Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt watches warmups before an NCAA college football game against Kentucky Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 27-3. (AP Photo/John Amis)ATHENS, Ga. - After going with the same starting offensive line the first eight games of the season, the Georgia Bulldogs shook things up before Saturday's 27-3 win over Kentucky.
Only center Brandon Kublanow stayed in the same starting spot, as Isaiah Wynn shifted from left guard to left tackle, John Theus from left tackle to right tackle and Kolton Houston from right tackle to left guard. Dyshon Sims got the start at right guard, bouncing Greg Pyke off the first team.
"We went in after last week and talked about making some changes," Bulldogs offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. "We huddled and wanted to do a better job of controlling the clock, and we weren't just going to keep repeating the same old stuff. We have to look at the tape, but I thought our guys did a nice job.
"We controlled the ball for more than 37 minutes, and we had a lot of third downs that were manageable."
Houston was flagged for clipping on the first play from scrimmage, and Wynn briefly left with an injury, but the Bulldogs wound up producing 390 yards, including 300 on the ground. Pyke did work his way back into more playing time at the expense of Sims.
"The new lineup could have helped, but who really knows?" Houston said. "We said from the beginning that we were just going to have fun today, and I think that showed. It was a mental thing."
Two Sanders picks
Georgia sophomore safety Dominick Sanders, who broke a bone in his thumb three weeks ago against Missouri, fumbled away an interception after a 24-yard return to Kentucky's 6-yard line in the second quarter.
"As I ran across the field, I kind of got it tweaked, and that's what popped the ball out," Sanders said. "When I got back to the sideline, they rewrapped it and put a little padding on it."
Sanders got another chance early in the fourth quarter, picking off Patrick Towles a second time and returning the ball 38 yards to Kentucky's 38. That set up Marshall Morgan's 27-yard field goal that capped the scoring.
Jeremy Pruitt's defense held the Wildcats to 101 yards through the air.
"Coach Pruitt told me after that first mistake to keep the ball high and tight and get some yards upfield," Sanders said, "so that's what I did."
Ramsey rolling
After averaging 43.4 yards in last week's loss to Florida, backup quarterback and new starting punter Brice Ramsey was even better against the Wildcats. Ramsey averaged 47.7 yards on three punts, including a 53-yarder on his first attempt.
"I didn't think I would be punting full time, but I'm enjoying it," Ramsey said.
Odds and ends
Georgia junior receiver Reggie Davis suffered a concussion during the first quarter and did not return. Head coach Mark Richt on Thursday's speculation that Pruitt had been fired: "Something happened that morning. I don't know who got the misinformation, and it's really a shame that kind of stuff can get flying around." Georgia has won six straight meetings with Kentucky and leads the series 55-12-2. The Bulldogs picked up a commitment Saturday from Javon Wims, a 6-4, 215-pound receiver from Hinds (Miss.) Community College.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6524.