Georgia vs. Kentucky: Complete Game Preview

The Georgia Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats both hope to shake off Week 10 disappointment on Saturday, but only one team will get back on track.

Kentucky, which opened the season with a strong 5-1 record, has now lost three consecutive games—all against conference foes—and the one-time dark-horse Cinderella pick from the SEC East has fallen out of contention.

Meanwhile, an upset loss to Florida has the Bulldogs backpedaling away from national-championship aspirations and into the pack of the SEC East.  Last weekend's loss moved the Dawgs out of first place in the East and back to the drawing board.

Here's what you need to know about these two teams looking to right their respective ships:

• Date: Saturday, November 8
• Time: 12 p.m. ET
• Place: Commonwealth Stadium, Lexington, Kentucky
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: Georgia Bulldogs Radio Network, Kentucky Sports Network
• Spread: Georgia (-13), per Odds Shark

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all stats accessed via Sports-Reference.com.

Georgia Keys to Victory

John Raoux/Associated Press

Georgia linebacker Jordan Jenkins dives for a loose ball.

Stop the Run

After an abysmal showing against Florida, Georgia's improving defense exposed itself as lacking toughness against the run.  After seeing Florida run for 418 yards against the Bulldogs, Kentucky will most assuredly try its hand on the ground, and a plethora of capable runners will get opportunities.

Five Wildcats have run for 200 or more yards and multiple touchdowns this season.  So Georgia will need to prepare to stop a variety of weapons.  Jojo Kemp and Braylon Heard are small, elusive and strong for their size coming out of the backfield.  At 6'1" and 230 pounds, Mikel Horton is a load to bring down.  And quarterback Patrick Towles showcased his athleticism against Mississippi State two weeks ago when he ran for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

If Kentucky has success on the ground, it will be another long day for Georgia.

Sustain Drives

Statistically, Georgia played Florida fairly even—at least from a yardage standpoint.  Georgia racked up 460 yards and 21 first downs to the Gators' 445 yards and 19 first downs.  The major difference, however, was an inability to sustain drives and score points.

On five occasions Georgia picked up more than 20 yards on a drive and failed to score points.  Those five drives featured 29 plays and 201 yards of offense, but they were defined by the points left off of the board thanks to two punts, a missed field goal, a fumble and a turnover on downs.

When Georgia, which is still without star running back Todd Gurley, gets moving on offense, it must find a way to get points.

Kentucky Keys to Victory

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Kentucky QB Patrick Towles

Ball Control

Georgia's offense is noticeably less explosive without Todd Gurley.  To be sure, freshman running back Nick Chubb has stepped up, and Hutson Mason has shown improvements at the quarterback position, but this is not the quick-striking assault that it once was.

Accordingly, eating the clock will limit Georgia's chances late in the game.  Florida did a masterful job of this, and as a result, the Bulldogs' comeback bid was never a real threat to the Gators.

Kentucky needs to hurry to the line to keep the Georgia defense on its toes, but the Wildcats don't necessarily need to snap the ball quickly.  Additionally, avoiding turnovers will go a long way in wearing out the Georgia defense and minimizing the Bulldogs offense.

Composure Late

It's unlikely that Kentucky will run away from Georgia the way Florida did this past weekend.  Therefore, it will be absolutely crucial for Kentucky to maintain composure late in the game.

The Wildcats struggled a bit against Florida in the game's waning moments, and as a result the Gators pulled away 36-30 in a third overtime period.  But Kentucky held of South Carolina quite well a few weeks later.

Kentucky needs to prepare for a frantic fourth quarter if it wants to come away with a win.

Georgia Players to Watch

Nick Chubb

The brilliance of Nick Chubb cannot be overstated.  The 228-pound true freshman running back has been incredible during Todd Gurley's absence—and not just as a place-filler.

In three games as the starter, Chubb has run for 501 yards and accounted for 98 receiving yards.  Along the way, he's picked up five touchdowns.  As wild as it may sound, Chubb has been better statistically than Gurley this season.

In three starts, Chubb has averaged 199.7 yards of offense per game and 1.7 touchdowns.  In his five starts, Gurley averaged 165.2 yards of offense per game and 1.6 touchdowns per game.

It should be noted that all three of Chubb's starts came against SEC competition and away from Sanford Stadium.  He'll face that same situation on Saturday.  Expect the same result.

Amarlo Herrera

An emotional leader of the defense, Herrera can't be pleased with the display from last week.  Look for the middle linebacker, who's registered an incredible 287 career tackles, to play angry on Saturday.

To be clear, the blame for the loss to Florida doesn't fall on Herrera.  But as a weathered senior leader of the team, it likely cut him as deep as anyone on the roster.  After all, Herrera, a three-year starter, had never lost to the Gators.

Watch for Herrera to play aggressively and with a fire in the pit of his stomach.  And don't be surprised if he racks up 13 tackles to eclipse 300 for his career.

Kentucky Players to Watch

L.G. Patterson/Associated Press

A.J. Stamps

Patrick Towles

Patrick Towles is the big man on campus for Kentucky right now, and not just because he stands 6'5" and pushes 240 pounds.  The sophomore quarterback has thrown for 2,235 and 13 touchdowns while tossing just five interceptions and adding four touchdowns on the ground.

If you don't think he's capable of torching the Dawgs, consider what he did against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State:

• Passing Yards: 390
• Passing Touchdowns: 2
• Passing Interceptions: 0
• Rushing Yards: 76
• Rushing Touchdowns: 2

A big game like that against Georgia will put Towles on some All-SEC ballots heading into the 2015 season.

A.J. Stamps

A junior college transfer, A.J. Stamps has been a force from his safety position.  He's started all nine games, racked up 42 total tackles, defended six passes and intercepted three more.

He ability to break on the ball and the receiver is staggering.  He makes plays in the air with his athleticism and on the ground with his big hits.

He'll be the man looking to make a play on the defensive side of the ball.  And he'll probably make one.

What They're Saying

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops

Unrest for Georgia

After giving up a plethora of yards to Florida on the ground, Georgia head coach Mark Richt expects other opponents to exploit a possible weakness in the defense.

"I think everybody that plays us from here on is gonna be saying: Let's run the rock," he offered according to Seth Emerson of Macon's The Telegraph.  "They'll watch the film and say: Hey, we can do that too.  So we've got to get back to everybody playing good fundamental football, as far as pad level, using your hands, and playing the right gap, as far as being where you're supposed to be."

If Georgia doesn't find a way to stop runs—particularly runs that bounce outside, where Florida had so much success—the Dawgs will be susceptible to defeat against Kentucky this week and Auburn and Georgia Tech in the near future.

Kentucky Satisfied

Mark Stoops got his second contract extension in six months last week.  As athletic director Mitch Barnhart tweeted (per John Taylor of NBC Sports), "Mark is guiding our program in the direction we all want it to go and we are proud to reward that."

Perhaps this is indicative of the gap between Georgia and Kentucky's programs.  Georgia lost to a bitter rival and sits very much in contention to win the SEC East at 6-2 overall.  The loss to Florida, a team to which Kentucky also lost, has fans questioning head coach Mark Richt.  Stoops, on the other hand, has defeated just two power-five conference opponents over the course of two seasons and has lost three straight games.  He just received a contract extension.

Things could get very ugly for Georgia if Kentucky pulls off an upset.

Prediction

John Raoux/Associated Press

Georgia running back Nick Chubb

The loss to Florida won't define Georgia's season.  In fact, it may even be viewed as an outlier when all is said and done.  After all, Georgia's struggles against the run have never appeared so grotesque this season, and the offense has not stalled that consistently all year.

Furthermore, there are still positive signs from Georgia's team, and there's a lot to play for, including a trip back to Atlanta and a bid for the SEC Championship.

Ultimately, the sting of last week's ugly loss and the motivation to re-prove themselves will lift the Bulldogs past the Wildcats comfortably.  In doing so, Georgia will remain in the hunt for the SEC East crown alongside current division leader Missouri.  Kentucky will fall to 5-5 and will need a win against Tennessee or Louisville to gain bowl eligibility.

Final Score: Georgia 42, Kentucky 28