Tim Tebow on Ray Davis: He inspires his teammates to do ‘a little bit more’

The entire nation has been talking about Ray Davis and his 280-yard rushing performance against Florida last week, but can the Kentucky tailback replicate that performance against No. 1 Georgia?

It might not be that easy, but SEC Nation’s Tim Tebow is very high on the Vanderbilt transfer ahead of Saturday’s ranked matchup. Another strong showing from Davis could prove infectious for the rest of the Wildcats’ roster, which could spell disaster for the Bulldogs.

“The 280 yards is incredible, but what I think is even more special is his 7.5 yards after contact per rush,” Tebow said on SportsCenter Saturday morning. “Every time he carries the ball, he is breaking tackles and making people miss. Last week, he broke 11 tackles. That is a joke … It was a great effort from Ray Davis and that is something he is going to have to do early and often in this game, to set the tone but also give his team belief against a great Georgia team.

“When his teammates see him making people miss, breaking tackles — that will inspire them to do a little bit more.”

When you account for Georgia’s defense taking a massive step back from last season, ranking 37th in total defense while allowing opposing running backs to average 113 yards against them.

That means the best game plan for Georgia coming into Saturday is to have Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary beat the Bulldogs with his arm. The transfer QB completed 9-of-19 passes for 69 yards and a touchdown against Florida last week, but his poor outing was masked Davis career-defining performance.

It’s not all on Leary, though. All of his receivers have been liable to drop passes this season, and his offensive line hasn’t exactly kept his jersey clean, either. With the rushing game clicking and the defense rolling, the offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s passing game needs to be sharpened if the Wildcats want a chance of beating Georgia on the road.

Of course, beating Georgia is easier said than done. The last time UK pulled off an upset over the Bulldogs was 2009 between the hedges during Georgia’s Mark Richt era.

Last season, Georgia — who most would agree is a stronger team than the one in Athens this season — won in Lexington 16-6 despite the Wildcats being 22.5-point underdogs. Kentucky’s defense stayed tough and forced Georgia to its lowest-scoring performance of the season.

Kickoff between the two undefeated SEC opponents is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET live on ESPN. Georgia enters game day as a 14.5-point betting favorite, per Vegas Insider.

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