GAME GRADES: UK-EKU report card

QB

A

It was about as good a game as an SEC quarterback could have played when his SEC team only beats an FCS opponent by 11 points. That's not a backhanded compliment. The point is, Kentucky should have beaten EKU by more than 11 points, based solely on how Stephen Johnson performed. He was 15-22 with 224 yards, a touchdown and no picks. Johnson started the game pretty well but by late in the second quarter most of his throws were on point and he was threading needles. Johnson also chipped in with 48 rushing yards on six attempts. Drew Barker had an unsuccessful two-drive stint when he didn't fair well against 3rd down pressure.

RB

B

Benny Snell (19 carries, 103 yards, TD) ultimately rushed for more than 100 yards in spite of pain in his ribs and in the second half he started to look like the Snell of last season. Sihiem King (9 carries, 61 yards) was an effective runner as well.

WR

B

The wide receivers were much more involved and productive this week than last with senior Blake Bone as the unit's top performer. He had three receptions for 93 yards on just four targets so he made the most of his opportunities. Garrett Johnson had just two catches but averaged 21 yards per reception on those, although he needs to be more productive on six targets. Charles Walker (2 catches, 38 yards) was also a big play guy. However, the unit didn't have any touchdowns.

TE

B+

C.J. Conrad's two catches went for 28 yards and a touchdown so he got his fantasy points for the second straight week to start the season. There's no doubt his rapport with Johnson is much improved compared to last season.

OL

C-

The offensive line is still struggling. A lot of those struggles seem to stem from the center position, where Nick Haynes played this week. The center exchange issues continued with several high snaps including a couple that contributed to drives being shortened. Kyle Meadows had a tough day with a couple of penalties and an injury. The run game did get on track but Johnson was sacked three times and EKU racked up eight tackles for loss. There's a lot of room for improvement up front in the trenches.

DL

C

Saturday was a step back for the defensive line at least in terms of its ability to gain penetration into the backfield. The entire defense had just one sack and three tackles for loss and the defensive line was pushed around a bit by EKU's front. Naquez Pringle had three tackles and 0.5 TFL but overall the defensive line was much less active making plays at and around the line of scrimmage compared to last week.

LB

C+

Strictly in terms of statistics the linebackers got their numbers. Jordan Jones (8 tackles, 0.5 TFL), Josh Allen (8 tackles, sack, TFL) and Courtney Love (8 tackles) were all frequently around the ball. Some of that was the defensive line not accounting for as many tackles as last week, but this group did have its moments. Nevertheless, there were some missed tackles and the zone coverage was too soft at times. Eli Brown had a rough day that started with his first drive, when he missed an open field tackle and followed that up with a penalty.

DB

C+

Mike Edwards sealed the game with an interception late but it was the group's only pick. EKU's Tim Boyle finished 24-35 with 202 years. Kentucky mostly eliminated the Colonels' big plays but they didn't fare well trying to check receiver Ryan Markush, who found soft spots and won matchups all day (10 catches, 98 yards, TD).

ST

D

From EKU's big return to an uncharacteristic Austin MacGinnis miss, no big Kentucky returns and Brown's penalty for launching over the punt shield, this was a huge step back from Week 1 against Southern Miss. The specialists and unit as a whole must be much better for Kentucky to win in Columbia.