From Lynn Bowden's spectacular play at the quarterback position to the secondary shutting down yet another opposing quarterback, everything is covered in Cats Illustrated's positional report card for the Missouri game.
| Position | Grade | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
QB | A | Could Lynn Bowden possibly be having more fun as a football player right now? It's written all over his face whenever he makes a big play. Bowden did turn the ball over twice and was only 3/7 passing for 54 yards. He did miss one long throw badly. But more often than not he is putting the ball on point on his long throws. More importantly, Bowden rushed for 204 yards on 21 carries (9.7 ypc) with two scores, which accounted for more than half of UK's total offense. The team has rallied around him. |
RB | C | The backs didn't do anything wrong per se, but they were not as integral to Kentucky's success as was Bowden. Missouri mostly bottled up AJ Rose (15 carries, 51 yards), but he did have a 20-yard touchdown run. Chris Rodriguez found the going tough (6 carries, 13 yards), as did Kavosiey Smoke (3 carries, 8 yards), although the latter did have a short-yardage success story at the goal line. |
WR | B | Bryce Oliver had his biggest play as a Kentucky receiver -- a 44-yard catch -- but that was his only reception on three targets. Josh Ali, Clevan Thomas, and Ahmad Wagner each had one reception but just 19 yards combined between them. |
TE | B+ | Justin Rigg made some big plays as a blocker in helping to spring Bowden on some of his runs and he seems to be settling into his most comfortable stretch of play as a Wildcat. Keaton Upshaw continues to gain valuable experience and both Brenden Bates and Drew Schlegel got on the field as well. |
OL | B | Kentucky's offensive line stuck to a pretty tight rotation with Naasir Watkins and Mason Wolfe only getting on the field for a few snaps apiece, but the regulars fared well enough. Missouri didn't have any sacks but the Tigers did have five tackles for loss. Bowden made a lot of things happen and the o-line gets an assist for that but the backs struggling in the run game has to be charged against the unit to some degree. Missouri has a fairly stout defensive line. |
DL | A | This was one of the best games for a Kentucky defensive line in quite some time. Missouri rushed for 125 yards on 34 carries (3.7 ypa) with starter Larry Rountree being held in check. Senior star Calvin Taylor had a two-sack game and Josh Paschal chipped in with a sack of his own. This was a disruptive game for the UK defensive front and they also played contain well. |
LB | A | There was a lot to like about the linebackers across the board. True sophomores Chris Oats and DeAndre Square paced Kentucky in tackles with 8 and 7 respectively, patrolling the middle of the field and keeping the Tigers in check throughout the game. Jordan Wright had a sack, Jamin Davis continues to see more time, and JJ Weaver looked good in his first action of the season. |
DB | B- | Kentucky's secondary did get lost on the 74 yard touchdown pass from Kelly Bryant to running back Tyler Badie, but consider this: Aside from that one play, Missouri's quarterbacks were a combined 14/29 for 90 yards. Granted, drops by Tiger receivers helped UK's cause, but Brandin Echols, Cedrick Dort, Quandre Mosely, and Jordan Griffin all did nice things. |
ST | B | Kicker Matt Ruffolo missed two extra points but Chance Poore made the most of his opportunity and connected on a field goal in brutal conditions. Max Duffy's fake punt for a first down was a big shot in the arm for the Wildcats as it appeared Missouri might be gaining life. Duffy averaged 52.4 yards per punt with three downed inside the 20 on five kicks. Josh Ali averaged 10 yards per punt return on three attempts. |
Coaching | A | Kentucky's coaches are making the most of the Bowden-at-quarterback scenario, and when a team is that one-dimensional, any SEC success is impressive. The team rebounded without a letdown following the shutout loss at the hands of Georgia and appeared much better prepared to execute in bad conditions against the Tigers. Five wins in a row against Mizzou gets the staff top marks. |
