Tag: Brock Vandagriff

Stat breakdown of Georgia football’s SEC opener at Kentucky

Looking at statistical similarities and differences between the Georgia Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats entering their Week 3 game

The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (2-0), coming off of a 48-3 win over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, will head to Kroger Field to play the Kentucky Wildcats (1-1), their first SEC opponent. Kentucky is coming off the heels of a 31-6 loss to South Carolina, which saw Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff get benched for Gavin Wimsatt.

Georgia has lived up to the preseason No. 1 hype so far, with dominating wins against No. 14 Clemson and Tennessee Tech. They’ll be looking to keep their undefeated regular season record alive.

Meanwhile, Kentucky has disappointed. What was supposed to be a solid, mid-tier SEC team has been a dud on both sides of the ball. While it is just Week 3 of the college season, losing in a blowout to South Carolina doesn’t inspire confidence.

Here’s a statistical look at each team, provided by CFB Stats.

Scoring Offense:

Georgia: 41 points per game (tied-31st)

Kentucky: 18.5 points per game (tied-110th)

Rushing Offense:

Georgia: 167.5 rushing yards per game (59th)

Kentucky: 143.5 rushing yards per game (82nd)

Passing Offense:

Georgia: 305 passing yards per game (24th)

Kentucky: 106.5 passing yards per game (130th)

Total Offense:

Georgia: 472.5 total yards per game (33rd)

Kentucky: 250 total yards per game (125th)

Scoring Defense:

Georgia: 3.0 points allowed per game (tied-4th)

Kentucky: 15.5 points allowed per game (t-49th)

Run Defense:

Georgia: 81 yards allowed per game (29th)

Kentucky: 45.5 yards allowed per game (8th)

Pass Defense:

Georgia: 80 yards allowed per game (5th)

Kentucky: 146 yards allowed per game (39th)

Total Defense:

Georgia: 161 total yards allowed per game (5th)

Kentucky: 191.5 total yards allowed per game (8th)

Kentucky still has one of the top defenses in the country. The Wildcats will need to stop the run against Georgia to have a chance. Georgia’s offense has looked much better than Kentucky’s to start the season. One thing to note is that Kentucky’s 31-0 win over Southern Mississippi in Week 1 was cut short due to a lightning delay.

“They’re physical. So you play defense, you have physical lines of scrimmage, you have huge people on the offensive and defensive line, and you’re hard to move the ball on,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart on facing Kentucky. Battles with the Wildcats usually come down to winning the line of scrimmage.

What Kirby Smart said about Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff

Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff, a UGA transfer, went against the Georgia defense for years in practice.

Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart will face Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff in Week 3. The Bulldogs are 2-0 and play a 1-1 Kentucky team that is coming off an ugly 31-6 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Georgia’s Sept. 14 road trip to Kentucky won’t be easy. It will be Georgia’s first road game of the season and will also be UGA’s first SEC opponent.

Kentucky is known for playing physical games against Georgia that are low scoring with the exception of Georgia’s 51-13 win over the Wildcats in 2023. Kentucky will be desperate to turn things around against Georgia and to prove that they are the real deal.

Improved quarterback and offensive line play would go a long way for the Wildcats. Kentucky’s physicality is something that stands out to Kirby Smart.

“Really physical,” said Smart. “They add the extra element with the quarterback, both quarterbacks are good runners and throwers. They’ve done a tremendous job of mixing that up and using those guys legs. They’re a physical team. I think they had 18 consecutive runs against South Carolina.”

Establishing the run will be critical for Kentucky, but the Wildcats need to get more production out of starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Vandagriff has only three touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He’s passed for only 199 yards this season and is coming off a lackluster three of 10 performance where he totaled just 30 passing yards and threw an interception.

“I think that’s part of their identity is figuring out who Brock (Vandagriff) is as well as their other quarterbacks that’s playing,” said Smart. “So, I think that’s something (Kentucky’s offensive identity) that they’ve got to answer, and our job is to stop whatever they do, and we’ve got to work hard on that.”

Kentucky’s definitely looking to run the football, but the Wildcats can’t try to get through SEC play as a one-dimensional team. Georgia’s defense is quite familiar with Vandagriff after playing against him in practice for several years. Vandagriff, who transferred to Kentucky, graduated from Georgia recently. He transferred to the Wildcats looking for more consistent playing time.

“Very little,” said Smart on if facing Vandagriff in practice over the years will impact the Georgia-Kentucky game. “I have a lot of respect for Brock, his dad, his family. What Brock did for this university was awesome. He was a wonderful teammate and just a great kid. Always put the team first and would do anything to help the team, and really helped our culture while he was here.”

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Georgia plays Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Sept. 14. The Georgia-Kentucky game will be televised nationally on ABC.

What went wrong for Kentucky and Brock Vandagriff against South Carolina

Taking a look at what went wrong for Kentucky football against South Carolina.

The Kentucky Wildcats and quarterback Brock Vandagriff suffered a tough loss that could alter their season losing to the South Carolina Gamecocks 31-6 at home.

The Wildcats managed just six completions all game. Vandagriff completed three of 10 passes for 30 yards and he threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter.

When backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt entered the game, it didn’t get much better. He went just three of seven for 14 passing yards and threw an interception, but did have six rushes for 44 yards.

Related: Social media reacts to Kentucky loss to South Carolina

South Carolina’s defense was highly impressive all around, but up front is where the game was won for the Gamecocks. The front seven in particular was nightmare fuel for Kentucky, recording 11 tackles for loss and five sacks.

South Carolina harassed Vandagriff early and often, and blew up other plays before they could develop. Kentucky has to play better up front on the offensive line for them to have success this season.

Kentucky is 1-1 and has a lot of questions after their disastrous game against South Carolina. “The Gamecocks defense sacked Vandagriff five times and he was under pressure on nearly every dropback. The passing game became non-existent, and the game quickly got away from the Wildcats,” said Vance Meek of UK Wildcats Wire.

The No.1 team in the country, the Georgia Bulldogs, come to town this weekend as Kentucky hosts a game where the Dawgs are heavy favorite at Kroger Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

ESPN’s Matchup Predictor doesn’t give Kentucky much of a chance, the Bulldogs have a 92.4 percent chance of victory.

 

How UGA transfer QB Brock Vandagriff performed in Week 2

Everything went wrong for former Georgia football quarterback Brock Vandagriff in Kentucky’s ugly 31-6 loss to South Carolina

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Brock Vandagriff got his second career start for the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 2. Vandagriff and Kentucky suffered a horrendous 31-6 loss at home to the South Carolina Gamecocks.

South Carolina’s defense absolutely dominated Vandagriff and the Kentucky offense. The Wildcats managed just six completions all game. Vandagriff completed just three of 10 passes for 30 yards and he threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter that ended any Kentucky hopes of a win.

Kentucky does not have the best players on the outside, but the Wildcats got whipped up front against South Carolina. The Gamecocks recorded five sacks and forced four Kentucky fumbles.

Vandagriff and fellow Georgia transfer linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (four tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss) both did not play close to every snap for Kentucky. Vandagriff struggled mightily and was pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of Gavin Wimsatt.

Wimsatt was much more effective as a rusher and finished with six carries for 44 yards. However, he went just three of seven for 14 passing yards and threw an interception. Vandagriff finished with nine rushes for negative 29 yards.

“Just error after error,” said Kentucky coach Mark Stoops during the Wildcats’ loss to South Carolina.

Kentucky is 1-1 and has a lot of questions after their disastrous game against South Carolina. “The Gamecocks defense sacked Vandagriff five times and he was under pressure on nearly every dropback. The passing game became non-existent, and the game quickly got away from the Wildcats,” said Vance Meek of UK Wildcats Wire.

It is unclear who Kentucky will start at quarterback in Week 3 against the Georgia Bulldogs, but what is clear is that is Kentucky’s run game is shutdown, then the Wildcats don’t have much of a chance against the No. 1 team in the country.

How Georgia transfer QB Brock Vandagriff performed in Week 1

Kentucky football QB Brock Vandagriff and the Wildcats host Georgia in Week 3. How did Vandagriff’s perform in his first college start?

Former Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Brock Vandagriff is the starting quarterback for the Kentucky Wildcats. Vandagriff and Kentucky moved to 1-0 with a 31-0 victory over Southern Mississippi.

How did the former Georgia quarterback perform in his first career start? Vandagriff completed 12 of 18 passes for 169 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He added five carries for 35 yards in Kentucky’s win, which featured a lightning delay and was called after another delay in the third quarter.

Vandagriff played a solid game against a low level of competition. He completed several passes deep down the field and used his mobility to benefit the Wildcats’ rushing offense.

“Perhaps the biggest question mark entering the season was what Brock Vandagriff would look like under center,” said Vance Meek of UK Wildcats Wire. Vandagriff was effective in his first career start, but he will face more challenging competition in Week 2 when Kentucky hosts South Carolina. The Georgia Bulldogs play at Kentucky in Week 3, which will be an even more difficult task for the Wildcats.

“He (Vandagriff) also looked capable running the ball, but took a couple of hard hits when a slide might have been the better choice. Kentucky can’t afford an injury at quarterback, and Vandagriff looks like the real deal, so keeping him healthy is a priority,” continued Meek.

Vandagriff and fellow Georgia transfer linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson (two tackles, one interceptions) were both bright spots for Kentucky. The Wildcats’ identity is still running the football despite their addition of Vandagriff.

Kentucky blanks Southern Miss, 31-0, after long night in Lexington

Kentucky made the most of the 35 minutes of game time the Wildcats got to play Saturday night, posting a 31-0 shutout victory over Southern Miss.

Kentucky defeated Southern Miss, 31-0, Saturday night at Kroger Field in its 2024 season opener.

Under the circumstances, the Wildcats (1-0) had as strong a start to their season as one could have probably hoped for.

Too bad Mother Nature put a damper on the festivities.

Marred by a delay of almost 2 hours, 30 minutes due to lightning strikes, the game didn’t kick off until around 10 p.m. in the Bluegrass State. Shortly before midnight ET, with Kentucky well in control, another wave of nearby lightning caused the game to be delayed again with just over five minutes gone by in the third quarter.

It took until shortly after 12:30 a.m. locally before officials ruled that the contest was completed.

Here’s what happened when there wasn’t lightning in the skies.

The Wildcats got three touchdown passes from Georgia transfer quarterback Brock Vandagriff, and the defense held Southern Miss (0-1) to just 131 yards of offense. Kentucky posted 317 total yards and had 18 first downs to the Golden Eagles’ seven.

After Vandagriff was intercepted in Southern Miss territory on the Wildcats’ first drive of the game, Golden Eagles quarterback Tate Rodemaker returned the favor when he threw a pass that was picked off by linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson, another Georgia transfer from the offseason.

On the ensuing Kentucky possession, Vandagriff scrambled and converted on a 3rd-and-8 from the 12-yard line to find Barion Brown in the front corner of the end zone for the Wildcats’ first score and a 7-0 lead with 6:03 remaining in the first quarter.

With Southern Miss on the move at the Kentucky 8-yard line on its next offensive series, Rodemaker was picked off again when JQ Hardaway intercepted a pass in the end zone.

Senior kicker Alex Raynor booted a 41-yard field goal midway through the second quarter for a 10-0 Wildcats lead, and on its next possession, Kentucky went 75 yards on seven plays. They capped their third scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run from Demie Sumo-Karngbaye for a 17-0 lead with 3:07 to play in the half.

With their offense stuck in neutral, Southern Miss unsuccessfully tried a fake punt on a 4th-and-4 from their own 31. Kentucky took over at the Golden Eagles’ 29 with 1:52 to play.

From there, Vandagriff hit Dane Key for 21 yards and a first down to the 12-yard line. Brown then took a pitch from Vandagriff and ran 12 yards for another touchdown that capped the first half scoring at 24-0 with 31 seconds remaining until halftime. To that point, the ‘Cats had scored on three straight possessions.

Following a brief 10-minute halftime, Vandagriff completed his third touchdown pass of the night when he found Jordan Dingle for 5 yards to give Kentucky a 31-0 lead with 9:56 left in the third quarter.

It would be the final play of the game before play was suspended for good due to lightning.

Vandagriff finished his Kentucky debut 12 of 18 for 169 yards, adding 35 yards on the ground on five carries. He had a 35-yard completion to Key that set up the Wildcats’ third score of the night, and a 46-yard completion to Ja’Mori Maclin on the final drive. Maclin had two catches for 66 yards while Key added another 60 yards on two grabs.

Sumo-Karngbaye led the rushing attack with 59 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. The Wildcats ran for 148 yards to only five rushing yards total for Southern Miss.

Rodemaker, a transfer from Florida State, was 13 of 19 for 126 passing yards to go with the two turnovers.

NEXT UP

Kentucky will host South Carolina, Sept. 7 at 3:30 p.m. ET at Kroger Field. The game will be televised on ABC. The Gamecocks rallied in the fourth quarter Saturday to get past Old Dominion, 23-19.

What fans need to know about Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff

Taking a look at new Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff.

A new era of Kentucky football begins in Lexington on Saturday. The Wildcats open the 2024 season against Southern Miss with a lot of new faces, none more important than new quarterback Brock Vandagriff.

Like most teams in college football, the Wildcats are at their best when they have an effective passer. After last season, coach Mark Stoops and his staff looked to the transfer portal, and were thrilled to land Vandagriff. So who is Brock Vandagriff?

Vandagriff played high school football in Georgia, and was a top 40 recruit in the 2021 class. Unsurprisingly, he committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, and it looked like he would eventually take over as the starter.

Related: Interview with former Kentucky receiver Stevie Johnson

After playing sparingly in 2021 and 2022, Vandagriff sought to take over as the starter in 2023. However, Georgia went with Carson Beck. Vandagriff did play some, completing 12 of 18 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

After the season, he entered the transfer portal, where he was ranked as the fifth best quarterback. On December 6th, he chose Kentucky.

At 6’3″ and 217 lbs, Vandagriff looks the part. He has a very good arm, and can make some plays with his legs when necessary. He was a very accurate passer in high school, and working with quality receivers at Kentucky should help in that regard.

With two years of eligibility remaining, Vandagriff has the chance to play his way into being one of Kentucky best quarterbacks of recent memory. The journey starts Saturday night.

Where Brock Vandagriff ranks among PFF Power Five starting quarterbacks entering 2024

Brock Vandagriff was ranked outside the Top 50 on PFF’s list heading into 2024.

Kentucky will have a new signal-caller this season in Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff. A former five-star quarterback out of Prince Avenue Christian School in Buford, Ga., Vandagriff announced his decision to transfer in December of last year.

Pro Football Focus on Wednesday unveiled its rankings of all 70 Power Five starting quarterbacks for 2024. Vandagriff was ranked No. 53 on the list, one spot ahead of Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles and one spot below Pitt’s Nate Yarnell.

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman said of Vandagriff:

“Vandagriff will get his first chance to start this season in Lexington. He doesn’t have many reps under his belt but appears to possess the requisite tools to succeed. Kentucky generally emphasizes the run game and has a couple of good receivers in Dane Key and Barion Brown. The environment is right for Vandagriff to find some success.

Vandagriff was recently named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List heading into 2024. The award is presented annually to the player who “values character, citizenship, integrity and those who honor the game,” in addition to on-field performance.

Heisman Trophy winner and former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels won the Unitas Golden Arm Award last year.

Vandagriff was rated the No. 4 quarterback in the nation by On3 in the class of 2021. 247Sports ranked him the No. 5 quarterback in the transfer portal after last season and the No. 37 player overall.

Georgia’s Carson Beck was ranked No. 1 in PFF’s rankings Wednesday.

RELATED: ESPN makes bowl game projections for Kentucky football

Brock Vandagriff named to Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list

Brock Vandagriff was one of 63 quarterbacks named to the watch list.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff was one of 63 players named to the annual Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list on Wednesday.

The award is presented to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with their class. Vandagriff was one of the Wildcats’ biggest hauls in the transfer portal in the offseason.

A former five-star quarterback from Prince Avenue Christian School in Bogart, Ga., he committed to Georgia in 2020. Vandagriff spent three years in Athens as a backup behind Stetson Bennett and Carson Beck.

He saw action in seven games a year ago and completed 12 of 18 passes for 165 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the Bulldogs’ 51-13 rout of Kentucky on Oct. 7 at Sanford Stadium.

The winner will be presented with the Golden Arm Award trophy on Dec. 6.

2024 Golden Arm Award Watch List Presented by A.O. Smith

Joey Aguilar, App State

Drew Allar, Penn State

Brock Vandagriff was named a breakout candidated by Pro Football Focus

Kentucky football’s Brock Vandagriff was named as a breakout candidate by Pro Football Focus.

Kentucky football has had some good quarterbacks in recent seasons, and are hoping to add to the list with Brock Vandagriff. The former Georgia Bulldog transferred to Lexington this year, and Mark Stoops and his staff hope he’s ready to be the next star passer for the Wildcats.

Pro Football Focus likes Vandgriff as well. Writer Mitch Kaiser recently made a list of players who were breakout candidates for 2024, and the Kentucky signal caller is on it. Here’s what PFF had to say:

The strong-armed 6-foot-3 quarterback dropped back to pass just 20 times last season but averaged 9.2 yards per pass attempt to earn an 87.0 PFF grade. He threw just 18 passes but recorded two big-time throws and zero turnover-worthy plays.

Vandagriff was a four-star prospect out of high school, and was ranked 34th overall by 247sports. With Carson Beck’s ascension, he decided to head elsewhere, and landed with the Wildcats.

The 2024 season is a few months away, and nobody can be sure how Vandagriff will perform. He’s clearly talented, though, and if PFF is correct, he could be better than people expect.