Thursday March 28th, 2024 5:48AM

The Last Time: Georgia vs. Kentucky

We always pick such a great time to play Kentucky, right after basketball season gets going, when most of Big Blue Nation has already quit caring about its football team, even when it's bowl eligible.

Hi, welcome to second-to-last edition of The Last Time of the regular season.

I'm feeling confident this week, so the snark is coming out in full force.

Goooood. Let the hate flow through you.

The last time...

1) These teams met:

Talk about a tale of two seasons.

In the struggles of 2016, I could barely contain my excitement as developing folk hero Rodrigo Blankenship booted the game-winning 25-yard field goal as time expired, lifting Georgia to a 27-24 victory in Lexington, and giving the requisite helmet-still-on post-game interview.

Kentucky wanted to check the monitor to see if it came off his foot before the clock hit zero, because the fans just aren't sure that another team can come to Lexington and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win it, but football has different rules.

2) Georgia swept the SEC East:

A win Saturday would put the Bulldogs in another historic tally.

No Georgia team has ever swept the SEC East since the conference split into divisions in 1992. The best it has managed is 5-1, a mark hit most recently in 2012.

I guess I could've summed this up with a simple "never," but that would've been too easy.

3) Kentucky won four road games in a season:

The Wildcats already own road wins over Southern Miss, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

A win Saturday would mark the first time since 1984 that Kentucky won four road games in a single season.

That year, Big Blue knocked off Indiana, Tulane, Mississippi State and Tennessee — the only road games it played all season.

Want another interesting bit of trivia? That Kentucky team would go on to beat Wisconsin 20-19 in the Hall of Fame Bowl ... and the program would not win another bowl game until 2006.

4) Georgia lost to two feline mascots in the same season:

This stat wouldn't be completely out of the woods with a win on Saturday. There is still the possibility of rematching Auburn in the SEC Championship, or playing a Tigers/Wildcats/Hello Kitty in the post-season.

But, for the sake of argument, let's say Alabama wins the West, and the Bulldogs play a non-kitty mascot (or mascots, potentially) in the post-season.

Georgia hasn't lost to a pair of kitty-cats since 2013, when it lost to three sets of Tigers: Clemson, Missouri and Auburn.

Since then, actually, the Dawgs hadn't lost to any feline mascots until the Auburn game.

5) Kentucky RB Bennie Snell was held under 100 yards:

Snell has found quite the hot streak lately, rushing for 100 yards or more in four of his last five games, including three straight.

The most recent team to hold Snell under 100 yards was Mississippi State, which held him to a mere 18 yards on 7 carries in a 45-7 Bulldogs route.

My favorite, though, was Snell's 180-yard, 3 TD explosion against Tennessee, because ever since the Hail Mary in 2016, I have made it my personal mission to revel in any misfortune that befalls the Volunteers.

(Also, thanks Missouri, you brightened my Saturday this past week.)

6) Georgia had a 100-yard receiver:

Apparently I'm in the mood to leaf through a few box scores this week and dive into the individual stats.

I also didn't realize this until I checked all these box scores, but the Bulldogs actually haven't had a 100-yard receiver this season.

Oh, they've been tantalizingly close a number of times, including Terry Godwin's 98-yard effort against Samford and Javon Wims's 96-yard struggle against Auburn, but never quite over the century mark.

The last one to do that was Isaiah McKenzie, who tallied 4 catches for 103 yards in the Liberty Bowl win over TCU.

#FireMikeBobo!

7) Kentucky won 8 games in the regular season:

The Wildcats are already sitting at 7 wins on the season, so they've got another chance for this during their Rivalry Week date with Louisville if it doesn't happen on Saturday.

Either way, a win over the next two Saturdays would give Kentucky its first 8-win regular season since 1984.

Wow.

I never thought the 1984 Kentucky Wildcats would come up twice in this column, but here we stand, folks.

That particular squad finished 8-3 in the regular season, then knocked off Wisconsin in the bowl game.

And no team has equaled it in the 33 years since.

8) Georgia failed to record a rushing touchdown against Kentucky:

Weirdly enough, let's return to a team that featured both Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall at full health.

The 2012 Bulldogs left a lot to be desired — but won nonetheless — in a 29-24 escape in Lexington that saw Aaron Murray fire 4 touchdown passes, finishing a sizzling 30-of-38 on the night.

The run game, however, failed to get going, with Kentucky holding "Gurshall" to a combined 60 yards on 18 carries.

Gurley would go on to break the century mark against No. 2 Florida and No. 1 Alabama later that year, because logic.

9) Kentucky beat Tennessee and Georgia in the same season:

Let us return the year 1977, when Apple became a corporation, Tom Brady was born and "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart (no relation, I think) hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

That's the last time the Wildcats topped both the Volunteers and Bulldogs in the same season.

No. 7 Kentucky got what would be the first of four wins in the next 34 years against Tennessee, 21-17, then knocked off Georgia 33-0.

No team of Wildcats since then has managed to topple both opponents in the same season.

(By the way, side note: Did you guys know the Tennessee-Kentucky rivalry is the Battle for the Beer Barrel? No seriously, Google it. There's pictures and everything. Like, Peyton Manning walking off the field holding a keg. It's awesome, and needs to be brought back, just like Butch Jones.)

10) Georgia had a 50-yard touchdown run in Sanford Stadium:

The Dawgs have only scored three touchdowns in excess of 50 yards this year at home — all via the pass. Two of them went to Terry Godwin (one against Samford, one against Mississippi State) and the other went to Mecole Hardman (Missouri).

Again, the last Georgia player to do this was ... McKenzie.

He's both the most recent 100-yard receiver, and has the most recent 50-yard touchdown run for the Bulldogs Between the Hedges.

Against Louisiana Lafayette in 2016, the first score of the game was a 55-yard end-around McKenzie took to the house.

Small world.

(Get it, 'cause he's short? I'll show myself out.)

***

Time to talk about Vegas lines. Last I checked, the oddsmakers liked Georgia by 21.

I'm inclined to take it.

Kentucky isn't that good, and while it may seem a bit steep, it's not that high when you consider how good the Bulldogs looked against every team not named Auburn.

Provided the mistakes get cleaned up, I see no reason Georgia shouldn't cruise in this one, something like 38-10.

Enjoy it, and be loud for the seniors.

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