UK’s sack attack, Bowden’s brilliance make the Cats bowl-eligible again
READ MORE
Gameday: Kentucky vs. Tennessee Martin
Click below to view more of Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s University of Kentucky football game against Tennessee Martin at Kroger Field.
Expand All
Instant analysis from Kentucky’s 50-7 win over Tennessee Martin:
How the game was won
Two bad snaps from shotgun formation by Tennessee Martin in the first 3:08 of the game led to nine Kentucky points and set the tone. The dynamic Lynn Bowden and a stout UK defense did the rest as the Cats earned bowl-eligibility for the fourth straight season.
Who’s hot
1. UK pass rushers. With Josh Paschal and Calvin Taylor each posting 1.5 sacks, Kentucky got to poor UTM QB John Bachus III six times in the first half.
2. Kentucky defense. Thoroughly dominated an Ohio Valley Conference foe like an SEC program should do.
3. Max Duffy. UK’s amazing Aussie punter kicked three times in half one, averaged 57.7 yards a kick, stopped two of his punts inside the UTM 10-yard line and made a touchdown-saving tackle on the third.
4. Lynn Bowden. Didn’t carry the ball one time in the first quarter. Played only part of one series in the second half. Yet Kentucky’s “wide receiver playing quarterback” still ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns.
5. UK rushing attack. The Cats set a school, single-game record with 462 yards rushing. It was the second straight week UK has run for over 400 yards.
6. Mark Stoops. Will join Rich Brooks (2006-09) as the only Kentucky coaches to lead the Wildcats to a bowl game in four straight seasons.
Who’s not
1. UT Martin shotgun snapping. Two bad snaps by the Skyhawks on their first two offensive possessions gave Kentucky a safety and a touchdown and a 9-0 lead only 3:08 into the game.
2. Kentucky passing game. UK gave Lynn Bowden a chance to stretch the field in half one with some deep throws. Bowden went 1-of-9 passing. Backup Sawyer Smith (0-of-3) had no luck through the air, either.
Third-string UK QB Walker Wood went 1-of-2 through the air.
3. UK place-kicking. Chance Poore missed a PAT and was subsequently replaced by Matt Ruffolo. Kentucky kickers have now missed four extra-point tries (Poore two, Ruffolo two) in the past four games.
Key number(s)
42 and three. With the victory, Mark Stoops is now 42-44 as UK head coach and has moved ahead of Blanton Collier (41-36-3) and Jerry Claiborne (41-46-3) into sole possession of third place on Kentucky’s all-time coaching wins list. Bear Bryant (60-23-5) and Fran Curci (47-51-2) are the only coaches to win more football games at UK than Stoops.
Fashion police
For its 11th game of 2019, Kentucky wore white helmets, blue jerseys with white numbers and letters and blue pants. It is the first time in the past five seasons that UK wore a white helmet over an all-blue uniform combination.
The ‘Cat-mosphere’
1. Kentucky’s honorary game captain was Jacob Tamme, the former UK and NFL tight end.
2. Nashville recording artist Raleigh Keegan braved the driving rain to deliver the national anthem.
3. This was the third Kentucky “rain game” in the past five, joining at Georgia (a 21-0 loss Oct. 19) and Missouri (a 29-7 win Oct. 26).
Fans in the stands
Kentucky’s announced attendance was announced at 41,495. That is a “tickets distributed” figure. I would “guesstimate” there were between 15,000 and 20,000 fans on hand at game’s start and around 2,000 in the stands at its conclusion.
Anyone who sat outside in a rain storm on a chilly November night to watch Kentucky blow out an OVC foe is the truest of true blue Cats fan.
This story was originally published November 23, 2019 at 6:46 PM.
.JPG)
