Kentucky Wildcats Football: Gameplan and Execution for Georgia

The Wildcats had a rough go at it this past weekend and were humiliated by Vanderbilt in Nashville by a score of 38-8. To put this into perspective, only nine other BCS conference teams allowed 38 points or more this past week (Texas Tech, Arizona, Auburn, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Washington, Tennessee, Maryland and Stanford). Of those nine teams that surrendered 30 points, only three had margins of victory greater than 30 points (Tennessee’s 49-7 loss to Arkansas, Texas Tech’s 66-6 loss to Oklahoma State, and Auburn’s 45-7 loss to Georgia). Of the nine total teams to give up 38 or more points, only Kentucky and two other teams were beaten by a team outside of the top 25 (Maryland’s 45-21 loss to Notre Dame and Arizona’s 48-29 loss to Colorado). Only Arizona and Kentucky lost to teams with losing records this badly, and if you remember, Arizona fired Mike Stoops earlier this year. So, a team with an interim coach that only lost by 19 this week is Kentucky’s biggest competition for worst loss of the week for a BCS conference school. Now consider that the Wildcats lost to an unranked (4-5 at the time) Vanderbilt team by 30, and we can conclude that the Kentucky Wildcats got the most embarrassing beat-down of the week amongst all BCS-conference teams.
Georgia, meanwhile, slaughtered #20 Auburn by a score of 45-7 in Athens.

What you really need to know about Georgia:
The Bulldogs began the season with head coach Mark Richt on the hot seat and started slow out of the gates. The 2011 season kicked off with home losses to Boise State and South Carolina to put Georgia at 0-2 heading into a matchup with Coastal Carolina. The Bulldogs pulled of a 59-0 win that Saturday and have never looked back on their way to eight straight wins. Now, a win over Kentucky will secure the SEC East and a spot in the SEC Championship. Georgia relies on a balanced attack offensively and a staggering defense. The Bulldogs will give Kentucky’s defense a heavy dose of Isaiah Crowell and will look to force the Kentucky offense into mistakes and turnovers.

The players you really need to know for the Bulldogs:
#1 – Isaiah Crowell – RB – Georgia put all their eggs in one basket in pursing Crowell as their running back in the 2011 class, and it paid off for both the Bulldogs and Kentucky. Georgia’s ignoring Josh Clemons and Marcus Caffey allowed the Cats to get them both and the Bulldogs got their man in Crowell. Unfortunately for Kentucky, Crowell has been excellent as a freshman and is averaging 91.2 yards per game this year. His blend of size and strength makes him a load to take down.
#7 – Orson Charles – TE – It’s pretty rare that a tight ends makes this list, but Charles has been a nightmare for Kentucky in the past and has also been Georgia’s best receiver this season. He is as fast as most SEC wide receivers, but is still tough to cover with a 6’3 frame that carries 241 pounds.
#18 – Bacarri Rambo – FS – There might not be a player in the SEC that is quite as opportunistic as Rambo. From his free safety position, he has picked off a ridiculous 7 passes this season, and has returned those interceptions for 149 yards. Maxwell Smith will need to make note of Rambo on every passing play to avoid costly turnovers.
#29 – Jarvis Jones – LB – After transferring from Southern California, Jones has made an early impact in his first season playing for Georgia. He currently ranks second on the team with 51 total tackles and leads the conference in sacks with ten. If the Kentucky offense doesn’t utilize backs and tight ends to slow down his pass rush, Maxwell Smith could be running for his life all day.

Top 3 Matchups to watch:
UK’s Billy Joe Murphy VS. UGA’s Jarvis Jones
As impressive as Jones’ 10 sacks on the season are, his 26 quarterback hurries are equally concerning. Murphy will likely need some help from the running backs and tight ends to slow down the speedy Jones, and Murphy’s ability to keep him out of the backfield could be a deciding factor in the Kentucky offense’s effectiveness.

UK’s Danny Trevathan VS. UGA’s Aaron Murray
In a similar fashion to what Kentucky saw last week with Jordan Rodgers, Aaron Murray is a deceptively athletic quarterback that isn’t afraid to pull the ball down and run. The more concerning issue though, might be Murray’s ability to extend the play with his legs until a receiver breaks open downfield. Trevathan will need to keep a careful eye on Murray throughout the game to make sure he doesn’t get too much time to make a play.

UK’s Maxwell Smith VS. UGA’s Bacarri Rambo
While the rest of the country is looking at Tyrann Mathieu of LSU as the best defensive back in the SEC, Rambo is quietly making his own case. He patrols the middle of the field and has preyed on quarterbacks that lock onto receivers early in their progression. If Smith cannot look him off or at least hold him at bay with his shoulders, Rambo could easily add to his interception totals this Saturday.

Potential breakout players
#25 – Jonathan George – RB – After a solid showing last week in limited action, George could see an increase in carries against Georgia. He was more effective against Vanderbilt than CoShik Williams and his more authoritative running style is better suited against a big, tough 3-4 defense.
#2 – Alvin Dupree – LB – Dupree will likely get the start again this week with Ridge Wilson still nursing injuries. As a Georgia native, Dupree is sure to be ready to play against his home-state team. Expect him to bring a lot of heat against a Georgia offensive line that has had its lapses this season on their way to surrendering 25 sacks.
#32 – Miles Simpson LB – – With Winston Guy’s status still up in the air, Simpson will need to be ready to go. The converted running back has drawn rave reviews in practices but has seen little time on the field due to Guy’s stellar play this season. With Winston being a senior, Simpson will have a chance to show what the future of the position will look like for next season and beyond.
#5 – Ashely Lowery – S/KR – Starting safety Martavius Neloms is nursing an injury this week and his availability in Saturday’s game is still uncertain. Lowery is next on the depth chart, and like Dupree, is also a Georgia native that the Bulldogs overlooked. He could see a lot of time on the field Saturday, and is also expected to return kicks against a Georgia team that is allowing opponents to average 24+ return yards per kickoff.

Key for a Kentucky win:
It’s going to be really tough for the Cats to pull this one off. Georgia started low, but has turned into one of the hottest teams in the country of late and completely dismantled a good Auburn team this past weekend. Kentucky’s best chance to win this game will be with their defense and an aggressive deep passing game. The Wildcats will need to cause turnovers, and will really need a couple of scores from the defense or special teams to get a leg up on Georgia, and will need to back their defensive backs and linebackers off the line of scrimmage with the threat of deep passes. If Smith can stretch the field without turning the ball over, it will open the running game up and allow Williams, George and Raymond Sanders (if he’s ready to play) some room to run. Keeping the defense on the field will also be a key in this game more so than in other contests. Georgia’s front seven are very big compared to other teams on Kentucky’s schedule, but will also tire more quickly. A tired defense is susceptible to giving up big plays and making key mistakes that could allow the underdog Wildcats to sneak out of Athens with a win.