'Cats stun Dogs in rare road win

ATHENS -- Kentucky needed help for its first win at Georgia in 32 years.
Georgia, which has been helping opposing teams all season, came through again.

Kentucky scored 14 points off Georgia's four second-half turnovers and the Wildcats rallied to beat the Bulldogs 34-27 on Saturday night for their first win in Athens since 1977.

Georgia had a 487-260 advantage in total yards but was doomed by its minus-4 turnover margin.

``We're not getting style points,'' said Kentucky coach Rich Brooks. ``It's not always pretty and this one wasn't pretty, but it looked like Bo Derek running down the beach to me late in the fourth quarter.''

Kentucky's Randall Cobb had scoring runs following Georgia turnovers at the Bulldogs' 14- and 8-yard lines.

``It was huge,'' Cobb said. ``I think this was a win to take us to the next level and give us some national credibility and earn us some respect.''
Joe Cox threw three touchdown passes, but had a screen pass intercepted by Kentucky defensive tackle Shane McCord to set up Cobb's go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run with 9:55 remaining.

``We did things in the second half that you can't do,'' Cox said.

Kentucky (7-4, 3-4 Southeastern Conference) rallied from a 20-6 halftime deficit for its third straight conference road win.

Washaun Ealey's fumble on a pitch from Cox at the Kentucky 1 stopped the Bulldogs from tying the game with 2:21 remaining. Linebacker Danny Trevathan recovered the fumble for Kentucky.

``It looked like (Ealey) was too close to the quarterback when it happened,'' said Georgia coach Mark Richt.

Georgia (6-5, 4-4) had one more chance, but Cox was picked off by Sam Maxwell with 1:52 left.

``There's no doubt, turnovers did us in,'' Richt said. ``No question. Kentucky is a fine football team and they played hard too, but we certainly didn't help ourselves and we helped them.''

Georgia has a minus-18 turnover margin this season. Opponents have scored 102 points off the Bulldogs' 26 turnovers.

``It was the same thing that hurt us all season, the turnovers,'' said Georgia linebacker Rennie Curran. ``We talked about wanting to win the turnover ratio and we did the opposite.''

Kentucky had no turnovers. Freshman quarterback Morgan Newton was 9-for-17 passing for 137 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

``You've got to respect the ball and we didn't do that,'' Richt said. ``There were just too many balls on the ground and too many balls that were thrown to the other team.''

The Bulldogs heard boos as they struggled to contain Cobb and Derrick Locke, the speedy running back who had touchdown catches of 20 and 60 yards.

Locke had 16 carries for 80 yards and two catches for 80 yards with the two touchdowns.

Georgia students and other fans wore black in tribute to the Bulldogs' late mascot, Uga VII. Uga VII was buried at Sanford Stadium in a private ceremony on Saturday morning. The white English bulldog died Thursday of heart-related causes before he could complete only his second season as Georgia's mascot. A large wreath was placed on Uga VII's doghouse, and he was remembered with a moment of silence before the game.

Cox threw scoring passes of 21 and 43 yards to freshman Rantavious Wooten, who started for A.J. Green, the SEC's leading receiver who was held out with a shoulder injury.

Georgia held a dominant 286-63 advantage in total yards in the first half, but lost its momentum when Branden Smith fumbled the kickoff to open the second half. The lost fumble at the Georgia 14-yard line set up Cobb's 11-yard touchdown run.

``The fumble on the kickoff was huge,'' Brooks said. ``It got us more inspired and got us back in the game.''

After Wooten's second touchdown catch, Kentucky answered with Newton's 21-yard scoring pass to La'Rod King to cut the lead to 27-20. Kentucky tied the game when Locke turned a short screen pass into a 60-yard touchdown play early in the fourth quarter.

Cobb was considered questionable for the game with a bruised shoulder. His 21-yard punt return set up Newton's 20-yard touchdown pass to Locke in the first quarter.

Georgia stopped Cobb's run for the 2-point conversion, and the Wildcats were shut down the rest of the half as the Bulldogs put consistent pressure on Newton. Cobb had nine carries for 40 yards and one catch for 19 yards.

Georgia's first drive ended with a punt. The Bulldogs' next four drives in the first half led to scores 21- and 45-yard field goals by Blair Walsh and two touchdown passes by Cox.