RECAP: Cats take care of business versus Murray State, move to 3-0
Kentucky put together a complete game and found an opportunity to play many of its young players on Saturday in a 48-10 win over the Racers.
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kentucky eased concerns of a post-Florida letdown early in Saturday's game against FCS opponent Murray State.
Terry Wilson raced 42 yards for a touchdown on the Wildcats' opening drive of the day and UK kept its foot on the gas for four quarters at Kroger Field in a 48-10 win over the Racers.
Kentucky (3-0, 1-0 SEC) amassed 528 total yards on the day in a balanced offensive attack that produced 245 yards on the ground and 283 through the air.
Meanwhile, the UK defense held Murray State (0-3, 0-0 OVC) out of the end zone until the final 30 seconds of the game. The Racers finished with 302 yards of total offense.
"Pleased with our effort today," UK head coach Mark Stoops said. "Obviously there's a lot of good things out there. You could see the strength of our team and the depth, it's going to pay off against a team like Murray. I really credit Murray for their coaching and the way they played. They're a quality football team that played exceptionally hard. I just thought with our strength and experience and depth, we just wore them down."
Wilson, the first of three quarterbacks to play for UK, completed 19 of 25 passes for 163 yards. The sophomore also rushed for a team-high 92 yards and a score.
"He's very dynamic when he pulls the ball down," Stoops said of the junior college transfer. "I've been there. As a defensive coach, it will break your back. I'm very glad he's doing that for us."
Kentucky backup quarterbacks Gunnar Hoak and Danny Clark also produced touchdowns. Hoak connected with freshman receiver Allen Dailey Jr. on a 23-yard scoring pass. Clark scored on a 2-yard run.
Even UK running back Benny Snell Jr. got in on the act, getting credit for a 49-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman Zy'Aire Hughes on a razzle-dazzle play in the third quarter. Snell also had 75 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
In this Cats Illustrated "Rapid Recap" section, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
THE GOOD:
For the first time this season, Kentucky played turnover-free football. The Cats only once flirted with a turnover during the course of the day, but a hustling Tavin Richardson pounced on a fumble by Dorian Baker to help UK retain possession. It was a big improvement over some of the Cats' other close calls against FCS and smaller conference opponents in the past.
THE BAD:
File this one in the "Stoops Isn't Losing Sleep Over This" folder, but it may be difficult for UK to promote a Heisman campaign for Snell with a 75-yard game against Murray State on his resume. He is darkhorse to begin with but it would have been nice to get him 150-plus in the first half before handing things over to the backups. For Snell to be a serious contender, he not only needs a ton of UK wins but some gaudy numbers to overcome his lack of national attention to date.
THE UGLY:
The Cats were a little penalty prone in the first half, otherwise the final score may have been even more lopsided. The offensive line negated a handful of succesful plays with holding flags. Senior defensive back Chris Westry also had a 15-yard penalty to help extend an opponent's drive for the third time in as many games this season. UK wasn't nearly as "clean" (7 penalties, 67 yards) as Stoops may have hoped going into the game.
GAME BALL:
Terry Wilson, Kentucky -- Wilson made another big play with his legs and threw the ball well, completing 76 percent of his passes. The preseason concerns of accuracy appear to be unfounded at this point. He could have topped 200 yards through the air if his receivers had helped him on a couple of catchable balls.
BY THE NUMBERS:
1st - Career interception by UK linebacker Jamin Davis.
2 - Tackles for loss by UK freshman defensive lineman Marquan McCall to lead the Cats.
5-of-5 - In the red zone for the Cats' offense.
6 - "Explosive plays" by the UK offense, which coordinator Eddie Gran labels as runs of 12 yards or more and passes of 16 yards or more.
8 - Receptions for 89 yards by UK sophomore receiver Lynn Bowden.
11 - Different UK players caught at least one pass.
28 - First downs by the Cats, who punted only once on the day.
35:55 - Time of possession for the Cats.
QUOTABLE:
"It was really nice to see a lot of our kids play. I think that last defensive group... at one point there were 10 freshmen -- either redshirt or true freshmen -- making some good plays." -- UK head coach Mark Stoops
UP NEXT:
The Cats return to action next Saturday at Kroger Field against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs (2-0) are scheduled to play Louisiana later tonight. They opened the season with impressive wins over Stephen F. Austin (63-6) and Kansas State (31-10).