Saturday’s matchup between Kentucky and Georgia will feature two teams looking to put an end to losing ways that have marred once-promising seasons.

Georgia is continuing to try and find its rhythm following the loss of star running back Nick Chubb, and the lack of production at the quarterback position isn’t helping. Kentucky got off to a fast start but has since suffered two consecutive beatdowns at the hands of Mississippi State and Tennessee.

Many in Lexington had high hopes for this season with a great number of fans picking the ‘Cats to win eight games before it started. One game that nobody had circled as a potential victory was Saturday’s visit to Athens. Now, if Kentucky has any hope at all of meeting the lofty expectations of many fans, it will need to go on the road and beat a struggling Bulldogs team.

Georgia’s main issues in its past two games have stemmed from its inability to score. Running back Sony Michel, who was actually the higher-rated member of Nick Chubb’s recruiting class out of high school, has not had a carry for more than 10 yards since the team’s loss at Tennessee on Oct. 10.

Quarterback Faton Bauta got his first crack at starting duties for the Dawgs last week against Florida. The outing was nothing short of a disaster with the junior completing 15 of 33 pass attempts for 154 yards, 4 interceptions and no touchdowns. The Kentucky defensive front is missing its star in Melvin Lewis, but if Matt Elam and company can get into the Georgia backfield and disrupt the unit’s already delicate psyche, it should pay dividends in the forms of turnovers and punts.

Seeing as Bauta has yet to prove himself as a reader of defenses, I wouldn’t be surprised if Defensive Coordinator D.J. Eliot mixes things up and sends guys like Chris Westry on a few cornerback blitzes to add some chaos and commotion in the UGA backfield.

As a result of not being able to move the ball, either on the ground or through the air, the Bulldogs have struggled to put points on the board. They mustered only a single field goal against Florida on Saturday and were somehow able to manage a victory over Missouri a week prior without scoring a touchdown. As a result, senior kicker Marshall Morgan has been the team’s main scoring threat as of late and has converted on 10 of 14 field goal attempts on the season while not missing an extra point.

Kentucky has many flaws as a team, but one of its strengths is its receiving core. It’ll match up against Georgia’s pass defense, which ranks 2nd in the SEC by only allowing 183 yards per game. If Patrick Towles is able to maintain his composure on the road and effectively get the ball out of his hand to his receivers, the ‘Cats should be able to bury Georgia with as little as 3 or 4 touchdowns.

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Kentucky fans are still bitter about what they feel should have been a win over Auburn a few weeks back. A little luck is being thrown Kentucky’s way this week as it’s getting a Georgia team at perhaps its worst possible time. Georgia has managed less than 10 points in each of its last two games. The last time a Georgia team had such a streak was during the 1969 season.