By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Mark Stoops hasn’t been surprised by the recent emergence of Garrett Johnson.
“We had an idea going into the season he was going to have a big year,” Stoops said Monday. “We talked a lot about him in the preseason and we thought he was going to be a special player all along, even in his first year. He’s really starting to make some big plays.”
The Kentucky football coach liked the way the sophomore receiver performed in the Wildcats’ 30-27 loss to Auburn last week. Johnson, who hauled in two touchdowns, including a 60-yard pass from Patrick Towles as a freshman in a 36-30 loss at Florida last season, posted career highs with nine receptions for 160 yards against the Tigers.
“He can run and catch,” Stoops said. “There are guys that can get open and when we throw them the ball, they catch it. I like those guys. Seriously, he’s got the whole package. Part of that is instincts and understanding how alter routes and beat one-on-one coverage, all of those things. He can run, catch and he has good instincts.”
In two of the past three games, Johnson has recorded two 100-plus receiving yards, including six for 119 yards in a 21-13 win over Missouri on Sept. 26. Overall, Johnson has caught 28 passes for 438 yards, including eight receptions for 20 or more yards.
“(Making catches) is something I feel like I should be doing,” Johnson said. “As a receiver, that is our job. It’s something we should be doing.”
Johnson hopes the trend of success continues Saturday when the Wildcats take on Mississippi State Saturday in Starkville. Kickoff is set for 7:30 pm. Johnson is confident the Wildcats will bounce back from the disappointing setback to the Tigers.
“We just have to move on,” Johnson said. “It will be hard, but you can’t (dwell) on it. That will only make matters worse. I feel like all of us are mature enough to continue to focus on the rest of the season and continue to play hard. We just have to continue to do what we’ve been doing and we’ll come out successful.”
Johnson has moved up to fifth in the league in receiving yards with 74 per game and ranks 10th in receptions per game with an average of 4.8 per outing. Those numbers have earned Johnson praise from opposing coaches, including Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, who admitted he missed out on signing Johnson while he was coach at Florida.
“He was just saying he should have offered me when he was at the University of Florida,” Johnson said. “I’m here and that was then. This is now. Most people don’t get that often, so I can take that as compliment.”
Johnson likes having Stanley “Boom” Williams in the backfield and said the sophomore running back helps neutralize the team’s offense.
“Everybody can make plays,” Johnson said. “With Boom, all of us know that he’s explosive. I wouldn’t put him above everybody else on the team because I know he can make plays and so can everybody else.”
“We’re coming along as a team and I feel like all of us are growing individually and I feel like all of us are maturing,” Johnson said. We’ll continue to progress, but we’ve got to continue to get back to work.”
Notes
* Kentucky senior nose guard Melvin Lewis is out for the season after breaking a bone in his leg in the loss to Auburn last week. Backup Matt Elam will start in place of Lewis Saturday at Mississippi State. “It’s an opportunity for (Elam),” Stoops said. “He will need to step up and play.” Stoops said recovery from the injury will take approximately six weeks.
* Stoops said kicker Austin McGinnis will return at full speed this week and also added backup linebacker Jordan Jones and defensive tackle Corey Johnson are expected to return as well.
* Kickoff for the Kentucky-Tennessee game on Oct. 31 has been set for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on the SEC Network.
Keith Taylor is a columnist and senior sports reporter who covers UK sports for the NKyTribune