The Kentucky Wildcats are gearing up for one of their most impactful games in recent history.
The Wildcats, although having a better record than Florida, are still the underdog heading into Saturday. One thing that I impressed me, among a list of traits, was the way that Benny Snell ran against South Carolina. Not just the production, but it was the way he ran that reminded me of 2016 Benny.
The touchdown runs he had against the Gamecocks were more than a product of offensive line play. Let us revisit the first touchdown:
Benny starts out in shotgun in the much-maligned Wildcat formation. He has Greg Hart to the left of him in the backfield and C.J. Conrad to the left of Landon Young. At the snap of the ball, Bunchy Stallings, Logan Stenberg, Landon Young, and Conrad all block down to the right.
Hart gets the edge defender unblocked on the left. Snell outruns the pull block by Mason Wolfe, setting himself up one-on-one with the safety. He literally drags himself to the end zone with the safety latched onto his left leg. A good hole created by the offensive line led to the situation, but the determination of Snell lead to an incredible touchdown.
What about the second touchdown?
The exact same formation as the first touchdown, only Hart and Rigg (at tight end for Conrad) are on the right this time. The right side of the line does decently. Landon Young assignment was a tough one, because the end wound up (#95 for South Carolina) and shot the B-gap (between he and Stenberg). That kept Conrad from crossing to his assignment (#5 for South Carolina). #95 for South Carolina should have had Snell in the backfield. Should have. Snell charged through the area like an unhinged locomotive and the end zone was his station.
It took a couple of games, but Snell looks like the guy that deserved a preseason All-SEC nomination. The determination, the grit, the guts. It’s all there. Against Florida, he’ll have his opportunity to plow his way to the forefront of the All-SEC conversation.