Three takeaways from Kentucky football’s win over Missouri
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Game day: Kentucky 35, Missouri 28
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday night’s Kentucky-Missouri football game at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky.
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Three takeaways from Kentucky football’s 35-28 victory over the visiting Missouri Tigers on Saturday at Kroger Field:
1. The Wildcats remember the run game
When Liam Coen was hired as UK’s offensive coordinator during the offseason, the story line was that the Los Angeles Rams assistant coach was going to transform the ground-and-pound Wildcats into a team that depended on air travel. Turns out, that wasn’t totally true.
Saturday night, the 35-year-old Coen proved he can tailor his game plan to fit the circumstances. Facing a Missouri defense that gave up 174 yards rushing in its 34-24 win over Central Michigan last week, Coen returned UK to its bread-and-butter under former OC Eddie Gran, the run game, to earn an important SEC win. “We wanted to establish the run,” Coen said after the win.
The Cats did that and then some, gaining 341 yards on the ground on 52 carries. Chris Rodriguez rolled for 207 yards and three touchdowns on 27 attempts, shaking off a costly lost fumble in the end zone near the end of the first half that appeared to be a game-changer. Instead of a 28-7 UK lead, Missouri drove right down the field to pull within 21-14 at the half.
No matter. The rest of the night, Rodriguez was a rock, averaging 7.7 yards per carry. He even caught his first career touchdown pass. Wan’Dale Robinson rushed for 73 yards on three carries, including an early 64-yard tone-setter. Kaovsiey Smoke rushed for 39 yards on eight carries. And quarterback Will Levis picked up some important first downs with his legs. “I woke up feeling fast,” the quarterback said afterward.
Overall, UK outgained Missouri 520-398. Remember, this is the same Kentucky that managed just 10 points in a 20-10 loss to the Tigers last year in Columbia. Actually, it’s not the same Wildcats.
2. Mark Stoops: ‘Our best football is in front of us’
All week, this game had been hyped as an important early SEC tilt that could shape the season for either team. Now 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the league, the Cats have a legitimate shot at being 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the SEC when Florida comes to Kroger Field on Oct. 2.
“We have some things to clean up,” Stoops said Saturday, but he added, “Our best football is front of us.”
Remember, UK has played just two games in Coen’s new offense. There is every reason to believe the Cats will continue to progress and improve as they explore the playbook. And Brad White, while thankful for the win, was quick to point out Saturday that his unit has plenty of work to do to reach the level the defensive coordinator is seeking.
But there is an attitude to this team. You could see it in the way Levis lowered his shoulder to pick up key first downs. You could see it in the way Robinson popped up after being flattened by a near-targeting hit by a Missouri defender. You could see it in the way Rodriguez bounced back from his fumble near the end of the first half.
Said Rodriguez of Levis’ fearless running: “When he did that, I said, ‘This dude is different.’”
This Kentucky team has a chance to be different, too.
3. The Cats do need to clean up the turnovers
After two games, the only thing holding back this Kentucky offense is the tendency to lose the football. The Cats have now committed five turnovers — three fumbles and two interceptions.
“We can’t have that,” Coen said.
On the flip side, the Kentucky defense finally came up with its first forced turnover of the year. On the first possession of the second half, UK linebacker Jacquez Jones picked off a Connor Bazelak pass. That set up a Kentucky score for a 28-14 lead with 13:19 left in the third quarter.
Despite the miscues, the home team made plays when it needed to make plays. When Missouri tied the score at 28 with 13:11 left, UK came right back with a five-play, 75-yard drive that produced the ultimate game-winner. Rodriguez ripped off a 28-yard run. And Coen made a perfect play-call, dialing up a Levis screen pass to tight end Justin Rigg that covered 28 yards. That set up Rodriguez’s 8-yard TD run for what ultimately was the 35-28 margin.
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 1:17 AM.
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