LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky got a much-needed road win, thanks in large part to a dazzling one-handed touchdown grab by Dicky Lyons Jr., but coach Rich Brooks was still irked Monday by Lyons' words a week earlier predicting a lopsided victory.<br>
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As a result of the prediction prior to the Mississippi State game, Lyons was forced to run wind sprints in practice and remains off-limits to the media.<br>
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Though Brooks said he can't find much fault with the receiver's 117-yard game Saturday, he dismissed suggestions that Lyons' actions in the game justified his talk.<br>
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``Maybe the game would have been a little easier for us if he hadn't said it,'' Brooks said. ``I'm old, so I'm old-fashioned. I believe you respect your opponent.''<br>
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Some of the players, however, said Lyons at least provided a spark even at the risk of handing bulletin board material to Mississippi State.<br>
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``I told him after that happened, 'I've got your back, don't worry about it,''' receiver Keenan Burton said. ``'You're saying what everyone's thinking. We've just got to go out and play.'''<br>
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Kentucky probably won't need Lyons' example to respect its next opponent, Georgia, which has won nine straight against the Wildcats.<br>
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Yet with Brooks still searching for that elusive signature win to define his tenure as coach, the Bulldogs might be more vulnerable to an upset than they have been in several years. They've lost three of their last four games, including one against perennial Southeastern Conference cellar-dweller Vanderbilt.<br>
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Still, Kentucky offensive lineman Michael Aitcheson said he'd gladly trade his team's 4-4 record for Georgia's 6-3 mark.<br>
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``The SEC is just a tough conference,'' Aitcheson said. ``There's no room to sleep on anyone or take anyone lightly. These next three games are huge. The pressure's on right now. It's a good feeling to be in a position to get to the postseason.''<br>
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It's a pretty simple scenario for the Wildcats. To get their coveted six victories and become bowl eligible, they must win at least two of their last four games.<br>
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After hosting Georgia comes two seemingly winnable home games against Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Monroe. Should the Wildcats fail to get two wins in those three games, the task gets much tougher with a season finale at SEC powerhouse Tennessee.<br>
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Brooks and his players know, however, that a win over Georgia would be particularly special because of the Bulldogs' history and Kentucky's need to get a season-defining victory. The Wildcats came close to pulling off such wins against Florida and South Carolina but fell short.<br>
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``There's a lot of them, unfortunately, in this league,'' Brooks said. ``I guess we'll keep talking about it until we get one.''<br>
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Kentucky is coming off its best defensive game of the year, holding Mississippi State to 14 yards on 14 carries on the ground. The Wildcats rank 14th in the nation, and second in the SEC, in turnover margin, while Georgia has been turnover-prone, worst in the league.<br>
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But, Brooks says Georgia's defense is still dominant, even if this Bulldogs team isn't a national title contender.<br>
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``They are a big-time defensive team,'' he said. ``They're 14th in the nation? I'd say that's a pretty good defense. What are we, 118th now?''<br>
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If Kentucky stays close and turns it into a battle of field position, they might have an advantage thanks to Burton, who was named the SEC's special teams Player of the Week after two long kickoff returns against Mississippi State set up Kentucky scores.<br>
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``I know my team counts on me when it comes to the field position game, and I've let them down so many weeks this year,'' Burton said. ``Now we know that if we can control field position, we have a greater chance of winning.''
