Devin Leary and Ray Davis lead Kentucky football to a 3-0 start with win over Akron
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Game day: Kentucky 35, Akron 3
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Akron football game at Kroger Field in Lexington.
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Kentucky football heads to Southeastern Conference play unbeaten if not unblemished.
A series of self-inflicted mistakes kept the score closer than the performance dedicated for much of Saturday’s game against Akron before the Wildcats pulled away in the second half en route to a 35-3 win.
Quarterback Devin Leary completed 16 of 26 passes for 315 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Running back Ray Davis totaled 169 all-purpose yards with two touchdowns. Leary and Davis combined on the play of the game when Leary eluded multiple Akron defenders on the verge of sacking him for long enough to find Davis on short pass that the running back took 58 yards for a third-quarter touchdown. Wide receiver Tayvion Robinson caught five passes for 86 yards and one score.
Kentucky’s defense held Akron out of the end zone and only surrendered points on a drive that started at the UK 45-yard line after an interception. Linebacker Trevin Wallace continued his impressive early season play with two sacks.
Mark Stoops’ squad opens SEC play next week at Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are 3-0 for the third consecutive season and have not lost a regular season nonconference game since the 2017 regular season finale.
TURNING POINT
Despite those self-inflicted mistakes, Kentucky was in control for most of the game. When Akron missed a 47-yard field goal attempt short in the second quarter and UK responded with a 10-play, 70-yard touchdown drive to take a 14-0 lead just before halftime the outcome seemed safe. That drive was capped by a pretty throw and catch from Leary to Robinson on a third-and-goal play from the 22-yard line.
MVP: Devin Leary
Unlike the wins over Ball State and EKU when Leary started slow before recording stellar second-half numbers, Kentucky’s quarterback was strong from the start against Akron. His numbers could have been even better if not for multiple dropped passes and offensive line miscues. Leary’s interception came on a play where the receiver appeared to run the wrong route. Finally putting two strong halves together should give Leary plenty of confidence heading into SEC play.
Leary left the game after taking a hard hit in the fourth quarter, but he was able to jog off the field under his own power and looked ready to return to the field had the outcome not already been assured.
KEY STAT
Kentucky entered the game ranked 124th of 133 teams nationally in third-down defense (51.7%) but showed improvement in that category Saturday, stopping Akron on 9 of 15 third downs (40%). Five of Akron’s six third-down conversions came in third-and-short situations. Two of the conversions came on the final drive with much of UK’s third-team defense on the field.
This story was originally published September 16, 2023 at 10:37 PM.
