Terry Wilson (SEC Photo)
How does Terry Wilson think he will look back on his University of Kentucky football career?
“It has definitely been fun. There have been a lot of ups and downs and I have learned a lot during my time being here. I have learned a lot and built a lot of relationships with my teammates and coaches,” Wilson said after UK beat South Carolina 41-18 Saturday night.
“I feel like, my plan and what I wanted to do coming here as a redshirt sophomore, was to win football games and do things that have not been done here recently. I just feel like that was my mindset to come here and try to change the program. It was really fun to go out there and get this win and finish out how we did.”
Wilson went 16-8 as a starter at UK, including 10-3 in 2018 when he directed a win at Florida and then a victory over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl. He became the first UK quarterback to throw for 1,500 or more yards and rush for 500 or more in the same season that year. Kentucky also beat No. 14 Mississippi State and Louisville that season.
After going out with a season-ending knee injury in game two in 2019, he came back this year to get a win at Tennessee. No other UK quarterback has wins at Florida and Tennessee other than Derrick Ramsey in 1976 and 1977.
This year Wilson became the first UK quarterback to run for 1,000 yards and also throw for 3,000 yards. The only other UK quarterbacks to reach 1,000 yards rushing were Ramsey, Lynn Bowden and Mike Fanuzzi. Wilson finished eighth in school history 4,345 yards of total offense and joined Jared Lorenzen and Patrick Towles as the only UK quarterbacks to throw for 20 or more touchdowns and run for 10 or more scores.
Wilson had an up and down 2020 COVID-19 season — just like the entire UK team did. But at least he threw for 201 yards by completing 17 of 26 passes against South Carolina. It was his first 200-yard passing game since game one against Auburn.
“It was definitely satisfying to finish like that, but things happen throughout the season and you have to be able to adapt and continue to execute what you have been doing,” Wilson said. “Things happen and we had a lot of ups and downs but we stuck together through it all.
“I know for a fact that all of my teammates, that is the biggest thing that we are proud of going through this whole season dealing with COVID and coach Schlarman and losing Chris Oats, it is tough and you don’t want it to happen as a team.
“It has definitely been a battle, but my teammates and coaches stuck through this and fought and here we are.”
