Halftime analysis: The three things Kentucky must do to beat Missouri
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Game day: Missouri 20, Kentucky 10
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky-Missouri football game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium in Columbia, Mo.
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With Kentucky trailing Missouri 10-3 at halftime at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium, here are the three things that will determine whether or not the Wildcats win the game:
1. Find an offensive spark. Kentucky has a dismal 65 yards of total offense with a meager four first downs in half one. Searching for an offensive spark, Mark Stoops and Co. benched starting quarterback Terry Wilson in favor of backup Joey Gatewood.
The Auburn transfer led UK to its sole score, Matt Ruffolo’s 50-yard field goal, on his first drive, but was sacked on third-and-7 for a three-and-out on his second drive.
2. Get a passing game going. The SEC Network studio analysts were joking about whether Kentucky knows the forward pass is legal.
For the second time in three games, Wilson struggled mightily completing passes (two of six for 9 yards). Unlike the Mississippi State game two weeks back, the UK brain trust made a QB switch.
Backup Gatewood went 0-for-2 through the air.
Meanwhile, UK receivers continue not to be much help to Wildcats’ quarterbacks, with drops on what would have been tough catches that would have led to big plays.
Does UK go back to Wilson? Stay with Gatewood? If the Cats get down more than two scores and need to pass, might the Cats try true freshman Beau Allen, the former Lexington Catholic star, at QB?
3. Force some turnovers. After the Kentucky defense combined to produced three interception-return touchdowns combined in wins over Mississippi State and Tennessee, some wondered what it would look like if UK got to a game where the ‘D’ wasn’t scoring.
Well, it hasn’t been pretty in half one.
Still, if Kentucky is going to earn its sixth straight victory over Missouri, it looks like the defense is going to have to set up the offense with some free points.
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 5:24 PM.
