ATHENS — Kirby Smart knew what his Georgia football team needed to do on Saturday, and the Bulldogs wasted no time doing it.

Georgia (4-1, 2-1 SEC) scored on its first two possessions against Kentucky (2-3, 0-3) and stayed in control throughout its 35-14 win at Sanford Stadium on Saturday.

Gunner Stockton was 15-of-23 passing for 196 yards and a touchdown and also carried the ball six times for 48 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his dual-threat abilities.

“Teams have to account for what he can do with his legs,” Smart said, “and that helps us.”

The Georgia defense helped itself with two sacks, a forced fumble and an interception, holding a Kentucky team that entered the day averaging 188 yards rushing to just 45 yards on the ground.

The Bulldogs’ 21-7 lead at intermission represented their first halftime lead against a Power 4 opponent since last season’s 30-15 win at Texas, breaking a streak of eight games Georgia had trailed or been tied at the half.

“We wanted to start fast,” Smart said, “we wanted to bring our own juice.”

Here are 3 quick takeaways from Georgia’s 35-14 win over Kentucky:

The response

Georgia’s 24-21 loss to Alabama last Saturday was gut-wrenching for Bulldogs’ fans who had circled the game on their calendar.

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin declared dynasties over earlier in the week, and some Georgia fans took that to heart as the Bulldogs’ odds of making the College Football Playoff slipped, and the margin for error narrowed with a challenging schedule ahead.

Smart liked the way his team took the field and took charge despite scattered empty seats and a late-arriving crowd for the noon kick in Sanford Stadium.

“I wasn’t shocked at all by the response by the team, I expected it,” Smart said. “I was proud of the way they played in the Alabama game. I told them, ‘We got a good football team, it didn’t always go our way, (but) we did a lot of good things in Alabama game.’

“If we continue to get better, then we’ll be where we need to be. If we don’t get better, then we won’t. And there’s only so many teams that are going to keep getting better.”

Gunner downfield

Stockton threw his first interception of the season in the second quarter, missing London Humphreys on a post route at the Kentucky 8-yard line.

Smart, however, felt important progress was made by his first-year starting quarterback.

“I would say he had the most growth today in terms of downfield throws, stepping up in the pocket,” Smart said of Stockton, who has had issues getting the ball out quickly and being decisive with his throws.

“Still has some more (work) to do. He only had his first pick, I mean, it’s going to happen. It didn’t phase him.”

Stockton connected on five pass plays that went for 17 yards or more, including a perfectly thrown 33-yard pass to Dillon Bell that set up a touchdown.

Hold that line

One of the biggest reasons for optimism in the Georgia locker room has been the level of play at the line of scrimmage.

The Bulldogs out-rushed Kentucky 180 yards to 45 yards, and Georgia quarterbacks were not sacked.

“We did control the line of scrimmages,” Smart said. “We have depth in our defensive line, we have some size ….

“The one thing that has been consistent is controlling the line of scrimmage. Our offensive line has done a good job with the control of the line of scrimmage, and you have to have that.”

Georgia saw starting left tackle Monroe Freeling go down with an ankle injury on the opening drive on Saturday, compounding the loss of injured right tackle Earnest Greene lll, who missed a second consecutive game with injury.

A young, shuffled offensive line got the job done, however, proving the talent and potential the Bulldogs have in their reloaded ranks after losing four of five starters off last season’s team.