per carry.

1988 - The last time Kentucky defeated a ranked Georgia team, a 16-10 victory in Lexington. Alfred Rawls, who originally signed with the Bulldogs but had to take the junior college route to the SEC, led the Cats with 128 yards rushing, including a 48-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to highlight the win over No. 11 UGA.

2020 - The last year that Georgia lost a regular-season game, a 44-28 loss to Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The Dawgs have won 32 straight regular-season games.

62-12-2 - Georgia's record in the all-time series with Kentucky. The last win for the Cats came in 2009, a 34-17 triumph at Sanford Stadium in Athens behind two Randall Cobb touchdowns and a defense that forced four second-half turnovers. That was also the last night-game loss for the Dawgs at home.

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