How Will Levis returned from latest injury to spark Kentucky’s win over Mississippi State
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Game day: No. 22 Kentucky 27, No. 16 Mississippi State 17
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Mississippi State football game at Kroger Field in Lexington.
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It had to be the loudest cheer following an opponent’s extra point in the history of the arena formerly known as Commonwealth Stadium.
The 60,000-plus fans watching No. 22 Kentucky face off against No. 16 Mississippi State in Kroger Field surely feared the Wildcats’ once-promising season was unraveling before their eyes. After taking a hard hit on a deep pass and landing awkwardly on his left shoulder, Kentucky quarterback Will Levis had spent minutes on the turf being attended to by trainers. The momentary sigh of relief when he popped up from the ground quickly evaporated as Levis jogged directly to Kentucky’s locker room instead of the Wildcats’ sideline.
Without Levis, Kentucky’s drive faltered. The Wildcats settled for a field goal, and Mississippi State needed just more than three minutes to march down the field for a go-ahead touchdown.
But as the Bulldogs kicked an extra point for a 10-6 lead, the crowd began to roar. Emerging from the tunnel just beyond the end zone where Mississippi State was kicking, Levis sprinted back onto the field.
“I feel like he came back in with a point to prove: I’m not soft, and neither is this offense,” running back Chris Rodriguez said. “He came in and we got it rolling.”
The energy felt in the stands was matched on Kentucky’s sideline.
Levis had a few minutes to get in some warmup throws during a television timeout before Kentucky’s next drive. When he took the field, having missed just three offensive plays, Levis handed off to Rodriguez on seven consecutive plays.
But when the drive stalled at the Mississippi State 3-yard line, Levis had to make a play. Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops considered calling a timeout when the defense did not provide the look he expected but stuck with his gut.
“I just went with my instincts and trusted Will,” Stoops said. “Wasn’t the look we thought with that play, but I trusted Will to get it in there.”
Levis responded with a perfect strike to walk-on wide receiver Rahsaan Lewis, who was filling in for injured starter Tayvion Robinson, in the end zone to give Kentucky back the lead.
The Wildcats would not trail again in the 27-17 victory. After returning from his injury, Levis was 5 for 7 for 90 yards and one touchdown.
One of his two incompletions was a dropped screen pass. The other was an interception on a screen attempt that a Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes returned 59 yards for a touchdown.
Even after that mistake, Levis stayed steady in the huddle. On the next drive, he hit redshirt freshman Dekel Crowdus for a 50-yard gain to set up what proved to be the game-clinching touchdown.
“No one panicked,” offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said. “It’s a credit to the players. It’s a credit to Will. He said, we’ll get it together, we’ll finish them. It’s a credit to the mindset of the team.”
Playing together for just the second time this season, Levis, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 230 yards, one touchdown and one interception, and Rodriguez, who rushed 31 times for 197 yards and two scores, led the Wildcats to a win the team absolutely had to have if it wanted to remain a factor in the SEC East race with undefeated Tennessee and Georgia.
But during the nervy moments in the third quarter as Levis waited for X-rays on his shoulder, it was easy to wonder if the projected first-round NFL Draft pick had finally taken one too many hits in a season characterized by poor pass protection and the Wildcats’ dynamic duo would never get a chance to show their full potential together.
“We were all holding our breath,” Scangarello said. “It’s one of those moments where in the back of your mind you’re, can we grind out a win? Yes, but is he done for the year? Is it serious? All those things go through your mind in fractions of seconds.”
Knowing the importance of Levis, Stoops would not wait for the update from Kentucky’s trainer, instead sending “a little birdie” into the locker room for early intel on the prognosis.
Levis admitted to nerves during a “long two or three minutes” while he waited for the X-ray results. He had already missed one game, the Wildcats’ loss to South Carolina, with a foot injury and had played through a dislocated middle finger on his non-throwing hand at Ole Miss.
“I felt (the shoulder) pop, so I didn’t really know what it was or how serious it was,” Levis said. “It hurt enough to not be able to keep playing, so I knew it wasn’t great.”
With the X-rays showing no break, Levis was able to receive a shot to numb his pain. By the time he spoke with reporters after the game, with his left arm in a sling, that numbing agent was starting to wear off, but the buzz of victory was helping ease the pain.
Luckily, Kentucky is now set for a bye week where Levis and several other injured Wildcats will gain some much-needed rest before shifting the focus to the daunting task of winning in Knoxville against a Tennessee team likely to be ranked in the top five.
With Levis available, Kentucky at least has a shot in that game. His return is no guarantee of future victory, but the roar from the Kroger Field stands as he returned to the field Saturday was the most obvious sign yet of the effect he has on his teammates, coaches and fans.
“That guy is a warrior,” Scangarello said. “That’s why he’s going to be an unbelievably good NFL quarterback. He just has grit, toughness, smart and competitive greatness.”
Next game
No. 19 Kentucky at No. 3 Tennessee
When: Saturday, Oct. 29 (time and TV TBA)
Records: Kentucky 5-2 (2-2 SEC), Tennessee 6-0 (3-0)
This story was originally published October 16, 2022 at 7:53 AM.
