KSR Today: Kentucky gets it done in Starkville

Coming off a three-game losing streak, Kentucky faced yet another ghost of its past: Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville. The Wildcats had no choice but to right the ship in cowbell hell, an environment the program had not found a win in since 2008.

Missing starting quarterback Will Rogers and star running back Jo’Quavious “Woody” Marks, among other glaring roster holes, Mississippi State had talent vulnerabilities to attack. And Kentucky did just that en route to a convincing 24-3 victory, earning bowl eligibility for an eighth consecutive season in the process.

The Wildcats got things started with an eight-play, 62-yard touchdown drive capped off by a four-yard reception by Demie Sumo-Karngbaye for the opening score. MSU got on the board with a 20-play, 88-yard scoring drive that took over 12 minutes off the game clock, but resulted in just three points. Kentucky would then respond with a pick-six from D’Eryk Jackson to go up 14-3, followed by another four-yard touchdown pass — this time to Dane Key — to take a 21-3 lead going into the half.

Add in a third-quarter field goal to go up 24-3 and you’ve got yourselves a rout in a place that had been the House of Horrors for Kentucky.

“I was very pleased with the victory, obviously. Make no mistake about it, we needed a win,” Mark Stoops said. “To come on the road to a place we haven’t won in a long time, we needed to win by any means necessary. It was far from pretty, but our team showed grit and resolve, the things we need in this program. You’ve got to win this way sometimes. You go on the road, you get a victory in a game you desperately need. I’m very proud of this team.”

Eight consecutive years of postseason football

The win was what it was. It wasn’t always pretty and there were opportunities to run up the scoreboard, but the first and only priority was to get that three-game losing streak off the program’s back and leave Starkville with a victory. Mission accomplished, with the Wildcats allowing just 218 total yards on 66 plays, good for just 3.3 yards per play for the Bulldogs. Take away the 20-play drive that took up essentially an entire quarter and the defense gave up just 130 total yards elsewhere with zero points. We’ll take it, especially considering it means an eighth consecutive season of bowl eligibility — with three regular season games to go.

“We do have bigger goals but we can’t just take that for granted,” Stoops said after the win. “It’s not easy. It’s not an easy league because as you know, you see it, you get physically and mentally drained. You get challenged. That’s the type of resolve that I like to see from our team, just that type of grit. Hopefully we can build on that and put some things together.”

Eight consecutive bowls is a Kentucky program record out of 23 total appearances in history. Find a way to win out to finish 9-3 or even take a home loss to Alabama while winning road matchups at South Carolina and Louisville to go 8-4, and you’re sitting pretty. It’s not the dream season fans hoped for going in, but it’d be hard to complain about the Citrus or ReliaQuest — formerly the Outback — Bowls.

What’s up with Devin Leary?

A late-season turnaround is on the table, but it won’t happen without starting quarterback Devin Leary, who missed the entire fourth quarter due to a number of issues. Fighting off several tough hits, QB1 was bleeding from both his knee and elbow, then briefly left the game with a tweaked shoulder.

After missing the final quarter, Stoops added that Leary also got something in his eye that blurred his vision, straining his ability to read plays.

“He had something late. Part of the problem that was taking long, he had something in his eye,” Stoops said. “He couldn’t see cleary. So, when he was reading the plays, it was getting to be a problem. Hopefully, he’ll be OK.”

Leary finished the game with 156 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions on 13-22 passing. The sixth-year senior bounced off defenders and made tough, sharp throws — including a pair of should-be touchdowns to Key and Barion Brown, the former a controversial incompletion ruling in the end zone and the latter just inches off on a toe-tap.

Stats aside, Leary dealt from start to finish.

“I thought Devin just really battled,” Stoops said.

Could he have played in the fourth quarter? Fortunately, we didn’t have to find out with the game out of reach. But it’ll be a situation to monitor this week with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide heading to Lexington.

Kentucky coaches, players break down the win

What else did the Kentucky coaches think of the win in Starkville? Offensive and defensive coordinators Liam Coen and Brad White joined Stoops at the podium to break it all down.

How about two of the biggest in-game standouts on both sides of the football, Tayvion Robinson and D’Eryk Jackson? They shared their thoughts, too.

KSR rapidly reacts to the victory in Starkville

KSR had boots on the ground in Adam Luckett and Steven Peake, the duo soaking in the program’s first win inside Davis-Wade Stadium under Mark Stoops after an 0-5 start with four consecutive double-digit losses.

It was a big moment for the season, no doubt about it. It’s also good for Stoops to get that career monkey off his back.

The KSR crew discusses the significance of the win along with Leary’s health, defensive growth, rushing concerns and the team’s chances against Alabama next week. Take a look:

A loaded NFL schedule

Kentucky’s 24-3 victory in Starkville was an appetizer for what should be a heck of an NFL Sunday from start to finish.

Things get rolling in Frankfurt, Germany with an early-morning matchup between a pair of Super Bowl contenders in the Miami Dolphins and the Kansas City Chiefs at 9:30 a.m. ET.

From there, an afternoon rivalry matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the host Philadelphia Eagles in FOX’s Game of the Week at 4:25 p.m. ET. And then to close out the day, a Sunday Night Football battle between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.

Take a look at the complete schedule:

• Miami Dolphins at Kansas City Chiefs – 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network)
  • Kelvin Joseph (Dolphins)
  • Mike Edwards (Chiefs)
  • Darian Kinnard (Chiefs)
• Minnesota Vikings at Atlanta Falcons – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Josh Ali (Falcons)
  • Bud Dupree (Falcons)
• Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Phil Hoskins (Cardinals)
  • Za’Darius Smith (Browns)
• Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Carrington Valentine (Packers)
• Washington Commanders at New England Patriots – 1 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Jamin Davis (Commanders)
  • Chris Rodriguez Jr. (Commanders)
• Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints – 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Lynn Bowden Jr. (Saints)
  • Lonnie Johnson Jr. (Saints)
  • Landon Young (Saints)
• Seattle Seahawks at Baltimore Ravens – 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Tashawn Manning (Ravens)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Houston Texans – 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
  • Logan Stenberg (Buccaneers)
• Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers – 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
• New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders – 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
  • Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants)
• Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles – 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)
• Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals – 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)
• Los Angeles Chargers at New York Jets – 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday) (ESPN)
  • Randall Cobb (Jets)
  • Brandin Echols (Jets)

Two ranked matchups for VB and men’s soccer

It’s not a football-only weekend in the world of UK Athletics. There are two huge matchups coming your way this afternoon and evening.

Things get rolling in Gainesville with Craig Skinner and the No. 13 Volleyball Cats taking on No. 20 Florida at 3 p.m. ET. That matchup will be nationally televised on ESPN.

From there, the 2023 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Tournament begins, with the No. 5 seed Kentucky Wildcats taking on the No. 4 seed James Madison Dukes at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. It’s a rematch of the 2022 Sun Belt Tournament title, won by Kentucky 2-0.

Time to bring home another championship.

Go Cats.