Selflessness a difference-maker for UK the last two weeks — but selfishness persists
Quinton Bohanna, the University of Kentucky’s starting nose guard, suffered a knee injury late in the first half at Tennessee. It’s “nothing major,” head coach Mark Stoops said Monday, but it will keep Bohanna from playing at Missouri and possibly for a while longer.
Stoops didn’t share whether it was a sprain or something more concerning.
“Thank goodness for him and for us,” Stoops said during his news conference. “… I’m not sure how long it will be, but he won’t be able to go this week.”
It goes without saying that it disappointed Stoops to see Bohanna go down, but the leadership he displayed in the immediate aftermath excited him. He’d seen a similar display from Josh Paschal two weeks ago when he suffered a leg injury and missed the second half against Mississippi State. Paschal returned, and started, at Tennessee.
“Josh got hurt and all he was doing was worrying about his team, coaching his team, motivating his team,” Stoops said. “Not sitting in the training room with a towel over his head, icing his knee, pouting about himself. The same with Quinton. He had no idea the severity of his knee injury. It hurt like heck. He definitely hurt some ligaments in his knee, could’ve been blown out. He didn’t know at the time, and all he was worried about was icing that thing on, getting on the sidelines and coaching his team, motivating his team and worrying about the win.”
That attitude is displayed in pockets of Kentucky’s team, but it’s something Stoops wants to see permeate throughout. As the program continues to make strides in the Southeastern Conference and put itself in positions to contend for divisional and league championships, that level of commitment to one another is vital.
Wins like Saturday’s, in which the Wildcats clobbered a top-25 opponent on their own turf, don’t happen without the kind of selflessness exhibited by guys like Bohanna. They’ll miss his presence in Columbia, Mo., Stoops said.
“I think that’s been the difference the last couple of weeks, is that type of leadership and that type of motivation and selfless behavior from those guys,” Stoops said. “That’s something that we want to champion and something that we need to build on. Most of our team is that way. That’s why we try so hard to protect that in our program, and that’s why we clean it out. …
“There’s still selfishness, and it’s hard. That’s the way society is, we understand that. We’re going to continue to coach it out, and that pull from the top has got to be much, much greater than the drag from below.”
Depth chart shake-ups
One noticeable instance of selfish behavior that had to be admonished in the last week was offered by sophomore receiver Akeem Hayes, who following the Mississippi State victory tweeted comments that showed concern for his (lack of) playing time in that game.
Hayes and Stoops had a “one-way conversation” last week regarding the incident, and Hayes did not see the field in Knoxville. He’s listed on the depth chart this week, along with two new additions: true freshmen Izayah Cummings (a Louisville native) and Mike Drennen II.
Both of those players got some run late against the Volunteers. Drennen made his first career catch, a 6-yarder, on a throw from backup quarterback Joey Gatewood in the fourth quarter (it was also Gatewood’s first completion as a Wildcat). Drennen was the last addition to UK’s 2020 signing class, making it official with the Wildcats over Southern Cal in February.
Marquan McCall, who had to sit out against Mississippi State over a disciplinary matter, will start at Missouri in place of Bohanna, who had made 23 straight starts at the position. McCall started the second half at Tennessee and has been a key reserve the last couple of seasons.
True freshman Justin Rogers, who got his first action against the Bulldogs, is listed as McCall’s backup. Rogers, a former five-star recruit, was the most decorated signee in UK’s 2020 signing class. At No. 15 overall in Rivals’ rankings, he’s the highest-ranked recruit to sign with UK since the service began ranking players in 2002.
Etc.
▪ Left tackle Landon Young was named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week on Monday. Young graded at 90 percent in UK’s victory, had 10 knockdown blocks and did not allow a single pressure or sack on Saturday. The senior out of Lafayette High School did not commit a penalty or miss an assignment, either.
▪ Right tackle Darian Kinnard was the highest-graded tackle by Pro Football Focus in week seven, earning an 87.1 percent. Cornerback Kelvin Joseph, who had a 41-yard interception return touchdown, was named to the site’s Defensive Team of the Week.
▪ The Georgia game, originally scheduled for this week, was supposed to kick off in prime time. In case you missed it, that’s now a noon start on SEC Network.
Next game
Kentucky at Missouri
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
TV: SEC Network
Records: UK 2-2; Missouri 1-2
