LEXINGTON, Ky. — Georgia’s shaky win at Auburn last week cost the Bulldogs points even as they held the No. 1 spot in The AP Top 25.
Now comes the Bulldogs’ first test against another Top 25 team.
Georgia (5-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) will put its top ranking and 22-game winning streak on the line when the Bulldogs play No. 20 Kentucky (5-0, 2-0) on Saturday night.
Georgia needed a late touchdown to escape Auburn with a 27-20 win, and the Bulldogs received a season-low 35 first-place votes out of a possible 62. Georgia, coming off back-to-back national championships, has held the top spot for 16 consecutive weeks.
Bulldogs offensive guard Tate Ratledge said surviving the test was “really important.”
“We learned a lot about our team and just how we’d respond when things get tough,” Ratledge said. “Sometimes things don’t go to plan and you figure out what your team’s made of. I think we’ve learned some pretty good things about ourselves in the past couple of weeks.”
Kentucky moved into the poll following its 33-14 win over No. 22 Florida. The Wildcats were led by running back Ray Davis, who ran for a career-high 280 yards and scored four touchdowns, including three on the ground.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said Davis reminds him of former Bulldogs running back D'Andre Swift, now with the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He’s an exceptional back, as good a back I’ve seen in a long time,” said Smart. “This guy’s smooth, explosive. He pass protects really well. He protects the ball. He’s aggressive in the way he runs. It reminds me of Swift. He’s just a little bigger. But he has a lot of the same cuts. One-cut runner.”
DOING IT LIKE GRONK
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops was similarly impressed by Georgia tight end Brock Bowers' eight catches for a career-high 157 yards, including a late 40-yard touchdown, against Auburn.
Stoops interrupted a question about Bowers at his weekly news conference Monday by saying “Whew!” Stoops then compared Bowers with former NFL standout Rob Gronkowski. Stoops was a defensive assistant coach at Arizona from 2004-09, overlapping Gronkowski's time at the school from 2007-08.
“Wow. Absolute freak. Absolute freak,” Stoops said of Bowers. “And I mean that in the most complimentary way. What an incredible player. He’s selfless. You could tell he’s a complete player. He plays well without the football. He plays well with the football. He’s a team guy."
Stoops said Gronkowski and Bowers are “both unbelievably great and talented, just different.” Stoops said Bowers is "something I haven’t seen before.”
RUNNING BACK RECOVERY
Georgia's freshman running back Roderick Robinson (ankle) has missed two straight games. Asked about Robinson's chances to return this week, Smart said “We'll see how it goes this week.”
Kendall Milton (knee) returned against Auburn but didn't have a carry. Daijun Edwards ran for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
BECK SHOWS COMPOSURE
The win at Auburn was the first road start for quarterback Carson Beck, who completed 23 of 33 passes for 313 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
“I guess the only thing that I’ve learned is that he does have natural composure,” Smart said. "I already thought that because that’s the way he practices. But he doesn’t get flustered very easily.”
RECEIVER QUESTIONS
Kentucky's leading receivers Tayvion Robinson and Barion Brown left the Florida victory with injuries but are still listed first on the depth chart. Stoops didn’t discuss their status and said backups such as Dekel Crowder and Anthony Brown-Stephens must be ready.
Stoops noted Crowder has shown flashes and worked hard. “Opportunities are tough when we are in these big games," Stoops said. "But he’s a guy that I have trust in. He’s worked hard and hopefully, he’s going to continue to step up as well.”
TOUGH TACKLERS
Cornerback Maxwell Hairston and linebacker Trevin Wallace have consistently made stops for the Wildcats. Hairston is tied for 10th in the SEC with 33 tackles while his three interceptions are tied for the league lead. Wallace is tied for 14th with 27 stops, and he picked off his first pass against the Gators. His 3.5 sacks are tied for fourth in the SEC.