Sunday, November 19, 2017

Seniors Lead Dawgs Past Kentucky, 42-13

UGA Sports Communications

Senior running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined for 238 yards and five touchdowns to lead the seventh-ranked Dawgs to a 42-13 win against Kentucky in the 2017 home finale at Sanford Stadium Saturday evening. 

The Southeastern Conference Eastern Division champion Dawgs improve to 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the SEC. This squad also became the first Georgia team to go undefeated in a season against the rest of the SEC East with a perfect 6-0 mark. 

With Saturday’s win on Senior Day, the current Georgia senior class improved to 38-12 in their careers, including an unblemished record at home this season.

“What a great way for these seniors to go out – winning the SEC East by going undefeated against the East,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “Our seniors have given us tremendous leadership, and I’m happy and proud of them. Our seniors have set the standard and our young players have bought in. It helps to have such great leadership.”

Freshman quarterback Jake Fromm threw an interception on Georgia’s first possession of the game, setting the Wildcats up deep in Dawg territory. Kentucky capitalized on the opportunity with a 37-yard field goal from Austin MacGinnis. 

The Dawgs could get nothing going on their next offensive series, until Kentucky roughed punter Cameron Nizialek to give Georgia a fresh pair of downs at its own 34-yard line. Fromm marched his team down the field on a 12-play, 75 yard drive capped off by an eight-yard touchdown rush by Chubb. 

Blake Bone hauled in a 45-yard pass on UK’s next possession to set up another field goal — this time a 35-yarder form MacGinnis to put the score at 7-6 in the Dawgs’ favor at the end of the first quarter. 

Georgia’s offense started clicking in the second quarter as the Dawgs put together two scoring drives to take a 21-6 lead at the half. One score came through the air and the other on the ground when Javon Wims caught a 27-yard TD pass from Fromm and Michel bounced it outside for a 37-yard TD rush. 

Kentucky’s eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive to open the third quarter made it a one possession game as Benny Snell Jr. knocked it in from one-yard out to put the score at 21-13. It took just six plays on Georgia’s next drive for the Dawgs to get back on the scoreboard. A 21-yard Chubb rush set his team up deep in UK territory as Michel capped off the drive with an eight-yard touchdown. 

Chubb was not done. The senior surged over left tackle to start the fourth quarter and raced 55 yards down the field to put him over 1,000 yards for the season as Georgia went up 35-13. 

Michel added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter and the Dawgs left Sanford Stadium with a 42-13 victory. 

Georgia now heads to Atlanta to close out the regular season against Georgia Tech next Saturday.

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