Dang. Almost had it. After one of the worst showings in the Mark Stoops era against South Carolina last week, Kentucky nearly pulled off an unfathomable upset over top-ranked Georgia. Unfortunately, inevitability reared its ugly head once again and the Wildcats fell short in an old-fashioned slobber knocker, 13-12.

As we do every week, let’s dig into what the professors at Pro Football Focus (PFF) had to say when it comes to individual player grades on a day when everyone gave their heart and soul into a game that nearly sent a tidal wave across college football.

Running backs, once again, top the offense

In the first three games, Kentucky running backs rushed to the top of the PFF grade list. Specifically, Demie Sumo-Karngbaye finished second-highest on the team in each game, including on Saturday against Georgia. His 71.5 grade was just slightly behind the only other healthy scholarship tailback on the field, Jamarion Wilcox‘s 71.8, which led the offense. There may not have been an outpouring of points to show for it, but the bright spot on this team has been the running game, and that could be something to build some confidence around moving forward.

One of the reasons for that is that the offensive line has shown to be much more adept at run blocking than pass blocking. Most poignantly, after posting a much-discussed 5.1 pass-block grade against the Gamecocks, Marques Cox finished with the third-highest grade on the offense against Georgia. Sure, his pass block grade was still below average at 58, but it was still higher than all every over o-lineman aside from Jalen Farmer‘s 66.7.

At first glance, the fact that only six players graded above average in a game where Kentucky almost defeated the best team in the country seems off, but considering the team did not score a touchdown, it probably checks out.

Kentucky Offensive PFF Grades and Snap Counts versus Georgia

Kentucky Defensive PFF Grades and Snap Counts versus Georgia

It shouldn’t be a surprise, but Zion Childress graded out best on the defensive side of the ball at 73.8. If only his would-be interception return for a touchdown hadn’t been overturned, his grade would have been through the roof.

Most of the team’s highest-rated players were linebackers and defensive backs, as all of the nine players who graded above average were in the back two levels of the defense. The PFF grade criteria did not love the performance of the defensive line, despite keeping a potent Georgia offense in check most of the game.

Another player worth calling out is Daveren Rayner. He graded in the top three on defense for the third game in a row despite not starting. The Northern Illinois transfer is making the most of this time on the field.

Even though Kentucky couldn’t pull off the upset, they flipped the previously disastrous momentum coming out of the South Carolina game on its head. Now they can look to use the Ohio game to catapult the positive vibes into Oxford and Ole Miss in two weeks.

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