Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs just got a major reality check! After losing a close game to the Kentucky Wildcats, 12-13, everyone’s scratching their heads. Like, seriously, who saw that coming from a championship-worthy team? The Dawgs were ranked number one in the country, but after this upset, they’ve dropped to number two in the AP Poll. And let me tell you, some folks are starting to question if they’re still a top-tier team.
Today on UGA Football on Dawg Post YouTube, an insider discussed why Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs fell from its AP poll ranking of no. 1. The discussion started by talking about the Dawgs’ Saturday’s game against the Wildcats, saying, “Georgia survives Kentucky, but they do not survive the voters.” As Texas replaced Georgia for the first time in 16 years, the Bulldogs only received 23 first-place votes and 1,518 points. Looking at their close margin score of 13-12, this might not come as a shock.
The Dawg Post insider also agrees to it, as the show also mentioned the same saying, “Georgia’s going to have to play better on the road if they want to win these kinds of games and these important games that are coming up.”
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Well, after a disappointing performance against the Wildcats, Kirby Smart’s team has been questioned a lot on gameplay. However, the insider also supported the Bulldogs, saying, I think “Georgia was the clear one until last night. Even if they had lost, there’s no reason to overreact to any particular game in the regular season. I can say that as long as you’re undefeated.”
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But there is the catch: if Georgia wants to regain its No. 1 status, they need to pull up their game. Their performance in Saturday’s matchup didn’t make them look like national title contenders.
Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs’ poor performance against Wildcats
Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs struggle was quite visible in Saturday’s matchup against Kentucky. Even if they won the match, there were serious issues in the team’s offense. Even Georgia’s star quarterback and Heisman candidate Carson Beck struggled against Kentucky’s defense. Carson only completed 15 out of 24 passes, running for 160 passing yards. Also, Georgia’s running game suffered a lot throughout the matchup as they just had 102 yards on the ground against the Wildcats.
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Meanwhile, the Wildcats gave them a neck-to-neck competition. During the first half of the match, Kentucky nailed a 55-yard field goal, which gave them a lead of 6-3. But Georgia finally recovered his status by taking the lead with running back Branson Robinson, making a 41-yard field goal with a touchdown score. Well, this gave them a lead of 13-9 points over Kentucky in the fourth quarter. And with a few minutes remaining in the game, the Wildcats made it a one-point game, missing out on one point.
Now the Georgia Bulldogs are standing with a 3-0 win after their match-up against Kentucky. But it was not an easy match for Georgia, as it also cost them their AP poll rankings. Let’s see if the team could improve their gameplay in future games. What are your thoughts on Georgia’s Saturday showdown against the Wildcats? Do let us know in the comments below!