Ray Davis happy to "close that chapter" vs. Vanderbilt and move on
The biggest storyline heading into Kentucky’s SEC opener vs. Vanderbilt was Ray Davis‘ return to Nashville. After playing an integral role in the Commodores’ win over the Cats at Kroger Field last year, Davis switched sides, transferring to Kentucky over the offseason. All week, he had a mature approach to playing his former team, telling reporters, “It’s not Ray Davis vs. Vanderbilt, it’s Kentucky Football vs. Vanderbilt.” After scoring two touchdowns in Kentucky’s 45-28 win, Davis was happy to exhale.
“I feel great. It’s great to close that chapter and finally move on and now focus on something much more important,” Davis said in the postgame press conference. “I think all week, it was a big hype up coming back here, but now it’s over and now it’s time to just lock in and focus on Florida.”
Davis is human though and — understandably — it took him a bit to get rolling today. He totaled only four yards on three carries on Kentucky’s first drive, much to the glee of the Vanderbilt sideline and fans. He finally busted free on Kentucky’s next drive with a 12-yard run. Unfortunately, Devin Leary threw an interception on the next play, but a drive later, Davis scored, his first of two touchdowns on the day. He finished with 17 carries for 84 yards. His longest run came at the start of the fourth quarter, a 38-yard scamper.
“I stayed levelheaded. Like I said during the week, it’s not Ray Davis vs. Vanderbilt, it’s Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt and as you can see on the scoreboard, Kentucky got the win. It wasn’t Ray Davis that got the win, so it’s about just staying focused and staying poised and I think the game showed today. It was slow for me in the beginning but my teammates kept me levelheaded and I was able to finish out the day pretty well.”
Davis on Kentucky’s offensive inconsistencies
While it was great to see Davis hang 14 on his former team, there’s no denying that Kentucky’s offense is far from a polished product, particularly on the ground. After an explosive, 21-point first quarter, the offense stalled in the second and third quarters.
“It’s the small details as a collective unit for us and as a group, we just have to hone in on what Coach Coen is preaching to us,” Davis said. “You’re going to face adversity, things are going to come at you quick, but how are you going to handle it? Are you going to fold under pressure or are you going to attack it?
“Second half, we’re able to attack it and go out there and play our game but we need to do that all four quarters. We can’t just assume in the second half we’ll turn it on and just be an electric team. It has to be all four quarters. That’s what our coaches are going to preach to us and we’ve got to go out there and execute it.”
Kentucky’s defense helped the offense weather its struggles. Maxwell Hairston was the star of the game, becoming the first player in Kentucky Football history with two pick-sixes in a single game. Afterward, Ray Davis was all too happy to celebrate him.
“Man, you see what Max did today!” Davis said during his postgame interview with Alyssa Lang. “Two pick-sixes. Craziest thing about it, Max and I talked about it all week. This game meant so much to him, coming in last year, being a freshman, getting thrown in a big moment. He made a statement today. Hey, it showed man.”
“Ray Davis is just a dog,” Hairston said, returning the compliment.
Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board. New members can try 1 month for $1.
Discuss This Article
Comments have moved.
Join the conversation and talk about this article and all things Kentucky Sports in the new KSR Message Board.
KSBoard