FINAL: Kentucky Overcomes Slow Start to Outlast EKU
When Kentucky and EKU meet on the football field it’s going to be an uncomfortable affair for the Big Blue Nation. The two programs are located just 30 minutes apart off I-75. The third matchup in the last nine seasons looked a lot like the first two. Kentucky fell behind early, then out-willed and out-talented the Colonels in a 28-17 victory.
A blocked punt opened the door for EKU to strike first. Kentucky trailed 7-0 until the final minute of the first half. Even after the Wildcats responded and seemed to take control with an 11-point lead in the third quarter, the Colonels didn’t go away without a fight. Eastern Kentucky put together a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive to cut the deficit to four with 12 minutes to play.
Kentucky’s passing game struggled to take flight early, but Tayvion Robinson provided enough fireworks for the Wildcats. The super senior caught six passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Devin Leary finished the day 24-of-38 for 299 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
Mark Stoops called for his Cats to play sound, clean football. That was certainly not the case on Saturday. Kentucky may not have made a drastic leap from week one to week two, but they did turn a corner and score touchdowns on four straight possessions to improve to 2-0 in 2023.
Sloppy Start
It only took three plays for the slop to set in. A quick quarterback sneak was supposed to move the chains on third and inches, but Kentucky was flagged for a false start. Two plays later EKU blocked a punt.
The defense followed the offense’s lead. Third down was a problem in week one that did not go away on UK’s first defensive possession. A couple Cats subbed into the game on third and seven and never got set, paving the way for an EKU conversion. Kentucky forced another third and long. This time a couple of bad angles by would-be UK tacklers allowed QB Parker McKinney to use his legs to score from 14 yards out. The Colonels finished the day 6-of-12 on third down, while the UK offense only converted 4-of-11 attempts.
Turnover City
As the BBN saw in the week one win, the offense needed the defense to generate some juice. Trevin Wallace happily obliged, forcing a fumble that Alex Afari recovered at the 24-yard line. Unfortunately, the Kentucky offense did not take advantage of the short field.
An explosive run by Ray Davis was wave off by a holding penalty. On the next snap Leary’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted by Frank Lee. Three plays later Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston got in on the turnover party by completing his first career interception.
Optimistic First Half Ending for Kentucky
Just like he did in week one, Barion Brown was happy to inject some energy into the offense with an exceptional play on special teams. With less than a minute to play he returned a punt back to the 24-yard line, the same spot where Kentucky recovered a fumble 12 minutes prior. This time the Wildcats didn’t waste any time. Leary connected with Tayvion Robinson in the back of the end zone to score a touchdown and tie the game at seven.
Robinson, Brown are Big Play Makers for Kentucky
Kentucky’s two explosive wide receivers turned their big plays at the end of the second quarter into third quarter touchdowns. On the opening drive a rub route paved the way for an easy throw and catch to Robinson in the end zone. He got involved in the running game on the next offensive possession and took a pop pass 56 yards down the sideline. Two plays later Liam Coen got Barion Brown WIDE OPEN in the end zone for six points. Ray Davis provided an exclamation point by catching his first touchdown as a Wildcat, a 25-yard leaping score.
Kentucky vs. EKU Box Score
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