How to Watch | Kentucky vs. Georgia: TV, point spread, storylines | Sports

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- There are times when a program hungers to play the nation's No. 1 ranked team, especially at home.

Maybe you believe No. 1 is vulnerable or you're convinced your team is ready to take the next step or you merely love having your fans enjoy the big stage, including a visit from ESPN's College GameDay.

That's not the situation that coach Mark Stoops and the University of Kentucky football team face this weekend when Kirby Smart brings his top-ranked Georgia team to Lexington.

The Bulldogs (2-0) have already made Clemson and Tennessee Tech look like the junior varsity. In eight quarters, Georgia has allowed two field goals.

Georgia head coach kisses championship trophy — Georgia head coach Kirby Smart kisses the championship trophy after the national championship NCAA College Football Playoff game against TCU, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. Georgia won 65-7. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Kentucky (1-1) is coming off a game when the Wildcats failed to score a touchdown in a 25-point beatdown by South Carolina.

UK lost more than a Southeastern Conference game. According to Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network, they also lost the opportunity to host College GameDay to South Carolina.

Ouch.

Other than that, Kentucky is ready for liftoff. And if the Wildcats topple Georgia, it will truly be a Shock The World moment.

The Time: Saturday, 7:30 pm., Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky.

How to Watch/Listen: TV — ABC Sports, Ch. 11 WHAS (Sean McDonough, play by play; Greg McElroy, analyst; Molly McGrath, sidelines); Radio — UK Sports Network, 840 WHAS (Tom Leach, play by play; Jeff Piecoro, analyst; Dick Gabriel, sidelines).

The Line: Point Spread, Georgia favored by 24 points; Over/under total points, 45.

The Last Time: The Bulldogs surged to a 34-7 halftime lead and dispatched the Wildcats, 51-13, in Athens for their 14th straight victory in the series.

The Series: Georgia leads 63-12-2, with the last Kentucky victory coming 34-27 in Athens in 2009.

The Records: The Bulldogs are 2-0, outscoring Clemson and Tennessee Tech 82-6. Kentucky is 1-1, trying to bounce back from a discouraging 31-6 loss to South Carolina last Saturday at Kroger field.

Player to Watch for Georgia: Quarterback Carson Beck has positioned himself in the front row of Heisman Trophy candidates. In two games, Beck has seven TD passes, without an interception, while completing nearly 71% of his throws. Beck was a 72% passer last season with a 4-1 TD-interception ratio. He's more than simply a game manager, projected as the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at CBSSports.com.

Player to Watch for Kentucky: Quarterback Brock Vandagriff left the Bulldogs for Lexington rather than spend another season as Beck's backup. After a solid debut against Southern Miss, Vandagriff struggled against South Carolina. In fact, Stoops replaced him with Gavin Wimsatt in the fourth quarter after Vandagriff threw a pick six. He finished 3 for 10 for 30 yards with a passer rating of 35.20.

Sideline Storylines:

Beck set his career highs with 389 passing yards and four touchdowns against UK last season.
The Bulldogs have certainly been more pass oriented, posting 610 passing yards and 335 rushing yards in their first two games. Only one Georgia halfback ranks in the top 45 in rushing in the SEC: freshman Nate Frazier, who has 111 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown.
The Bulldogs have not allowed any points in the first half — and Tennessee Tech managed its field goal on the final play of the game.
Georgia has been ranked in the top 10 for 52 consecutive weeks, the longest streak in the nation. The Bulldogs will be off next week before they visit Alabama on Sept. 28.
Kentucky has lost nine consecutive games against opponents ranked No. 1. The last time UK upset the nation's top-ranked team came under coach Rich Brooks, whose 2007 squad toppled LSU in triple overtime.
Kentucky's roster features 16 players who played high school football in Georgia in addition to a pair of transfers from Smart's program: Vandagriff and linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson. There are no Kentucky high school players on the Georgia roster.
Kentucky has not defeated a ranked Georgia team since 1988, when Jerry Claiborne led the Wildcats to a 16-11 win over the 11th-ranked Bulldogs.

The Quote: Stoops, asked about his confidence that Vandagriff will bounce back against his former teammates.

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine. We have to play good around him. You've heard me say — and it's very, very true — he has to have some time, and we have to have a good plan for him. He's playing a great defense. Brock is a tough, resilient guy. We have to play well around him. We have to put him in positions to be successful, and he'll be good. We'll just leave it at that. I have confidence that he'll get back and play well."

The Pick: Georgia 38, Kentucky 10.

Kentucky Football Coverage: