The Associated Press

ATHENS, Ga. - The last time will feel like old times at Georgia's Sanford Stadium today. Vince Dooley will be there. So will Herschel Walker.

And the Bulldogs will be trying to get a step closer to back-to-back Southeastern Conference championships by beating Kentucky.

Dooley will sit in the athletic director's box for the last time today after 40 years as the Bulldogs' football coach and athletics director. Dooley, 71, will retire in June after UGA president Michael Adams turned down several requests from Dooley to extend his contract.

To mark the occasion, the Bulldogs are bringing back Walker, the school's legendary running back, as honorary captain. Walker won the 1982 Heisman Trophy and led Dooley-coached teams to the 1980 national championship and three consecutive SEC titles.

Walker resigned from his role as UGA fundraiser this past summer in protest of Adams' decision not to extend Dooley's contract. This week, Walker compared Adams' decision to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones firing legendary coach Tom Landry in 1989.

"Whether Mr. Adams wanted to get rid of Coach Dooley or not, you do things the right way," Walker said. "You handle things with a little more class. Coach Dooley earned my respect. I just think things weren't handled the right way."

Dooley asked that Georgia plan no official ceremonies to honor him during today's game.

Georgia fans, however, might not honor that request. An Internet campaign encouraged Bulldogs fans to wear black shirts - instead of the traditional red - to honor Dooley.

Dooley insists he'll go out quietly, not wanting to create a distraction for the No. 6-ranked Bulldogs. Fifteen years after resigning as Georgia's coach, Dooley still sounds like the old coach.

"I keep my focus on what's next, and what's next is Kentucky," Dooley said. "If there's anything that can be a tribute it's that the team wins this game."

By beating the Wildcats for the seventh season in a row, Georgia would create a two-team tie with Florida for first place in the SEC East. Tennessee will create a three-way tie if it beats Vanderbilt today and Kentucky next week.

If Georgia, Florida and Tennessee finish 6-2 in conference games, and none of the SEC's first six tiebreakers would determine the champion, the SEC would turn to the Bowl Championship Series standings to break the tie.

UK at No. 6 Georgia

Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. today, Sanford Stadium (92,000), Athens, Ga.

Records: UK 4-6 (1-5 Southeastern Conference), Georgia 8-2 (5-2).

TV: Ch. 25.

Radio: WSAI-AM (1530).

Series: UK leads 44-10-2.

Line: Georgia by 19.

What to watch: UK's last victory in Athens was 1977, which was also the same year it last beat a top-10 team (24-20 over No. 4 Penn State). The Bulldogs are still in the Sugar Bowl hunt, thanks to a defense that ranks No. 2 nationally in yards allowed. UK quarterback Jared Lorenzen has totaled 1,113 passing yards and seven TDs in three games against Georgia.

UK	Team stats	Ga.
352.8	Offense avg.	385.2
137.5	Avg. by rush	146.7
215.3	Avg. by pass	238.5
387.5	Defense avg.	253.0
192.7	Avg. by rush	86.0
194.8	Avg. by pass	167.0
31.1	Avg. points for	26.0
20.6	Avg. pts. against	11.5