Kentucky football celebrates Senior Day, then turns its attention to Louisville
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Game day: Kentucky 56, New Mexico State 16
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-New Mexico State football game at Kroger Field in Lexington.
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Kentucky football took care of business on its 2021 Senior Day, handling New Mexico State 56-16 for the Wildcats’ eighth win of the season.
Ah, but there’s some important business left up the road.
Before we address the return of the post-Thanksgiving Kentucky-Louisville rivalry, a highlight reel of the Cats’ 40-point thumping of the 1-9 Aggies in front of an announced crowd of 47,749 at Kroger Field.
UK quarterback Will Levis completed 21 of 31 passes for 419 yards and four touchdowns. He’s the first UK quarterback to throw for 400 yards in a game since Andre Woodson in 2008.
Running back Chris Rodriguez rushed for 119 yards on but 16 carries. That’s the 13th time in his career and seventh time this season he has topped the century.
The dynamic receiving duo of Josh Ali and Wan’Dale Robinson stood out. Ali caught seven passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns, his first career two-TD day. Robinson caught eight passes for 181 yard. Robinson caught a career-best 79-yard pass. Ali had a career-best 62-yard reception.
“It was great to see Josh have a big Senior Day,” UK coordinator Liam Coen said after his offense posted 707 total yards, the most by a UK offense since Tim Couch and Company put 801 yards on Louisville in 1998.
And don’t forget senior cornerback Quandre Mosely, who intercepted a New Mexico State pass and returned it 38 yards for a score, the Cats’ second pick-six in as many weeks.
“I was praying for this,” Mosely said afterward. “I was wanting to make a play my last game at Kroger Field. I haven’t made any plays since I’ve been here.”
There were a few rough spots. Levis mishandled a snap on UK’s first possession that turned into a 25-yard scoop-and-score and an early 7-0 lead for the Aggies. Rodriguez lost another fumble inside the visitors’ five-yard line. Levis threw an interception at the goal line. And UK head coach Mark Stoops wasn’t entirely happy with his defense in the first half.
“Those drives in the first half were aggravating,” he said. “We challenged them at halftime.”
Give New Mexico State credit. Former UK quarterback and assistant coach Doug Martin watched his Aggies lose 59-3 at No. 2-ranked Alabama last Saturday. Back at his alma mater, Martin’s team gained 188 total yards in the first half, eclipsing the 138 total yards it gained all afternoon against the Crimson Tide.
For UK, now it’s on to Louisville Week and what shapes up as a tricky matchup with the Cardinals.
Currently 6-5, U of L is playing good football right now. Last two games, Scott Satterfield’s club has mauled Syracuse 41-3 at Cardinal Stadium and destroyed Duke 62-22 in Durham. If not for a three-point loss at then-unbeaten Wake Forest, a one-point loss to Virginia and a six-point loss to Clemson, in which the Cards failed to score from the Tigers’ two late in the game, Louisville could easily be 9-2 right now.
Kentucky has followed a three-game losing streak with a pair of wins over lesser foes. The Cats snapped a three-game losing streak with a 34-17 win over Vanderbilt last week, but spent most of the second half on cruise control. Kentucky entered Saturday a 36-point favorite over the Aggies.
Meanwhile, Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham is playing terrific football right now. Against Duke, the Cards’ senior signal-caller threw for 305 yards and five scores while rushing for 224 yards and two scores. On the season, Cunningham has thrown for 2,589 yards and 18 scores while rushing for 933 yards and 18 scores.
“I don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep this week,” UK defensive coordinator Brad White said.
Even after COVID-19 canceled last season’s Kentucky-Louisville game, the Cards no doubt remember the 45-13 beating they took at Kroger Field in 2019. New to the rivalry, Satterfield was not too happy with the “Ls Down” gestures by UK players after the victory, the Cats’ second straight in the series by a combined count of 91-23.
“We’ve got a big game coming up,” Stoops said. “Now we’ll focus on that.”
Next game
Kentucky at Louisville
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
TV: ESPN2
This story was originally published November 20, 2021 at 5:01 PM.
