Mark Stoops appreciates a good defense, even when it's not the one he's coaching.
Kentucky is about to play against one of the best that its head coach has seen during his time in Lexington.
“It is hard to argue that," Stoops said Monday morning as the No. 11 Wildcats (6-0, 4-0 SEC) began preparation for No. 1 Georgia (6-0, 4-0 SEC). "... We certainly have played a lot of great defenses through my time here. You watch these guys on film, and it is another level of good."
On Monday night, during his weekly radio show, a scheming fan called to suggest an offensive play to try in the showdown between the hedges.
An amused Stoops replied: "I'll take any and all advice this week, Tom, because this defense is pretty, uh... it's like the 1985 Chicago Bears."
The Bulldogs are No. 1 in the FBS in scoring defense at only 5.5 points allowed per game. They have given up a grand total of 33 points this season, shutting out two of the last three opponents they have faced.
Arkansas, ranked No. 8 in the AP poll at the time of playing Georgia, was blanked. The Razorbacks are averaging 32.3 points per game.
Georgia also ranks No. 1 in total defense, allowing only 203.5 yards per game. It's an almost unheard-of number in today's college football. The next closest teams in the SEC are Alabama (304) and Kentucky (305), no chumps themselves ranking among the nation's Top 20 units.
"They are playing at a ridiculous level defensively," Stoops said.
It's a massive challenge for a UK offense that is still looking to find its stride. The Cats took some big steps toward doing that last week in a 42-21 rout of LSU, but they realize they're up against an entirely different entity on Saturday in Athens.
"They put a lot of pressure on you because they're good lining up in their base defense and playing," said Stoops, noting that the Bulldogs don't have to take chances or show exotic looks to be successful.
Kentucky figures to hitch its hopes to a strong rushing attack, currently ranked No. 23 nationally at 214.2 yards per game, and powered by one of the best offensive lines in college football. The Wildcats boast the SEC's leading rusher and the No. 5 runner in the FBS, Chris Rodriguez, who is averaging 128.0 yards per game and 6.4 yards per carry.
But stopping the run might be the Bulldogs' bread and butter. They're No. 4 nationally at only 66.5 rushing yards allowed per game and just 2.2 yards per carry.
That means UK quarterback Will Levis -- a threat in both the passing and running game who is coming off a five-touchdown effort against LSU -- may be a big key to the Cats' chances.
"They've got some really athletic and just good dudes over there," said Levis, who caught a bit of the UGA defense in his film preparation for South Carolina earlier this season and has watched the Dawgs here and there on TV. "Teams have had a tough time scoring against them, but we're just going to trust our coaches and their game plan to give us the best opportunity to put points on the board."
Stoops cut to the heart of the matter: "With them, you just have to man up and play. We've got to play at a high level."