Kentucky QB Johnson won’t start vs. Austin Peay because of knee injury

Kentucky will start Luke Wright at quarterback on Saturday against Austin Peay, a team spokesman said before the game.

Regular starter Stephen Johnson, who is battling an undisclosed knee injury suffered at Tennessee last week, is available to play on an emergency basis.

UK declined to elaborate on the nature of the knee injury and how long it might sideline the junior-college transfer. Johnson was seen warming up before the game wearing a small brace around his knee.

Johnson has started seven straight games since the back injury to sophomore Drew Barker against New Mexico State. He has thrown for 1,423 yards and seven touchdowns this season and rushed for 185 yards and two more scores.

Luke Wright, who transferred from Cincinnati with co-offensive coordinators Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw, has drawn praise from Kentucky’s coaches for his play in recent practices.

“I feel like Luke Wright has really gotten better and is a good quarterback,” head coach Mark Stoops said this month. “I like what I’m seeing out of him. … I’d like to see what Luke can do in a game, because I feel like he’s playing well and practicing well and I have some confidence in him.”

Wright, a 6-foot-4, 206-pound sophomore from Atlanta, played in four games at Cincinnati. He rushed one time while attempting a pair of passes in the opener and ran once for 4 yards and completed a 16-yard pass against Central Florida.

At Holy Innocents’ Episcopal, Wright passed for 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns and also rushed for 450 yards and six additional scores his senior season.

This story was originally published November 19, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Kentucky QB Johnson won’t start vs. Austin Peay because of knee injury."