By Keith Taylor
Special to NKyTribune
Kentucky is one game away from bowl eligibility with four games remaining.
The Wildcats (5-3, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) inched closer toward a postseason berth for the first time in five years with a 35-21 victory over Missouri Saturday, giving Kentucky four league wins for the first time in a decade. The Wildcats remain in sole possession of second place in the SEC East, while Missouri slipped to 2-6 and 0-4 on the season.
Kentucky had lost its two previous road games at Florida and Alabama, respectively, but was prepared this time around and led from start to finish, building on last week’s exciting 40-38 triumph over Mississippi State.
“I loved our guys’ preparation – and that’s not coach-speak,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said afterward. “I love the way they went about it. This group – that’s what I just asked them right now, ‘Are we satisfied? Is that it? Are we satisfied with this or are we going to go take it to another level?’ And that’s what I love about coaching them — they want to go to work.”
Kentucky amassed 582 yards of offense, a season high in the conference and got a big chunk of that yardage on the ground. Running back Benny Snell paced the Wildcats with a career-high 192 yards rushing on 38 carries and two touchdowns. Starter Stanley “Boom” Williams followed with 182 yards on 19 attempts and had a 60-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that set the tone for the team’s first road win of the season.
Stoops liked the way the Wildcats dominated the line of scrimmage and said the running game gave his team an edge.
“You see the run game and you see how it helps a program,” the Kentucky coach said. “You have to be able to have that physicality. I’ve talked about that since Day 1. It’s a process to get there that nobody wants to go through and wait, but we weren’t ever discouraged. You just got to stay the course and get better.”
Stoops and offensive coordinator Eddie Gran also expanded on the team’s “Wildcat” package, which created issues for Missouri’s defense, especially in the second half.
“We’ve grown that package, and it’s a great four-minute offense,” Stoops said. “We needed that at times in all games. Sometimes when I talk about the defense needs a break or whatever, there are times when you need to slow down and get to four minutes just to get your defense a rest, sit back and get some things figured out. In this game, it was important just because of how fast they go and how many plays they can get on us. So, controlling the clock was a big part of it.”
The only blemish in the performance was a pair of turnovers — a fumble by Williams and an interception by starting quarterback Stephen Johnson. Kentucky also gave up a long kickoff return that resulted in a touchdown in the fourth quarter, but Stops praised his team’s ability to move past the miscues.
“We were going to fight the whole way through,” Stoops said. “We were going to stay aggressive and we were going to compete for 60 minutes. That was our mindset and the players’ mentality. And that’s what they did.”
In addition to Snell and Williams, the Wildcats got a solid effort from Johnson, who completed 14-of-23 passes for 208 yards. Receiver Jeff Badet hauled in three passes for 104 yards, including a 65-yard scoring strike from Johnson in the second quarter.
Unlike last week’s dramatic win over Mississippi State, Stoops said the Wildcats settled in and played in more of a relaxed mode against the Tigers.
“I think for the first time, this isn’t about the relief of winning a game,” he said. “This is about how much more we can do. I believe that’s what’s fun about this group, that mentality to go back to work Monday for another challenge. That’s what’s fun.”
Although a bowl berth in within reach and closer to becoming a reality, Stoops said the Wildcats aren’t satisfied.
“Let’s get back to work on Monday and not be satisfied,” Stoops said. “That’s our mindset.”
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