By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Blake McClain couldn’t pinpoint a turning point but has an idea when Kentucky turned the proverbial corner.
“Racking up the Southeastern Conference wins is what really got us going,” the Kentucky senior defensive back said Monday. “Knowing that we were beating teams in the best conference, we could do anything.”
The successful finish landed the Wildcats (7-5) a spot in the TaxSlayer Bowl, where they will take on Georgia Tech (8-4) at 11 a.m. in Jacksonville, Fla., on New Year’s Eve.
After opening with two straight losses, including a 42-7 setback to Florida in their conference opener, the Wildcats won seven of their last 10 games, a stretch that included five wins in a six-week period. The string of victories included wins over South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Missouri.
“Everyone on this team had to believe that we could turn things around,” Kentucky tight end C.J. Conrad said. “A lot of people weren’t going to believe in us but we had each other. We just put our heads down and went back to work.”
Although Kentucky lost a nail-biter to Georgia and a shootout at Tennessee following the spurt, the Wildcats never wavered and won their last two games, including a 41-38 upset of Louisville on Thanksgiving weekend.
“It’s been confidence,” McClain said. “We have a lot of confidence right now and that’s what has made us a good team. We go out there now and we know we’re going to win. It’s not a guessing game anymore like it was in the past. We go out there now and we know that we’re going to win.”
Conrad said the successful turnaround wasn’t the result of a magical formula but because of the team’s ability to find an offensive and defensive scheme that worked.
“Nothing crazy happened,” Conrad said. “I think we just found out what we wanted to do offensively, our defense played better and we finished.”
In the midst of the early-season turmoil, Kentucky lost starting quarterback Drew Barker to a season-ending back injury, handing over the controls to junior college transfer Stephen Johnson. Although not perfect from the beginning, Johnson settled into his new role and transpired into a consistent signal caller and provided a soothing presence in the huddle.
“He comes into the huddle with a calm look on his face,” Conrad said. “Seems like you don’t have to say anything, it’s just the look in his eyes. It helps the whole team and helped our offense, especially late in the year. The confidence he has is really good for our team.”
Kentucky is still on an emotional high from its win over rival Louisville nearly two weeks ago and won’t begin focusing on Georgia Tech until this weekend. Even Kentucky coach Mark Stoops hasn’t had much time to celebrate ending a six-game losing streak to the Cardinals.
“I went home and enjoyed that victory (that) Saturday and I’ve been on the run since,” he said. “We’re still on a high are the big victory (over Louisville). Our feet have really not hit the ground. We’ve been recruiting and having a big recruiting weekend (last week), so we’ve been very busy but it’s been an exciting time.”
McClain said the Wildcats are past the victory over Louisville and ready for the next step.
“We’re motivated but we just have to stay focused,” he said. “We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing and put on a good showing in Florida.”
Although the Wildcats have reached the postseason for the first time in five years, Stoops doesn’t anticipate a letdown and plans on keeping the season-long routine intact.
“Our teams realizes that we can be a good football team and we’ve shown flashes,” Stoops said. “We’ve done some good things (and) we’re working hard to become a more consistent team. (The) players hear the same things (every week) about going to work, getting better and embracing the work during the week. They’ve done that and will continue to do that. That will be the message as we prepare for this bowl game.”
Gametracker: TaxSlayer Bowl, Kentucky vs. Georgia Tech, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. TV/Radio: ESPN, 98.1 FM WBUL.
Keith Taylor is a senior sports writer for KyForward, where he primarily covers University of Kentucky sports. Reach him at keith.taylor@kyforward.com or @keithtaylor21 on Twitter