Three Plays: Hot Kentucky start sets stage for blowout win

Ranked Kentucky beats unranked LSU by three touchdowns on a Saturday night in October. What a sentence that was to write.

In front of a sold-out crowd at Kroger Field, Kentucky rolled to a blowout win over Ed Orgeron’s Tigers. Behind a powerful first quarter, Kentucky never looked back.

KSR has the three plays that made the biggest difference in another huge home win for Mark Stoops.

Strip sack

To open the game, Kentucky won the toss and deferred to the second half. That meant LSU would take the field on offense first and look to silence a raucous crowd in Lexington.

After picking up a pair of first downs, the Tigers had the ball in Kentucky territory. DeAndre Square then made one of his biggest plays of the season.

On a second-and-medium, EDGE Jordan Wright drops into coverage and DeAndre Square comes on a delayed rush from his Will linebacker position. The senior gets a free run to LSU quarterback Max Johnson’s blindside.

The ball comes on on the hit and sophomore nose tackle Josaih Hayes pounces on the loose football. The sack fumble sets Kentucky up in great field position to start the game and gets the crowd heavily involved from the jump.

A hot start is just what the doctor ordered and Kentucky’s defense accomplished the mission.

Clutch fourth down conversion

After an odd incompletion call on a first-and-goal throw to Izayah Cummings, Kentucky founds itself with a fourth-and-goal inside the five. Mark Stoops decided to roll the dice.

The Wildcats broke the huddle quickly and align in 13 personnel with just one wide receiver on the field. However, Kentucky goes to an empty set with trips bunched to the left and twins bunched to the right. Surprisingly, Chris Rodriguez Jr. is the No. 1 target.

Kentucky goes to a quick snap and LSU is not sure what hits them. The Wildcats get a rub action from Izayah Cummings to free Rodriguez but the Will linebacker was lost and never recognizes what Kentucky was doing.

It was an easy pitch for Will Levis and Rodriguez reels in his second career touchdown reception to give the home team an early lead. Kentucky never looked back from that point.

Kentucky puts nail in coffin

After taking a 35-7 lead to begin the fourth quarter, Kentucky’s defense was hit with some adversity. LSU put together a pair of long touchdown drives sandwiched around Kentucky’s only three-and-out of the night.

Down two touchdowns with under six minutes remaining, LSU went to an onside kick. Super senior tight end Justin Rigg came up with a recovery and Kentucky’s offense ended the game just four snaps later.

Following three Chris Rodriguez Jr. carries that covered 26 yards, Kentucky’s offensive line shut the door on LSU.

On first down in the red zone, the tailback from Metro Atlanta comes right down the chimney before meeting the free safety at the two-yard line. The result is the tailback’s sixth touchdown of the game as the lights were turned out on LSU.

For the second time in four seasons, Kentucky will face Georgia with the SEC East on the line. The Wildcats are 6-0 for the first time since Bear Bryant was in Lexington and should be in the top-10 heading into Week 7.

During the 2021 season, many have waited for Kentucky to put it all together in a game. That happened on Saturday night in a dominant win over LSU.

Let’s dance, Georgia.