Photo by Vicki Graff
Could this be that extra special year for Kentucky football?
Kentucky has not won eight games in a regular season since 1984. UK has not had a winning Southeastern Conference record since 1977. The Wildcats have not played in a major bowl game since the Cotton Bowl that followed the 1951 season.
But with this 4-0 start — UK’s best since 2007 — and 2-0 start in SEC play — UK’s best since 1977 — maybe it is time to at least peek ahead. However, if the Cats beat South Carolina at home Saturday night, then the speculation can really begin.
Tennessee and Louisville both certainly appear extremely vulnerable today. Middle Tennessee is a good team, but not a SEC team. Vanderbilt played well at Notre Dame, but you still have to like UK’s chances at home with Vandy. Missouri has a terrific offense but not one that could overpower the UK defense.
If Kentucky won those five games and beat South Carolina, that would be TEN WINS no matter what happens against Georgia and Texas A&M.
“I thought the Florida win was big in that they know we are good enough now,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “We expected to play like that. This week we had great preparation and played like I expected us to play (against Mississippi State in a 28-7 win). We are a good team and we were ready to play.
“It’s a long season and we have a tough conference to play in. If we keep the same attitude and work ethic, then good things can continue to happen.”
Kentucky certainly made a believer of Mississippi State defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, a likely future NFL player.
“We just got outplayed. We just feel like Kentucky wanted it more,” Simmons said. “Benny Snell is a great running back. I told my teammates he backed everything he said (before the game). I think he had like four touchdowns himself. It doesn’t get any better than that.”
South Carolina rolled up 534 yards of total offense at Vanderbilt. Quarterback Jake Bentley threw for 261 yards and the Gamecocks had a 100-yard rusher in Rico Dowdle and 100-yard receiver in Shi Smith. The South Carolina defense held Vandy to 284 yards and forced two turnovers.
Kentucky has four straight wins over South Carolina, a streak that must be driving South Carolina fans crazy. South Carolina coach Will Muschamp certainly respects what he’s seen from UK this year.
“They got a good football team. Benny Snell is an outstanding football player. Violent football player, runs extremely hard,” Muschamp said. “Got to have the numbers right, got to be able to tackle.”
No secret there. Every team tries to stop Snell but he’s been over 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons and this year has 87 carries for 540 yards and seven touchdowns, three receptions for 15 yards and one pass reception for a score. Compare that to the numbers Alabama’s Derrick Henry had in 2015 when he won the Heisman Trophy: 67 carries for 420 yards and eight scores, seven receptions for 51 yards.
The good thing about Snell — and defensive standout Josh Allen — is that both are terrific team leaders. The numbers that matter both to each are the ones on the scoreboard. If UK wins, both are happy. If UK loses, both are upset.
“After the Florida week, people thought it was a fluke. We stayed humble. Now it is on to the next week,” Snell said after the Mississippi State game. “I always said this team is different. Guys are coming in for extra film. The young guys want to come in and watch extra film. The defense wants to know what happens and I will give them my opinion. This team just wants to get better.
“I don’t want to say we’re a second half team because I don’t like that. I like when we come out with that fire. But, we’re great in the second half and finishing those games. This team got that finish. This team got that fight and I’m proud of my guys for that. We’re going to keep doing that, too.”
Senior linebacker Jordan Jones has had a solid season — with no incident on or off the field. He didn’t let Mississippi State’s trash talking before or during the game to incite it like it would have often in the past. Instead, he made two huge defensive stops in the second half against Mississippi State.
“All of us have one mission and that’s to win the SEC. Finally, I’ve been here for four years and finally everybody is on the same page. It’s just a great feeling,” Jones said.
Win the SEC?
That seemed like a way too lofty goal a month ago. Beat South Carolina and suddenly one could at least make the argument for a scenario where that could be a possibility and who would have ever thought at the end of September that would have ever been possible.
