It’s a testament as to how much things have soured lately that Georgia came into Saturday’s game at Sanford Stadium desperately in need of a win over Kentucky.

The Bulldogs did just that, managing a decisive 27-3 win over the Wildcats at Sanford Stadium.

Here’s a closer look at the game in which the Dawgs improved to 6-3 overall and 4-3 in SEC play.

5 TAKEAWAYS

1. We will see more use of the Wildcat formation: The Dawgs offense clearly ran best in the Wildcat formation with freshman receiver Terry Godwin most often taking the direct snap from the backfield, where he was most often joined by Sony Michel. It was elusive Godwin who snapped his team’s touchdown-less string of more than eight quarters when he picked up a muffed snap and darted 28 yards into the end zone to give Georgia a 7-0 lead with 8:57 left in the first period. The frequent use of the Wildcat formation speaks volumes about Georgia’s quarterback play and the lack of confidence their coaches have in them.
2. The lack of productivity from the QB position continues to be a problem: Neither starter Greyson Lambert nor Brice Lambert was effective once again, going a combined 10 of 19 for 90 yards and a touchdown. They weren’t responsible for any interceptions but failed to consistently deliver any plays downfield. Georgia just can’t beat good teams with this kind of Achilles’ heel. Georgia got 300 of its 390 yards of total offense on the ground.
3. Missed opportunities continue: Georgia left much-needed points on the field with both strong safety Dominick Sanders’ fumble following an interception return and a Morgan Marshall field goal. Sanders appeared headed to the end zone to give the Dawgs a commanding 17-0 lead when he accidentally collided with teammate Tim Kimbrough and fumbled the ball to the Wildcats. Morgan missed wide left on a 38-yard field goal to close the first half.
4. A reshuffled offensive line struggled in pass protection: The decision to reshuffle starters along the offensive line and insert new starter Dyshon Sims at right guard was somewhat understandable, given the unit’s underachieving play thus far in the season. However, the new-look unit consistently struggled against UK in blitz protection, leaving both Lambert and Ramsey to pay the price. Cohesion along an offensive line takes time, but the Dawgs may not have time for that to develop. There must be an immediate sense of urgency to get things right up front.
5. Drops continue to hurt the Dawgs: It’s not often that either Lambert or Ramsey make perfect tosses downfield, so the Bulldogs receivers must capitalize when they do. Georgia’s offense just simply isn’t good enough to withstand drive-killing drops.

REPORT CARD

Offense — B+: Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did a much better job of properly deploying his stable of talented tailbacks. Sony Michel enjoyed a career day of 165 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries to pace the seven Georgia players to carry the football en route to a season-high 300 yards rushing. The Dawgs played it conservatively because of their quarterback struggles, running 52 runs to 19 passes. Running the zone read from the Wildcat formation consistently allowed the Dawgs to get the ball into the hands of Georgia’s top playmakers and appeared to catch Kentucky off guard.
Defense — A+: It had been a crazy week for much-maligned defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, but his troops were ready to play on Saturday. Kentucky was just 3-for-12 on third downs and managed just 180 yards of total offense (79 rushing, 101 passing) and eight first downs for the game. Georgia’s defensive linemen dominated the line of scrimmage, while its defensive backs smothered the UK receivers all afternoon and harassed Wildcats QB Patrick Towles into a forgettable 8-for-21 afternoon that included 2 interceptions, both by Sanders. UK’s only 3 points followed a Bulldogs fumble in the second quarter at the Dawgs’ 20-yard line.
Special teams — B: Kicker Marshall Morgan went 2-for-3 on field goals, hitting from 22 and 27 yards out while missing wide left on a 38-yard try just before the end of the half. Punters Brice Ramsey and Collin Barber combined for a 46.8-yard average on 4 kicks. One of Ramsey’s kicks went for 53 yards.
Coaching — A-: Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer did a much better job of using Michel, Keith Marshall and Brendan Douglas in ways that best fit their talents. The stable of talented backs simply wore their visitors down. The decision to go to the Wildcat was a good call, although it was just a stop-gap measure that was only effective against a bad Kentucky defense. The Dawgs have plenty of work ahead to do on offense, but the changes were enough to at least get a much-needed win going into Saturday’s game at Auburn. They’ll have to do better next week. Coach Mark Richt’s decision to kick the field goal in the first quarter rather than go for it on fourth-and-1 from the UK 6-yard line with 2:03 left in the opening period wasn’t a big hit with the fans, but it was the right call and put the Dawgs ahead 10-0. Richt knew his team was a fragile one and desperately needed the shot of confidence that comes with putting points up on the board.
Overall — A-: Kentucky wasn’t exactly the most talented team, but Georgia desperately needed a win and got one. It should quiet critics for a moment, but that good feeling will be short-lived if the Dawgs can’t beat Auburn.

GAME PLAN

• Richt and his staff made all the right moves to make sure they got a much-needed win. His coordinators don’t have to be friends, but they need to always make sure their players are ready to play, and that was definitely the case in the win over Kentucky. They knew the Wildcats were no match for their team up front on either side of the ball and took advantage.
• An excellent mix in play-calling was the difference as Georgia scored touchdowns on its first two drives of the second half to blow the game open.
• The decision to have more huddles helped the Dawgs dominate time of possession.

GAME BALLS

RB Sony Michel: Despite playing with a cast on his broken right hand, the sophomore was brilliant, totaling a career-best 165 yards and a touchdown on just 24 carries to shoulder the offensive load for the Dawgs. Michel, who also took snaps in Georgia’s Wildcat formation, looked recharged as he was able to run effectively inside and consistently get to the outside where his speed was a factor.
SS Dominick Sanders: He came up with 2 interceptions to pace an opportunistic defense that forced 3 overall turnovers and had Kentucky’s number all day. His fumble on the return of the first pick was Sanders’ only blemish.
ILB Jake Ganus: The senior tallied a team-high 8 tackles to lead the Dawgs.

INJURY UPDATE

Wide receiver Reggie Davis left the game in the first quarter with a concussion. It remains to be seen whether the junior will cleared in time to play in next Saturday’s game at Auburn.