LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Neither Georgia’s players nor coach Kirby Smart had any doubts that they would be the last to stand in a battle with Kentucky.

It just took longer than expected for the top-ranked Bulldogs to prove it. Much longer.

Branson Robinson rushed for a 3-yard, go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, and Georgia overcame a lackluster performance to defeat Kentucky, then beat them 13-12 on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) struggled to find consistency on both sides of the ball, falling behind 9-3 early in the third quarter to a Wildcats team determined to rebound from their own flat effort in a 31-6 home loss to conference rival South Carolina. Peyton Woodring’s 30-yard field goal late in the third quarter pulled Georgia within three before the ‘Dawgs followed with their longest drive of the night at just the right time.

Trevor Etienne’s 12-yard run, 11-yard reception and 8-yard rush brought the Bulldogs to the Kentucky 29. The Florida transfer then broke to his right for a 17-yard run to the 11, stepping out of bounds as he tiptoed along the sideline to reach the end zone. Robinson took over three plays later for Georgia’s first lead at 13-9.

“Trevor was exhausted and we sent Branson out there,” coach Kirby Smart said. “He had a little bit of grit, makes people miss and (it was) a very physical run.”

The Wildcats weren’t done yet, and they answered with Alex Raynor’s 51-yard field goal to pull within one point. His school-record 55-yard kick gave Kentucky its first lead, and he added two more of 32 and 40 yards for a lead that held for more than three quarters — but not enough to put Georgia away. Kentucky (1-2, 0-2) got the ball one last time at its 20 with 9 seconds left, but could gain just 17 yards on two plays before time expired.

“So proud of the resilience our kids showed,” added Smart, whose team defeated Kentucky for the 15th straight time. “They didn’t flinch. We thought this was going to be a game where everything is turned upside down. We talked all week about turning upside down more than they did. We said the first time you chop down the tree, don’t chop down the tree. Sometimes it takes 272 blows with the ax, and tonight it took every blow to get the job done.”

Etienne rushed 19 times for 79 yards, while Robinson, a sophomore who missed last season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, had five yards on two carries. Quarterback Carson Beck completed 15 of 24 passes for 160 yards, including his longest completion of 33 yards to Dominic Lovett with 2:45 left. That put the Bulldogs in midfield and gave them breathing room in a game where nothing came easy.

Georgia’s defense overcame the absence of several players and ultimately made things tougher for Kentucky. The Wildcats were held without a touchdown for the second straight game and became the Dawgs’ fourth straight opponent to fail to reach the end zone since last season. The Bulldogs have given up just 18 points in three games.

Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandergriff, who transferred from Georgia after replacing Beck and Stetson Bennett during the Bulldogs’ two national title runs last season, completed 14 of 27 for 114 yards but was sacked three times. Two straight in the second quarter, the second of which resulted in a strip fumble by Raylen Wilson that was recovered by Damon Wilson II at the Kentucky 23 and set up Woodring’s game-tying 34-yard field goal.

Kentucky was the aggressor for the first 30 minutes, building a 6-3 halftime lead thanks to Raynor’s first two field goals. The Wildcats also outscored the Bulldogs 130-63 at halftime, not great, but a vast improvement over last week’s lackluster 183-yard road game. They were outscored 199-124 after the break.

“Give them credit. They made more plays than we did,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “We played hard and thought we had a chance to win the game.”

Fight back

Georgia converted just 5 of 13 third-down opportunities and committed nine penalties for 85 yards. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs converted all three red-zone opportunities and did not allow a sack, despite being frustrated by Kentucky’s defense.

“They’re a physical team and there’s a lot of respect, but we were able to pull it out,” said Beck, who acknowledged a heavy blow to his shoulder but said he would be OK. “A win is a win, and I’m really proud of the guys.”

The takeaway meals

Georgia: The Bulldogs were outclassed in the first half and looked out of sync for most of the night. But they limited Kentucky to field goals and it was only a matter of time before they put something together to win an uphill battle after two dominant performances.

Kentucky: This game wasn’t a defining one, but the Wildcats needed to move the needle after a poor performance against the Gamecocks. They were able to move the ball, even outscoring the Bulldogs 284-262, but only entered the red zone once and didn’t reach the end zone for the second straight week. That wouldn’t save them against Georgia.

Next

Georgia visits No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 28 in a rematch for last season’s SEC championship, which the Crimson Tide won 27-24.

Kentucky hosts Ohio, a member of the Mid-American Conference, for the final non-league game before SEC competition resumes.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/college-football