Has a UK quarterback ever taken more guff yet accomplished more than Terry Wilson?
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Game day: Kentucky 34, Tennessee 7
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Tennessee football game at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn.
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Late in the radio broadcast of Kentucky’s 34-7 shellacking of No. 18 Tennessee on Saturday at Neyland Stadium, Dick Gabriel reported that UK quarterback Terry Wilson had played with an inspirational message written on his undershirt:
Records are made to be broken.
For a guy who takes such guff from posters on social media sites, Wilson is leaving quite a legacy as the Kentucky quarterback.
Boosted by two touchdowns from UK’s suddenly relentless, ball-hawking defense, Wilson directed the Big Blue to its first crushing of the Big Orange in Knoxville since 1984, ending a streak of 17 straight losses for UK at UT.
This came only two years after Wilson starred, throwing for two touchdowns and running for one, as Kentucky snapped a 31-game overall losing streak vs. Florida with a 27-16 win in The Swamp.
“It’s special. It really is special and I know it means a whole lot to this state and to the University of Kentucky,” Wilson said of his streak-snapping victories.
One week ago in UK’s 24-2 win over Mississippi State, Wilson turned in what was probably his worst performance in UK blue. He completed only eight of 20 passes, and Kentucky’s lack of a passing game left the Wildcats’ offense listing at sea.
It was such a lackluster performance, speculation arose over how tight was Wilson’s grip on the UK starting QB job. The tenor of the SEC Network coverage of the Kentucky-Tennessee game left one with the impression that Mark Stoops was among those unsure about how much job security Wilson should have.
Asked in his postgame video news conference about what he had told the SEC Network broadcast crew leading into the UT game, Stoops said, “Terry is our starting quarterback. That’s how we went into it. The end. If he didn’t play well or just played really bad, we have other options. We have other guys to go to. That’s no different than any position.”
Wilson and the Kentucky offense were mostly quiet in half one Saturday. UK led UT 17-7 at halftime because the Wildcats defense produced pick-six touchdowns from Kelvin Joseph (41 yards) and Jamin Davis 85 yards, plus set up a 30-yard Matt Ruffolo field goal with a third interception (Tyrell Ajian).
The Ajian pick should have led to a TD drive. But on third-and-3 from the Tennessee 12-yard line, UK tight end Keaton Upshaw dropped a well-thrown Wilson pass in the end zone.
Last week, Kentucky’s other primary tight end, Justin Rigg, denied Wilson a big passing play with a drop.
“It was really a shame that we had another drop,” Stoops said. “That should have been a TD. (Tennessee) brought pressure, we ran a little double move. Terry hung in there and delivered a nice ball. We’ve got to catch that.”
Instead of going up 21-0, UK settled for a 17-7 halftime lead after running back Eric Gray sparked UT on a 14-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
Anyone who knows any of the star-crossed football history of Kentucky (2-2) vs. Tennessee (2-2) had to be nervous about the late-first-half swing in momentum.
“It puts a little pressure on you,” Stoops said.
Instead, on UK’s first possession of the second half, Wilson ignited the drive that signified this would be the day the Wildcats finally silenced “Rocky Top” by taking to the air.
On first-and-10 from the UK 24, Wilson hit Josh Ali with on a deep out route for 18 yards. When instant replay review overturned the play, Wilson came back and hit Ali on a slant for 16 yards.
Two plays later, Wilson found Allen Dailey for 14 yards.
Those early completions loosened up a Tennessee defense that had been stacking the line of scrimmage and finally allowed Kentucky’s rushing attack to get untracked.
With power back Christopher Rodriguez punishing UT, the Wildcats drove to the Volunteers’ 1-yard line. From there, Wilson crossed Tennessee up by throwing 1 yard to Dailey for the TD that pushed UK back ahead by 17.
It was also the touchdown that signified this was going to be a very different day than what Kentucky football teams normally experience in Knoxville.
A 6-foot-3, 202-pound senior from Oklahoma City, Wilson finished his afternoon 12-of-15 passing for 101 yards and the one TD. He ran eight times for 32 yards.
Yet the numbers Wilson has produced that are impressive are these: He is now 14-5 as Kentucky’s starting quarterback, 7-5 in SEC games.
Wilson is also now the first UK starting QB with a victory at Florida and one at Tennessee since Derrick Ramsey did it in 1976 (Tennessee) and 1977 (Florida).
“One of the main things I wanted to do in coming here, I wanted to go on the road and beat those teams we haven’t (beaten) in awhile,” Wilson said. “It’s an awesome feeling being able to win here.”
Records are made to be broken.
This story was originally published October 17, 2020 at 5:44 PM.
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