Three takeaways from Kentucky football’s win over the LSU Tigers
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Game day: Kentucky 42, LSU 21
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Saturday night’s Kentucky-LSU football game at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky.
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Three takeaways from Kentucky football’s convincing 42-21 victory over the LSU Tigers on Saturday at Kroger Field.
1. Instead of a letdown, Kentucky didn’t let up
UK head coach Mark Stoops set the tone Monday. There would be no letdown after the Wildcats’ emotional 20-13 home victory over No. 10 Florida last Saturday that caused $250,000 worth of Big Blue Nation faithful to spill over the stands and onto Kroger Field in a postgame celebration. That game was in the rearview mirror. There was a new game on Saturday. A game against another perennial SEC power.
“We’re going to put our foot on the gas,” Stoops said at his weekly press conference with the media.
That’s exactly what the Wildcats did. Game’s first series, UK linebacker DeAndre Square sacked LSU quarterback Max Johnson on a blitz. The ball popped loose. UK nose guard Josaih Hayes pounced on the loose football at the visitors’ 44-yard line.
Nine plays later, Kentucky faced a fourth-and-goal at the LSU 3-yard line. Instead of taking the near-automatic three points, Stoops kept his offense on the field. And instead of trying to punch the ball in the end zone with a running play, UK offensive coordinator Liam Coen dialed up a pass to running back Chris Rodriguez. This was apparently not what LSU was expecting. Rodriguez found himself wide-open in the right corner of the end zone. Better still, Will Levis found him with the football and UK had a 7-0 lead with 6:17 to go in the first. Pedal to the metal.
“We wanted to play aggressive,” Stoops said afterward.
That scenario set the tone for the game, after the coach had set the tone for the week. Stoops could not have been happier with the way his Cats prepared. After the 2020 team’s letdown at Missouri — a 20-10 loss followed a significant 34-7 win at Tennessee — the coach said that this 2021 edition possessed a “quiet confidence” all week coming off the win over Florida.
It showed. By halftime, UK led 14-0. It was the third time in the last seven games that Kentucky had blanked its opponent through the first two quarters. With 12:07 left in the final frame, the Cats enjoyed a 35-7 lead, all while adding to LSU head coach Ed Orgeron’s misery.
“When we met Monday, the players were really locked in,” Stoops said, and that carried right through Saturday night.
2. Liam Coen called a terrific game
Kentucky’s offensive coordinator was humbled a bit last Saturday by Todd Grantham, Florida’s experienced defensive coordinator. Yes, UK beat the Gators, but the Kentucky offense managed just 224 yards of total offense. The Cats converted but one of nine third-down situations. Afterward, Coen said he couldn’t wait to study the tape.
Turns out, the first-year OC is a quick learner. Coen kept LSU off balance all night long with a game plan that relied on the running game, but mixed in an efficient passing game. Kentucky finished with 330 yards on the ground. And Levis completed 14 of 17 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. In fact, for the first time this season, the Cats played a clean game. Zero turnovers.
Rodriguez ran for 147 yards on 16 carries. Kavosiey Smoke turned in a terrific game, as well, gaining 104 yards on 12 carries. Smoke ran hard. (“I love coaching that kid,” Coen said.) And Levis picked up 75 yards via the ground in 11 carries. Included in that was a 33-yard run by the quarterback on Kentucky’s first series of the second half in which Levis just would not — no way, no how — go down without a fight.
“I thought Will played exceptionally well,” Stoops said.
His play-caller wasn’t bad, either.
3. Kentucky-Georgia next Saturday is a battle of unbeatens
UK is now 6-0 with an outside shot of cracking the top 10 when the AP Top 25 is announced Sunday. The guess here is that the Wildcats will be just outside of the first 10. Georgia is also 6-0. And with Alabama losing 41-38 at Texas A&M on Saturday night, the Bulldogs are a lock to ascend to the No. 1 spot atop the polls.
The last time Kentucky was ranked when playing am AP No. 1 team was 2007 when the Cats defeated LSU 43-37 in overtime. Rich Brooks’ team entered that game ranked 17th. Since 1950, Kentucky’s highest ranking when playing a No. 1 team was that 1950 Sugar Bowl when Bear Bryant’s No. 7 Wildcats beat Oklahoma 13-7.
Since 1950, just twice has UK taken an unbeaten record into a game against a No. 1 team. The 2009 Wildcats were 2-0 when they lost 41-7 to Florida. The 1964 team of Charlie Bradshaw was 1-0 when it beat No. 1 Ole Miss 27-21 in Jackson.
After all, this is the first time Kentucky has started a season 6-0 since 1950. It’s the first time UK has started its SEC season 4-0 since 1977 — Fran Curci’s 10-1 team that went 6-0 in league play. And Curci was at Saturday night’s game, waving to the crowd when introduced during a timeout.
Next Saturday will be a tough ask. Georgia’s defense is better than good. Much better. Through six games, the Bulldogs have allowed just 33 points. Total. They’ve allowed 23 points in four SEC games. They blanked Vanderbilt 62-0 and Arkansas 37-0. Saturday, Arkansas put up 51 points on Ole Miss.
Kentucky’s run game will be tested. Just once has Georgia allowed more than 100 yards rushing. UAB gained 127 on the ground. Meanwhile, Clemson gained two yards rushing against the Bulldogs; South Carolina gained 96; Vanderbilt gained 53; Arkansas gained 75 and Auburn gained 46.
True, next Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS won’t decide the SEC East. Both teams will still have work to do. Still, it’s a huge game for both programs, especially for Mark Stoops’ program. The Cats will be the underdog, but I doubt that Kirby Smart and his team will take Stoops’ club likely. Not after what UK has done to both Florida and LSU.
There are eight Power Five teams currently undefeated. Just two of those unbeatens play in the SEC. And those two meet Saturday in Athens.
Power Five unbeatens
- Georgia 6-0
- Iowa 6-0
- Kentucky 6-0
- Michigan 6-0
- Michigan State 6-0
- Oklahoma 6-0
- Oklahoma State 5-0
- Wake Forest 6-0
This story was originally published October 10, 2021 at 1:28 AM.
