It was close for three quarters, but the Kentucky Wildcats eventually ran out of steam in their narrow 13-12 loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, dropping them to 1-2 on the season and 0-2 in SEC play.

Kentucky had the lead in the fourth quarter, but Georgia found the end zone in the opening minutes of the final period. The Wildcats answered with a field goal, but the inability to find the end zone ultimately cost Kentucky the win.

Despite the loss, Mark Stoops and his team certainly earned a moral victory this week. After last week’s embarrassing loss to South Carolina, playing inspirational football on Saturday against the nation’s No. 1 team has to be huge for Kentucky’s future mentality.

Here are four things you should know after the loss.

The defense came into play

Georgia scored just three points in the first half on Saturday night, their lowest first-half total of the season. The Bulldogs were also held to 63 yards rushing – the lowest total during Kirby Smart’s tenure as head coach. Kentucky flew all over the field and got the ball quickly.

In the second half, Deone Walker and the rest of Kentucky’s defensive line continued to disrupt Georgia on offense. Their tackling in the open field was sensational. Georgia finally wore down Kentucky’s front seven and scored its first touchdown in the fourth quarter, but that was the only one they allowed all game. Overall, the Wildcats put on an excellent performance.

Mark Stoops Bounce-Back Game

Kentucky was clearly not prepared for last week’s loss to South Carolina. It was almost as if they were punched in the gut early on and gave up. This week, however, Kentucky played exciting football from the start and was full of confidence that they could compete with the No. 1 team in the nation. It all starts with coaching. Stoops and his staff responded to the challenge by making sure their team was prepared for their toughest opponent of the season. Kentucky may have lost and their passing attack still needs a lot of improvement, but their performance as a team was nothing short of inspiring.

Keep Running Demie Sumo-Karngbaye

Before the game, the Wildcats were dealing with multiple injuries at the running back position. That position has been a pillar of the Kentucky program for the past decade, but this team entered the season wondering who would take over the backfield. It was clear early in Saturday night’s game that Sumo-Karngbaye has what it takes to be the driving force in the Wildcats’ running attack. He was able to find extra yards and his agility kept the Georgia defense in check, and he finished the game with 22 carries for a career-high 98 yards.

Alex Raynor named MVP

And what about Kentucky’s special teams? Raynor kicked his team’s first 12 points through the goal posts and he wasn’t alone in doing so, as he blocked superbly and held onto every kick well. His first of four kicks was a career-high 55 yards and the first point of the game.

Raynor is the best kicker in the country in terms of accuracy and he proved Saturday night that he can also hit from long distance (kicks from 55 and 51 yards). Without him, the Wildcats would have been empty on offense. Kentucky will have to find a way to score touchdowns to compete in Southeastern Conference games, but Raynor will no doubt continue to be a great asset to their offense.

Now let’s talk about what happened.