First quarter blog

End of first quarter, Georgia leads 14-3

Everyone talked this week about how A.J. Green's presence had changed things for Georgia. Well he hasn't been a factor - because he hasn't had to - and the Bulldogs have a 14-3 lead after 15 minutes.

The early story of this game: Turnovers, special teams and big plays - in Georgia's favor.

The latest came when Kentucky went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 39. The Georgia defense held.

Georgia's offense has now started all three drives inside Kentucky's 40: at the 24, 34 and 39.

And that's not including Brandon Boykin's kickoff return touchdown.

The Bulldogs couldn't capitalize the second time, when Sanders Commings returned a fumble down to the Kentucky 34. Blair Walsh missed a 46-yard field goal.

As we prepare to start the second quarter, Georgia is driving, with Washaun Ealey having converted a third down.

Ealey is also emerging as a story, at least on offense.

4:57 left in first quarter, Georgia leads 14-3

This just in: Brandon Boykin is good at returning kickoffs.

The Georgia junior just returned the kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown - the third time he's done that in his career.

That's not too shabby.

It never hurts to have the special teams and defense do the legwork: Georgia now has 14 points in this game, after running just four offensive plays. That's the kind of stuff that wasn't happening earlier in the season.

Boykin had seemed on the verge of a long return - I wrote as much in my pregame capsule for today's papers. Now the question is whether Kentucky will start kicking away from him.

5:14 left in first quarter, Georgia now leads 7-3

Georgia's defense finally held on third down, but not after four straight long Kentucky conversions got it into field goal territory. So after a 41-yard kick by Craig McIntosh, the Wildcats are within four.

The Bulldogs didn't hold on third down four straight times on that drive, with the four conversions all coming from longer than eight yards out. Kentucky's drive lasted 16 plays.

On the plus side, none of the big plays resulted in a touchdown.

7:30 left in first quarter

Kentucky had only allowed a league-low six sacks entering this game. But it's already yielded one, and Georgia is getting a ton of pressure on Mike Hartline.

It appears that with tailback Derrick Locke out, the Bulldogs are allowing their edge rushers to just go after Hartline, and they'll let the safeties worry about the tailbacks, if need be.

On the other hand, Georgia's third-down woes - specifically on third-and-long are back. Kentucky just converted a third straight one to get into Georgia territory. It's been third-and-10, third-and-8 and third-and-15.

11:57 left in first quarter, Georgia takes 7-0 lead

I'll go ahead and assume Georgia is mildly satisfied with the beginning to this ballgame.

Georgia has grabbed momentum and quieted the crowd early, capitalizing on a fumble recovery with a Washaun Ealey 3-yard touchdown run. Ealey set up his own run with a 13-yard run on third down, and on both plays he showed a lot of strength at the line, barreling through after getting hit.

But the big play came on defense, when the Bulldogs forced Kentucky quarterback Mike Hartline to cough the ball up deep in his own territory.

DeAngelo Tyson was actually credited with the sack, but Justin Houston had the initial hit. Houston burst through pretty much untouched.

Cornelius Washington recovered the fumble at the Kentucky 24.

Keep in mind, Georgia is 3-0 when it scores first this season.