Kentucky Football Shuts Out Youngstown State 31-0

On3 imageby:Nick Roush09/17/22

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It took the Wildcats a while to warm up, but once they rocking and rolling there was no slowing down Kentucky. Mark Stoops picked up victory No. 62 Saturday afternoon with a 31-0 win over Youngstown State. The win is the first shut out of the Mark Stoops era. Kentucky’s last shut out was a 42-0 win over Miami (OH) in the 2009 season-opener.

After a pair of punts and an interception, Kentucky finally got on the scoreboard with a Will Levis quarterback sneak. The Wildcats scored on four of five possessions to open up an insurmountable lead on the FCS foe from Stoops’ hometown.

When Levis had time to throw, he looked like a future first round draft pick. The Kentucky quarterback completed 27-of-35 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns. Levis also rushed for a touchdown. The only downside: he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions.

Levis completed passes to 10 different receivers but Dane Key was his favorite target. The Lexington native had six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. Tayvion Robinson tallied six receptions for 66 yards and Chris Lewis caught a touchdown, a two-yard fade, on his first career reception.

Suffocating Kentucky Defense

The Kentucky defense gave the offense plenty of time to warm up. Youngstown State went three-and-out on its first four possessions. The Penguins did not get a first down until there were just over five minutes remaining in the first half. Youngstown State finished the game with nine first downs, and approximately half were the result of Kentucky penalties. The Penguins were limited to less than 200 yards of total offense. The Wildcats shut out a Youngstown State team that entered the game averaging 40 points per game.

Carrington Valentine Passes Test, Again

Kentucky opponents love going after Carrington Valentine. When will they learn their lesson?

Matching up with Bryce Oliver, it was a throwback to one-on-ones on the Kentucky practice field in 2020. Oliver opened the second half with an impressive one-handed reception to gain 27 yards down the sideline. In the blink of an eye, the Penguins were in the red zone. Valentine was tested once again on a fade into the end zone, then flagged for a pass interference. The two players exchanged some words, but Valentine had the last laugh.

The tip-drill interception wasn’t the only time he kept points off the scoreboard. Facing a fourth and long in scoring territory, Youngstown State took a shot to the end zone. It looked like an Oliver touchdown, but Valentine stuck with the play and ripped the ball out as Oliver fell to the ground. Valentine has shown an incredible amount resilience and competitiveness over the last two weeks.

Box Score

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2024-03-27