GAME GRADES: Kentucky-Georgia

QB

C

Stephen Johnson didn't turn the ball over and he left everything out on the field, with the best evidence for that being that second half run when he went airborne (again) and ended up taking a huge shot. His heart is evident, but we've known that. He didn't always get help from his wide receivers (although Blake Bone made one heck of a catch), but Johnson didn't have his best passing performance. He missed C.J. Conrad on a shot near the end zone early in the game. Another early throw in the red zone to Justin Rigg was a little off the mark. Soon after that, a throw to the right side near the end zone was short and the receiver couldn't make much of a play. He overshot Charles Walker, although there was lots of pressure on that deep ball attempt. He was just a little off the mark for much of the game, especially on the throws that could have helped Kentucky build an early lead.

RB

A

The numbers don't support the grade in and of themselves, but you have to consider the defense. Georgia's rush defense is flat out stout and Benny Snell was a workhorse (22 carries, 94 yards, TD). It was vintage Snell all the way, moving the pile and carrying defenders for extra yards. He also showed off excellent burst beating linebackers to the edge and getting up field for yards. Those numbers are good every day against this UGA team. Sihiem King ran very hard as well (7 carries, 26 yards). Snell could have made a high difficulty catch on a wheel route down the right sideline close to halftime, but the ball grazed off his fingertips.

WR

C

There were ups and downs for this unit. Lynn Bowden had one costly drop, Tavin Richardson had a drop near halftime that could have given Kentucky another scoring opportunity to narrow the gap before the break, Richardson only caught three balls on six target opportunities, and Bowden couldn't really get involved in the passing game. Bowden also made a poor decision to throw a deep pass towards double coverage in the second half, and that ball was picked off.

TE

B

The tight ends seemed to block well at first glance, and that's one reason Kentucky was able to rush for 124 yards, no small accomplishment, against the Dawgs. Conrad had a scoring opportunity but for the poor pass, and unfortunately he went down with an injury later in the game. Justin Rigg had a big play chance, too, but it would have been a really tough grab and he took a big shot on the play.

OL

B+

The offensive line has been playing much better over the past few weeks and it was actually another pretty good day for John Schlarman's unit. Georgia had three sacks even though they don't normally do a lot of that, but they only had three tackles for loss on Kentucky's 37 rush attempts and that's definitely a number you can live with. Kentucky had one of the best rushing totals of the year against the Dawgs' defense and Johnson did have time to make the throws he needed to make. Considering the talent the offensive line was up against, they could have done a lot worse.

DL

F

This grade would have been very good if football games lasted one or two quarters, but it's tough to give the line anything else after Georgia rushed for 381 yards (8.7 YPC) and five touchdowns. T.J. Carter did make some plays early in the game. He made a sack and force Nick Chubb way outside on a run (however, Chubb salvaged the play and gained positive yards). But Quinton Bohanna was injured and no defensive lineman (unless you count Denzil Ware as one) had more than a single tackle.

LB

D

At first glance it may have been the worst game of the year for Kentucky's linebackers. While Jordan Jones is one of Kentucky's best players when he's at the top of his game he clearly didn't bring his "A" stuff against Georgia, finding himself out of position, ahead of the play, or out of the action more than usual. When the other team gives Kentucky so many tackle opportunities he usually finishes with more than five. Ware and Josh Allen generated zero pressures, zero sacks and zero tackles for loss, although Allen did make a very good play sagging back and making the interception early in the game.

DB

B

There will be some moments that stand out that might cause someone to call this grade into question, but at the end of the day the secondary didn't do anything to lose the game for Kentucky. Jake Fromm was 9/14 for 123 yards and he had a touchdown (the interception belonged to Kentucky linebacker Allen). Javon Wims did almost all of Georgia's damage in the passing game and he beat Derrick Baity badly on UGA's lone touchdown pass of the game. Mike Edwards and Lonnie Johnson each had pass breakups. Edwards was playing at significantly less than 100-percent after he returned from an injury. It should be noted that Georgia ran the ball so effectively that the defensive backs were not tested often. But for a group that has struggled so much in 2017, they weren't really bad on Saturday.

ST

D

It was one of the worst performances of the year for Kentucky's special teams unit. It wasn't all bad, as Austin MacGinnis connected on both of his field goal attempts (35, 37), Bowden had a 29 yard kickoff return and Matt Panton had a 42.2 yard average with two dropped inside Georgia's 20-yard line. However, Zach Johnson was unable to down a Panton punt at the goal line and that gave the Dawgs a touchback. Lonnie Johnson had that devastating roughing the punter call on UGA's second drive, so instead of Kentucky getting the ball in good field position up 3-0, the Bulldogs continued their drive and took a 7-3 advantage. Mecole Hardman burned Kentucky on a punt return and on an explosive kickoff right up the seam.

Coaching

B

No one can doubt that the Cats were prepared for this game. Kentucky played with impressive intensity, especially on the defensive side of the ball, for the first quarter and into the second. Eddie Gran mixed things up and kept UGA off balance at times in the first half as well. Kentucky committed only two penalties and the Wildcats turned it over once. Those numbers reflect on coaching and discipline. Kentucky called a pretty aggressive game plan, dialing up pass plays in and near the red zone in the first half, calling for the pass with Bowden, and sending the house on the punt block attempt that led to that big penalty. But Kentucky's problems were related to execution, wearing down, and a talent gap more than coaching.