KENTUCKY WILDCATS VS. GEORGIA BULLDOGS

RECORDS: Kentucky (7-3, 4-3) | Georgia (9-1, 6-1)

RANKINGS: Kentucky (#76 S&P+) | Georgia (#7 CFB Playoff, #7 S&P+)

TIME: 3:30 p.m. ET

TV: CBS (Check local listings)

SPREAD: UGA opened as 24-point faves. The line is now at 21/21.5.

O/U: The total started at 50.5. It’s up to 51/52 in some locales.

RECORDS ATS: Kentucky (3-7) | Georgia (6-4)

SERIES HISTORY

The Bulldogs and Wildcats first met back on October 21, 1939. On that Saturday in Louisville (at the time), the ‘Cats defeated the ‘Dawgs 13-6.

Since then though... it’s been quite lopsided. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series over the Wildcats, 56-12-2. Georgia is on a seven-game win streak against Kentucky, the last victory for the ‘Cats coming on November 21, 2009. On that day, it was future Green Bay Packers standout Randall Cobb who scored a go-ahead/game-winning touchdown that put UK up for good.

The most lopsided win for Georgia in the series’ history took place on November 6, 2004. Thanks to five rushing TDs, including three by Thomas Brown, UGA defeated Kentucky 62-17. The most lopsided win for Kentucky in the series was a 33-0 shutout on October 22, 1977.

These games have been played in three cities - Athens, Louisville and Lexington. Louisville hosted the first meeting and the third meeting in 1942.

What to Watch For

Georgia’s response

The Auburn Tigers absolutely blasted Georgia at Jordan-Hare. It went from a dazzling performance by Kerryon Johnson and the rest of the bunch to a straight-up ass whooping. So much so that Georgia tumbled all the way down to 7th in the CFB Playoff Rankings. They still have a chance to climb up the ladder, but their response in this game will be interesting to watch. In life, they say it’s best to have a short-term memory sometimes. Georgia will certainly want to have one on Saturday between the hedges.

What does Benny Snell have in the tank?

Sophomore sensation Benny Snell has been lighting it up for the Wildcats under the radar this season. Snell amassed his second-straight 1,000-yard season last week after his 116-yard performance against the Vanderbilt Commodores. What’s more, Snell has 15 rushing touchdowns this season. That’s two more than he had as a freshman, and there’s still a few games to go. He’ll have to go up against one of the best run defenses in the country, though. We’ll see what he’s got in store against the best defense he’s faced all year.

An easier mountain to climb for Jake Fromm

No offense to Kentucky, but defensively, they and the Auburn Tigers aren’t in the same ballpark. So it should be an easier time for Jake Fromm and the Bulldogs aerial attack on Saturday afternoon. Fromm wasn’t particularly bad against Auburn, but his line gave him no time and he was constantly pressured by Jeff Holland and others. Javon Wims and Terry Godwin have proven reliable targets when called upon. It will be on them to be so again on Saturday.

Georgia could afford the loss last week, but the manner in which they did it was certainly demoralizing. Luckily, they’ve already clinched their spot in the SEC Championship Game. So it wasn’t super impactful. They will have to rebound quickly, and although UK is 7-3, they have shown some weaknesses this year. Georgia should be able to barrel through them before their rivalry matchup against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets next weekend.

Prediction: Georgia 35, Kentucky 17