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The top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs escaped another dog fight in Lexington. Kirby Smart said it himself. Playing on the road in the SEC, particularly at Kroger Field on a Saturday night, will always be a brawl.

Throw records out the window, forget power rankings, forget what Vegas lines surround the game, it is always a battle.

A nail-biting 13-12 win on the bluegrass marks Georgia's 42nd consecutive regular-season win and 28 straight vs SEC opponents.

After being splattered by South Carolina the week prior, Kentucky played with their hair on fire and gave Georgia its best shot.

The game felt eerily similar to the 2022 season when Georgia escaped a night game on the road at Missouri, where they won 26-22, and the 2023 season with Auburn, where the Dawgs escaped Jordan-Hare 27-20.

Those first road games of the year in the SEC have been a recurring challenge for Smart's teams over the last few years.

Kentucky dominated time of possession (35:02 to 24:58), doubled up Georgia in first downs, and held the Bulldog's offense to 262 total yards and just 3.4 yards per carry. It still wasn't enough for Brock Vandergriff and the Wildcats to steal a win.

Brock Vandergriff transferred to Kentucky from Georgia during the offseason. Vandergriff was a five-star recruit out of high school; he was the No. 17 nationally-ranked player and No. 4 quarterback prospect in the 2021 recruiting cycle.

With Vandergriff at the helm, the Kentucky offense showed a pulse compared to last week's no-show vs South Carolina. Vandegriff did play vs. the Gamecocks but looked nothing like he did Saturday night vs. Georiga.

While the offense didn't generate explosive plays, it was efficient on the ground and 9/16 (56.3%) on third down with only turnover.

The longest run of the night was a 17-yard scramble by Vandergriff, and the longest pass of the night was an 18-yard pass to Barion Brown.

Kentucky outgained Georgia and didn't muster a single touchdown, just four field goals from Alex Raynor, with a long of 55 yards.

Georgia was sleepwalking in the first half. The offense couldn't get into a rhythm, totaling just 63 yards before halftime and 1/6 (16.7%) on third down.

The Dawgs came into the matchup banged up, and the offensive line suffered a brutal hit. All-American guard Tate Ratledge left the game with a leg injury.

Regarding his status, “Don’t know,” said Kirby Smart. “I was told ankle and knee, but I don’t know which is worse or how bad it is. I don’t know much about it.”

As many have become accustomed to watching the Bulldogs, there was always an expectation that the machine would turn it on and bury Kentucky. It never happened, but it never truly felt like Kentucky was a real threat to win the game.

The first touchdown of the ballgame was scored in the fourth quarter on a Branson Robinson run from three yards out.

Georgia got the run game going late in the fourth on the back of Trevor Etienne. Etienne finished the night with 79 yards on the ground at 4.2 yards per carry and a reception for 11 yards.

Carson Beck didn't have his best showing, yet he made plays when he had to. Kentucky had a great game plan for him coming into the evening, and he executed at a high level for most of this game.

Beck finished the evening 15/24 for 160 yards, with 18 yards on the ground. Explosive plays through the air were at a premium all night; Beck opened things up with a 20-yard pass to Dillon Bell in the third quarter and two 33-yard dots to Dominic Lovett in the fourth.

"It's never easy on the road in the SEC," said Beck. "Look at the first SEC road games in the last few years. Missouri, '22, a dogfight. Auburn last year, dogfight; this year, dogfight.

After holding onto a one-point into the final minutes, The Dawgs escaped Lexington with a 13-12 victory over the Wildcats.

Coach Smart said: "We never flinched. We thought this would be a blow-by-blow game. We talked all week about delivering more blows than them."

42 straight regular season wins—27 straight vs the SEC. Program.

Georgia has a bye week, and on September 27th, it will play a thrilling primetime road matchup against Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

Phin Phever