Jamon Dumas-Johnson isn't used to losing -- "and I don't plan on getting used to it, either"

Before his days as a college football standout, Jamon Dumas-Johnson was a blue-chip recruit out of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore — a national annual powerhouse. That’s where he emerged as a consensus four-star, top-250 prospect in the class of 2021. From there, the standout linebacker made his way to Georgia where he became a Butkus Award finalist and First-Team All-American, winning every single game he played in as a Bulldog across three seasons.

It doesn’t get much better than that, to put it lightly. That’s why he was met with such shock and confusion when he suffered the first regular season loss of his four-year career in the SEC this past weekend — a 31-6 butt whooping at the hands of South Carolina. He had beaten the Gamecocks by a combined score of 72-21 in back-to-back wins with the Bulldogs, only to be on the receiving end of a beatdown as a Wildcat.

As you can probably imagine, it didn’t feel very good.

“I ain’t lose in a regular season since I was in like youth ball — well, maybe high school? Sophomore year? But I ain’t lose in a long time. So it definitely didn’t feel good, but you win some, you lose some. I’m just not used to losing them,” Dumas-Johnson said Wednesday.

The senior linebacker recorded four tackles in the loss, one that unraveled quickly in the second half for Kentucky. A few key slip-ups here and there on critical downs, along with a complete no-show for the offense, created a perfect storm of disappointment for the Wildcats.

Dumas-Johnson will be the first to admit he’s struggling to put into words how the performance made him feel. What he knows for certain, though, is he never wants to experience it again.

“I guess I don’t really got no words of how I feel about losing because I’m just not used to it,” he said. “And I don’t plan on getting used to it, either. So I’ve got to correct some things.”

Up next? A date with some familiar faces in a reunion matchup against Georgia, the top-ranked Bulldogs coming to town on Saturday. It’s a game he’s undoubtedly had circled on his calendar since announcing his transfer to Kentucky this past offseason.

That doesn’t mean he’s looking to prove anything against his former team, though. He did plenty of that as a two-time national champion in red and black.

It is, though, a chance to get better — and hopefully get back in the win column.

“I don’t think it’s a chance for me to prove myself,” he said. “Not saying I already did or didn’t prove myself. I don’t think of it like that. This is just another game to get better, another game to try to win the ballgame, another game to go out there and play.”

How can the Wildcats pull off the upset against the best team in college football, especially considering how things looked against the Gamecocks?

Move on. The loss was what it was, but they give you 12 guaranteed games per year for a reason. Make the most of three through 12, not focus on two. It’s a fresh start for everyone in that locker room, no matter the challenge.

“Man, just play ball. Do your job and play as hard as you can, play to 200%. Just let the game be the game, man,” Dumas-Johnson said. “There ain’t nothing you can do. Last week was last week, we’re on to a new week. We just have to play the game.”

Oh, and another thing: Don’t obsess over the rankings. Yes, Georgia is ranked No. 1 and as talented a group you’ll find from top to bottom. But they put on their shoulder pads and cleats the same way all teams do.

Every team has bad days. Kentucky had its worst day against South Carolina, now it has to push Georgia to do the same at Kroger Field.

“Nothing to stress, man. Just do your job,” the former Bulldog said. “Man on man, you’ve got to beat the man in front of you and just do your job. Play as hard as you can. All of that number one team stuff just goes out the window. They have bad games, we have good games. The outcome of the game is how you play. We see it on tape. Some days you don’t play well. Some days you start off hot, some days you don’t start off hot.

“All we gotta do is just play ball.”