Report: Kentucky running back Chris Rodriguez to miss Week 2 matchup vs Florida, still awaiting NCAA ruling
The decision is in for Kentucky and star running back Chris Rodriguez. He’ll miss the Week 2 game against Florida, according to ESPN’s Chris Low.
Rodriguez is still awaiting a ruling from the NCAA and, therefore, will miss his second consecutive game. Over the summer, he pleaded guilty to a DUI charge and has been waiting to take the field for the Wildcats this season while waiting for a decision from the NCAA.
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Earlier this week, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops appeared on The Paul Finebaum Show and said he didn’t have an update on the status of players who didn’t play last week against Miami (OH) in the season opener. He didn’t specifically name Rodriguez in his answer, but alluded to the situation.
“It’s really something that I can’t comment on,” Stoops said regarding the situation around players who didn’t play last week. “There’s layers to it. Let me put it to you that way. If I knew, if it was my decision, I wouldn’t be hem-hawing around about it. That’s really all I should say. There’s layers to it, there’s layers to this inve- what’s going on. I just have to let it play out.”
On Tuesday, KSR’s Matt Jones reported Kentucky is waiting on the NCAA to make a decision on both players. He said it’s likely out of the university’s hands.
“I am told it is the NCAA (causing the hold up). That UK is basically waiting to hear (from the NCAA),” Jones said, via KSR’s Nick Rousch. “They thought they would hear yesterday and they have not yet. So this is not a UK delay. It is an NCAA delay.”
Kentucky previously announced Jordan Wright — whose status was also up in the air — will play against Florida on Saturday.
Rodriguez is a major impact player for Kentucky, leading the Wildcats’ rushing attack last season when he totaled 1,378 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns. He was arrested in May for DUI and had to pay a fine and had his license suspended for four to six months as part of the guilty plea, according to Kentucky.com.