What's more likely: Limiting Georgia to a 3-and-out, driving 25 to 30 yards, and then hitting a game-winning field goal, or picking up eight yards on a single play?
Mark Stoops was faced with that decision late Saturday night with a chance to knock off the No. 1 team in the country.
Trailing top-ranked Georgia 13-12 with 3:03 to play, Stoops's team faced a 4th-and-8 at the UGA 47-yard line. A first down would've pushed the ball to Georgia's 39 at worst, while either draining the clock near the 2-minute timeout, forcing Kirby Smart to start burning timeouts, or both. Stoops's kicker, Alex Raynor, had accounted for all of UK's scoring, with two of his four field goals coming from beyond 50 yards.
Instead of pushing his chips to the table, Stoops put them in a bag, and then threw the bag in the trash.
"You know I've been honest with you for 12 years. If I made a mistake, like last week, I'll tell you. I don't regret punting that ball," Stoops said in his post-game press conference.
"I felt like if we went for it there and don't make it, then our offense, if we stop them, has to go the length of the field," he continued.
Instead, Kentucky pinned Georgia at its own 15... and still had to go the length of the field. Georgia ran eight plays for 45 yards, pushing the ball into Kentucky territory while consuming all but nine seconds of the remaining game.
"That was going to be tough against that defense in a predictable pass situation. It's not our strength, so let's play to our strength -- pin 'em. Plenty of time to pin 'em and get the ball back. What I don't like is one play during that 4-minute drive where they hit the sail," Stoops said, referring to a 33-yard connection to Bulldog receiver Dominic Lovett, which pushed the ball from Georgia's own 16 to midfield.
Stoops was correct in saying passing in predictable passing situations was not Kentucky's strength. Brock Vandagriff, a Georgia transfer, completed 14-of-27 passes for 114 yards on the night. Given the ball back with nine seconds to play at his own 20, Vandagriff hit a 12-yard completion, but Kentucky's attempt to execute a Boise State-style hook-and-ladder died before it even had a chance, as Georgia's Malaki Starks tackled UK's Jordan Dingle before he could toss the ball to a teammate.
The loss drops Kentucky to 1-2 on the season, and Stoops to 0-12 against Georgia. Kentucky has traditionally played Georgia close in Lexington of late, falling 16-6 in 2022 and 14-3 in 2020.
Perhaps in Georgia's next visit, Kentucky will play Georgia close enough to where a simple 8-yard completion would give Stoops a chance to take the lead in the final three minutes.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.