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Another week and another win for the Kentucky Wildcats. It wasn’t pretty at times, but Mark Stoops was emphatic that he wasn’t going to apologize for a 14-7 win over the Vanderbilt Commodores. Nor should he.
The Cats are 6-1 and are bowl eligible for the third straight season. Stoops has won four SEC games in three straight seasons. They are tied for first in the East. They have one of the best defenses in the country.
And they have a chance to crack the top 10 this week.
Apologize for what?
Tweets of the Day
Of Benny Snell’s 169 rushing yards Saturday night vs. Vanderbilt:
— TheCatsPause247 (@TheCatsPause247) October 21, 2018
– 101 came in the second half
– 93 came in the 4th quarter
– 74 came on the game-winning drive
“That’s Benny Snell football,” he said afterward. pic.twitter.com/TPMWWHY6LX
I think Benny Snell had to kick Eddie Gran in the ass and remind him “Just give me the damn ball.”
Chris Paul told our broadcast crew this all started because Rajon Rondo spit in his face. When the second replay cycles through you can see Chris wiping his face before he goes at Rondo. pic.twitter.com/2DxPjWdYCu
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 21, 2018
Rajon Rondo and Chris Paul hate each other. I’m surprised this is their first fight.
Lynn Bowden kickoff return touchdown brought back by a holding penalty. pic.twitter.com/vSYcjakJ0L
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) October 21, 2018
Too bad this was called back because it was a thing of beauty. Lynn Bowden is still going to break one this season. Dude gets better every week.
Quickies
No apologies for winning | WDRB- Mark Stoops has this team in a great situation and while there may be some fans whining about the way things have looked recently, the team is winning and ranked.
Kentucky searching more from the passing game | Cats Pause- Terry Wilson is 6-1 as a starter yet Kentucky needs him to do more. It’s going to be difficult to go on the road and beat a high powered Missouri offense without a passing attack. Can he step up to the challenge?
Defense shuts down Vanderbilt | Cats Illustrated- It was another magnificent performance from Josh Allen and the defense. They continue to be one of the best units in the country and are probably the second best defense in the SEC. After their first two drives, Vandy was stuck in the mud.
Kentucky survives slugfest vs. Vandy | Saturdays Down South- The win was all about the defense and Benny Snell’s monster performance. No room for flash in this one.
AP projections | CBS- According to this model the Kentucky Wildcats will stay at #14 being jumped by the likes of Washington State and Florida. OK.
Snell Watch Week 8 | Cats Pause- No big deal. Just 169 yards and a touchdown on 32 carries. He needs 544 more yards to become Kentucky’s all time leading rusher. As a junior.
College football power rankings | ESPN- Florida continues to be ranked ahead of Kentucky even though the Cats smacked the Gators in the Swamp. But that’s what you get when you have a college football pedigree: benefit of the doubt.
Week 8 Power Rankings | Saturday’s Down South- Kentucky is not getting much love here either, all the way down at #6. Go beat Missouri.
Yes, Kentucky, you have arrived when an ugly SEC win knocks you back. Just a tip: You might want to figure out a way to gain more than 18 passing yards if you want to continue beating teams that don’t have multiple directions in their name.
I mean... yikes. The disrespect is still there and very real.
Purdue demolishes Ohio State | ESPN- Urban Meyer said Ohio State got ‘exposed’ in West Lafayette last night in their 49-20 loss. Jeff Brohm just got paid.
Rondo and Paul ejected | CBS- The two premier point guards were ejected after throwing punches in a wild scrum. Chris Paul claimed that Rajon Rondo spit in his face. There will be fines and suspensions aplenty.
College football’s best remaining storylines | Sporting News- Kentucky is a part of these big storylines due to the tie at the top of the East:
Georgia (6-1), Florida (6-1) and Kentucky (6-1) all are tied atop the SEC East, and Bulldogs and Gators will play the first elimination round next week. Georgia plays the Wildcats in Lexington the following week. The Bulldogs are still the favorite here, but not by as much as we thought in August. Florida has transitioned faster than expected under Dan Mullen. Kentucky has the look of a nine- or 10-win team at this point. Can Benny Snell carry this team to Atlanta? The opportunity is still out there.
Our guess: Georgia still makes it to Atlanta.
Don’t forget tonight that the basketball team will play the annual Blue/White game scrimmage. It will be at 7:00 PM on SEC Network. Could you have ever imagined basketball being buried by football?