Top-ranked Georgia seeks 3-0 start in SEC opener at Kentucky, which aims for improved performance

No. 1 Georgia (2-0) at Kentucky (1-1, 0-1 SEC), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ABC)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Georgia by 24½.

Series: Georgia leads, 63-12-2.

WHAT’S AT STAKE

Georgia opens Southeastern Conference play looking to tie South Carolina atop the standings and win its 15th straight against Kentucky. The Wildcats aim to avoid a 0-2 SEC start after losing 31-6 to South Carolina in an effort that was flat in all aspects.

KEY MATCHUP

Georgia’s scoring defense is tied for fourth in FBS with just two second-half field goals allowed to Clemson and Tennessee Tech, the second coming on the game’s final play. The Bulldogs will face a Kentucky offense hungry to rebound from gaining just 183 yards and kicking two field goals against South Carolina, the first time since December 2022 it hasn’t scored a touchdown. The Wildcats yielded five sacks to the Gamecocks and must shut down a pass rush that has registered five through two games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is 15-1 as the starter and is coming off a career-best five-touchdown passing performance against Tennessee Tech. The senior is 53 yards away from 5,000 career and has completed 72% of his passes for 520 yards and seven TDs this season.

Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson transferred from Georgia last winter after earning an Associated Press second team All-American selection in 2022. He recorded 126 tackles and 9.5 sacks over three seasons with the Bulldogs and has six stops (1.5 for loss) so far with the Wildcats. Dumas-Johnson intercepted a pass in the season opener against Southern Miss.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Georgia RB Trevor Etienne rushed five times for 78 yards in his debut after transferring from Florida. … The Bulldogs have a SEC-record 27 consecutive regular season wins. … Fifteen Georgia receivers caught passes last week against TTU. … Arian Smith (129 yards), TE Lawson Luckie (80), Dillon Bell (78) and Dominic Lovett (66) each has one TD to lead the receivers corps. … Kentucky starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff transferred from Georgia after backing up Stetson Bennett through two national title runs and Carson Beck last season. … The Wildcats face Georgia as the No. 1 team for the fourth consecutive season. … Kentucky’s Barion Brown needs three catches to become the school’s 20th receiver with 100 career. He had caught one in 27 consecutive games before the streak ended against South Carolina. ___

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