Bulldogs not ready to panic

ATHENS -- Despite his team having dropped two of its past three conference games, Georgia ehad coach Mark Fox insists a perfect run down the stretch is not mandatory.

Currently, Georgia is last in the SEC East as it heads into a pivotal road matchup against Kentucky. Fox says the Bulldogs’ current standing does not suggest reason for panic.

“We don’t have to go undefeated,” he said. “There’s room for error. We don’t have to go undefeated the rest of the year to accomplish something. I think that every team is going to have a loss or two from this point forward. You don’t want too many of them, but we have to win more than we lose, that’s for sure.”

Georgia made an early statement by beating Kentucky on Jan. 8. After the win, the Bulldogs were ranked in the AP top 25 for the first time in eight years.

Since then, Georgia is 2-3, including close home losses to Florida and Tennessee. Still, Fox says the descent from first to worst in the division has not placed pressure on his players.

“I don’t sense that from our guys,” Fox said. “They want to have a great year. They’ve invested a great deal. They’re going do their best; they want to please their fans, there’s no question. But they’ve got to focus on playing the game right and being fair to the game, and if they do that, then the rest of it will take care of itself.”

To right the ship, Georgia must do something it has never done under Fox: win at an Eastern Division opponent’s gym. Including the loss at Vanderbilt earlier this month, Georgia is 0-6 under Fox on the road against Eastern foes.

“We come out and compete every time,” senior Jeremy Price said. “Some times we compete and lose; sometimes you win. We look forward to winning more.”

Georgia’s battle to get back in the division conversation begins at 4 p.m, on Saturday at Rupp Arena. Kentucky is 12-1 at home this season.

“Their fans are legendary,” Fox said. “It’s a great atmosphere to play in, and every kid should have that opportunity. Every coach should have a chance to coach in an atmosphere like that.”

Since the loss to Georgia, Kentucky is 3-1 and averaging more than 75 points a game in a trio of conference victories.

“I think the first game has nothing to do with this game,” Fox said. “I think they’re playing much better. I think they’re a better team than they were a couple weeks a go. They’ve had a week to prepare for us where last time we had a week to prepare for them. I think they’ve matured and as a group are much better.”

Also, Fox hinted at a couple of minor injuries a few of his players are dealing with, although he declined to discuss the specifics.

“We’re a little dinged up, to be honest with you,” Fox said. “So I worry about if we’re going to have enough Band-Aids to keep us upright. All of those things are part of the season and every team is going to have some adversity, and you just have to respond to it.”