A Sea Of Blue - Kentucky vs. Eastern Michigan: Everything to knowOnline Home of the Big Blue Nation: Kentucky Wildcats Sports for the Discerning Fanhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46621/aseaof-fav.png2019-09-10T17:43:22-04:00http://www.aseaofblue.com/rss/stream/206151342019-09-10T17:43:22-04:002019-09-10T17:43:22-04:00A fickle “Big Mo” took center stage in Lexington on Saturday
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<figcaption>Drew Brown - Sea of Blue</figcaption>
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<p>Kentucky was in complete control until a momentum-changing play made this far more competitive than it should have been. </p> <p id="UwITWN">The ebbs and flows of a football game are very real, and we as fans can always feel them, probably more strongly than the participants themselves. </p>
<p id="yRm2I3">I imagine the phrase “Big Mo” was coined by a broadcaster or a season ticket holder as opposed to a player or a coach, and I have to admit I was feeling ol’ Mo pretty strongly on Saturday night as I watched the Cats take on Eastern Michigan. While there were a lot of high swells during the evening, we had our share of time in the low ebbs as well.</p>
<p id="8iiXo0">The game started about as well as it could have for the UK. Even though the initial drive eventually stalled, UK ran 10 plays and held the ball for almost 5 minutes, and the ensuing two drives ended in touchdowns. </p>
<p id="He94II">The defense kept pace, allowing the Eagles only one first down in their first three drives. The Cats were roaring on offense averaging almost 7 yards a play, while EMU was stymied, moving the ball at a rate less than 2 yards a try.</p>
<p id="7q1fBx">But as we all know too well, Mo is a fickle friend, and can turn on a dime even with the slightest of mistakes or a single isolated event of misfortune. On Saturday night, it was a fumble on UK’s fourth drive at the EMU 1-yard line.</p>
<p id="ZC93pH">After that fumble, Kentucky could not buy a first down and netted minus-4 yards for the remaining three drives in the half. And while the defense responded with two interceptions of an otherwise extremely accurate Mike Glass, the EMU offense seemed to come to life, reeling off a smart 6.5 yards per play the final two drives of the half, driven primarily by those signature short passes from Glass.</p>
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<p id="MwXv26">Kind of amazing when you think about it: a single fumble seemed to turn a game UK was dominating into a much more competitive contest.</p>
<p id="K7D0Jz">In the second half, the Cats must have put the fumble and all that came with it behind them, because they came out storming, stopping EMU on their initial drive and pulling off a 94 yard touchdown drive that took up half the third quarter. </p>
<p id="csQwu3">But EMU seemed to have learned a valuable lesson in their late first half flurry: UK was not able to stop the methodical short passing game. Ultimately, the Eagles rode the short passing game for 274 yards in the second half – maintaining that 6.5 yard average per play – and put up two touchdowns in the process. This is something the UK defense will have to address going forward.</p>
<p id="ev18sa">Perhaps the biggest momentum killer of all, though, happened in the middle of Kentucky’s second drive of the second half when <span>Terry Wilson</span> suffered what turned out to be a season ending injury. The offense, which started the half in high gear under <span>Wilson</span>, did not disappear after he left the game; the Cats were able to score two touchdowns in two and a half drives under capable backup <span>Sawyer Smith</span>, which provides hope for the rest of the season.</p>
<p id="n2jnU1">But the momentum shift in this case had little to do with the outcome of the game. As the Cats dutifully focused on business at hand and finished off a solid victory, I am sure they along with all who watched had a very hollow feeling in the pit of their stomachs – I know I did. </p>
<p id="Z7oTPy">It’s also scary to think what Dan Mullen and Florida’s offense can do this week after EMU showed that UK’s defense can be beaten in the short passing game like we saw after the fumble last Saturday. The Cats have a lot of work to do this weke to ensure Mullen can’t find those same holes in the defense that Glass found far too often. </p>
<p id="4mlfto">While I feel certain Kentucky will continue to play good football and win games this season, I’m personally going to have a little momentum shift for the worse knowing “Touchdown Terry” will not be on the field to guide the Cats. Here is wishing Terry a speedy recovery and a great year in 2020.</p>
<p id="igKSpd"><em><strong>Statistics sources</strong></em><em>: ESPN.com and CollegeFootballData.com</em></p>
<p id="6ZlUK9"> </p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/10/20859797/a-fickle-big-mo-took-center-stage-in-lexington-on-saturdayDan Harris2019-09-08T17:16:41-04:002019-09-08T17:16:41-04:00Terry Wilson out for season, UK announces
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The worst has been confirmed. </p> <p id="kIqkYS">The <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> will be without their starting quarterback for the remainder of 2019. </p>
<p id="jHtyqB">Sunday, UK confirmed that <span>Terry Wilson</span> suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee that will require surgery. The injury came during Kentucky’s 38-17 victory over Eastern Michigan Saturday night.</p>
<aside id="PGkZ03"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Kentucky vs. Florida game glance, TV info and early odds","url":"https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/8/20855862/kentucky-wildcats-florida-gators-football-odds-tv-start-time-live-stream"}]}'></div></aside><p id="zSFEud">“I’m very sorry about Terry’s injury,” head coach Mark Stoops said in a press release. “He has done so much for our program over the last two seasons, both in leadership and his production on the field. As a team captain, he will continue to be an important part of our team and we look forward to him returning to the field when he has recovered.”</p>
<p id="OVM5mM"><span>Wilson</span> suffered the injury in the third quarter when he was taken down by EMU’s Turan Rush on a horse-collar tackle.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dangerous horse collar tackle against Terry Wilson. <a href="https://t.co/Vsf8T4URJk">pic.twitter.com/Vsf8T4URJk</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170520198308421637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="gEkYg1">Kentucky will hope to have Wilson back in 2020 for his senior season. In the meantime, the Cats will turn to <span>Sawyer Smith</span> as their starting quarterback for the remainder of the season.</p>
<p id="FK8Es9">Smith is a redshirt junior who graduated from Troy and then transferred to UK during the offseason. Unlike several transfers, Smith has starting experience. </p>
<p id="K8jQe4">Last season at Troy, Smith completed 62.9 of his 229 pass attempts and threw 14 touchdowns vs. six interceptions. </p>
<p id="36ebHo">In his Kentucky debut Saturday night, Smith threw a 54-yard touchdown to <span>Ahmad Wagner</span> in his first throw as a Wildcat and went onto finish the night 5/9 with 76 yards and two touchdowns. </p>
<p id="BtjlGY">Smith’s first start as a Wildcat will be a big one as the Cats get set to host the <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a> next Saturday night on ESPN. </p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/8/20855552/terry-wilson-injury-kentucky-football-florida-2019-uk-wildcatsAaron Gershon2019-09-08T14:57:12-04:002019-09-08T14:57:12-04:005 more thoughts and postgame notes from Kentucky’s win over EMU
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<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Cats win, but now the</p> <p id="yQWPzA">The <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> came into Week 2 looking to build on their performance last week and improve to 2-0 as they faced the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/eastern-michigan-eagles">Eastern Michigan Eagles</a>. </p>
<p id="aqnbqd">Kentucky got off to a good start, as they took their second possession of the night 26 yards in just 3 plays after a Lynn Bowden punt return got UK deep into Eagles territory. AJ Rose took it in for the 8-yard TD run, making it 7-0.</p>
<p id="rcInZm">After a defensive stop, the Cats drove 90-yards in 6 plays, capped off with a 32-yard TD run by <span>Kavosiey Smoke,</span> pushing the lead to 14-0. </p>
<p id="6Lf3A2">Kentucky would drive down the field, but unfortunately, a fumble on the 1-yard-line by Rose would turn the ball over to EMU.</p>
<p id="tlJlG1">From that point on, the offense came to a halt and had a hard time getting in any rhythm. </p>
<p id="NQaWPr">With just under 8 minutes left in the half, <span>Chance Poore</span> drilled a 40-yard FG to make it 17-0, and that would be the end of the scoring for the Cats.</p>
<p id="ymVd8p">EMU started to find their footing offensively and drove down the field, but the defense stood their ground and held the Eagles to a FG, and the Cats would take a 17-3 lead into the break.</p>
<p id="VF49mI">After halftime, Kentucky’s offense came out with a purpose. </p>
<p id="xoh7pn">The defense forced a punt, and the offense drove 94-yards in 15 plays, capped off with a 2-yard TD run by <span>Terry Wilson</span> to make it 24-3. </p>
<p id="AzYQvc">After an EMU TD made it 24-10, Kentucky began another promising drive, but on a dirty tackle by an EMU defender, Terry Wilson went down and had to be carted off the field with a left knee injury. </p>
<p id="Nfu5tq">Backup QB <span>Sawyer Smith</span> would enter the game and complete a 54-yard TD pass to <span>Ahmad Wagner</span> to make it 31-10. </p>
<p id="UKcC61">The Eagles would drive down the field and find the endzone again making it 31-17. </p>
<p id="kpgGkX">Smith would lead the Cats back down the field in the final minutes. With 54 seconds remaining, he hit <span>Lynn Bowden</span> for a 2-yard TD, and the Cats would win it 38-17. </p>
<h2 id="CSp5i1"><strong>Thoughts on the game</strong></h2>
<p id="THdRt5"><span><strong>Terry Wilson</strong></span><strong>’s injury</strong></p>
<p id="2W8LEn">There is no doubt that all of BBN is sad today after watching Wilson go down with what looks like a season-ending knee injury. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Dangerous horse collar tackle against Terry Wilson. <a href="https://t.co/Vsf8T4URJk">pic.twitter.com/Vsf8T4URJk</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170520198308421637?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="OkoGDy">It can’t be a good sign that he didn’t put any weight on it, and that they put a brace on it immediately. On top of that, he had to be carted off the field.</p>
<p id="aU6Xi3">All we can do now is hope for the best. It really speaks to how much Wilson is beloved in the Bluegrass to see Kroger Field giving him a standing ovation as he left the field. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Crowd chanting Terry Wilson's name as he's carted off the field. <a href="https://t.co/egXmDisN3r">pic.twitter.com/egXmDisN3r</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170522238031945729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="9artQl">It took only one season in Lexington for Wilson to become a UK legend, as he helped the 2018 Wildcats win 10 games the Citrus Bowl. Wilson had some erratic performances, but he balled out in the win at Florida, ending the dreaded losing streak to the Gators. </p>
<p id="hGiCAA">Who knows when Wilson may be back on a football field, but regardless, he’ll always be loved in Lexington. </p>
<p id="9o1fq6"><span><strong>Kavosiey Smoke</strong></span><strong> emerging as top back</strong></p>
<p id="0cC46S">Coming into the year, we all expected Rose to be the lead back and take most of the snaps.</p>
<p id="27vKQ2">While he is still getting most of the snaps, Smoke is gaining ground as he had another great performance. Against EMU, he rushed 11 times for 92 yards and a TD. He also had a TD called back for a holding penalty. </p>
<p id="tzBwPd">The way Smoke has started the year, we could see him start taking more and more of Rose’s touches. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oh my goodness. Kavosiey Smoke with all the moves taking it to the house. Mercy. <a href="https://t.co/hFHsvKosvr">pic.twitter.com/hFHsvKosvr</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170490566355968000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="2M3fCd"><strong>Sawyer Smith showed promise</strong></p>
<p id="0rjCh7">With Terry out, Smith is going to have to step up, and he showed he is capable of that. </p>
<p id="6XuhkN">With the game not yet in hand, Smith came in and went 5/9 passing for 76-yards and 2 TDs.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sawyer Smith's first completion is a 54 yard TD pass to Ahmad Wagner. That will do. <a href="https://t.co/TrD0VQSmcv">pic.twitter.com/TrD0VQSmcv</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170523453025345538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="xX5pV9">He will have a much bigger test next week going against the <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a> defense, but it is nice to see we have a high-quality backup for Wilson. </p>
<p id="Wtal8K"><strong>Lynn Bowden stepped up in the second half</strong></p>
<p id="WV51hl">The first half wasn’t that great of a performance for Bowden, as he had a fumble and a couple of drops. </p>
<p id="7U32wH">But in the second half, he stepped up in a big way on his way to a 7-reception, 54-yard, and 1-score night. He also nearly returned a kickoff for a TD but gained 37 yards on it. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lynn Bowden hit two different guys with the air brakes. <a href="https://t.co/n0lKMORIPZ">pic.twitter.com/n0lKMORIPZ</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170513868889759744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sawyer Smith touchdown pass to Lynn Bowden. <a href="https://t.co/4oWAwCtefZ">pic.twitter.com/4oWAwCtefZ</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170535162729418754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="DKMCNE">If Terry is out, Bowden becomes even more important than he already was and will have to take another step forward for this team going forward. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sawyer Smith with the nice read vs. Nebraska last season <a href="https://t.co/4TX4NvUULE">pic.twitter.com/4TX4NvUULE</a></p>— Shawn Smith (@gbbcountry) <a href="https://twitter.com/gbbcountry/status/1170764732242026498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="ZvoOkg"><strong>The defense looked much better</strong></p>
<p id="1f36Vz">Last week, the defense got off to a slow start, but as the game went on, we saw then improve tremendously. </p>
<p id="OV78ms">In this one, they came out of the gate looking to make a statement. The defensive line was especially impressive as they put a ton of pressure on the QB which forced him into throwing two INTs that we really needed with the game still close. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jordan Griffin with the interception. <a href="https://t.co/PqwFRstpIp">pic.twitter.com/PqwFRstpIp</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170496909271871490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kash Daniel interception off the deflection. <a href="https://t.co/eGtGGUlxAj">pic.twitter.com/eGtGGUlxAj</a></p>— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1170501003738865670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="pEgwDv">The secondary made some big plays, but they also had some mistakes throughout that will need to be cleaned up, especially with Florida and offensive guru Dan Mullen on deck. </p>
<p id="oQIK71">However, improvement is all you can ask for and what we saw in this one was improvement from a week ago. </p>
<p id="oZfl3C"></p>
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<p id="0hObvA">Now, here are the postgame notes via UK Athletics:</p>
<p id="dRgTHw"></p>
<p id="VNrxzp"><strong>Team Records and Series Information</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="sOBZvO">Kentucky is 2-0. Eastern Michigan is 1-1.</li>
<li id="l9p77I">This was the second meeting between the teams, with UK winning the first matchup (24-20) in 2017.</li>
<li id="4d7hez">Kentucky is 22-3 against teams from the current alignment of the Mid-American Conference, including 12 wins in a row.</li>
<li id="oSmPcy">Next for Kentucky: the Wildcats host Florida on Saturday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.</li>
</ul>
<p id="fA6blI"> </p>
<p id="VyzH0g"><strong>Team Notes</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="coNzul">This marked Kentucky’s seventh consecutive non-conference win.</li>
<li id="cylI9K">Kentucky is off to a 2-0 start for the third straight season and fifth time in the last six years.</li>
<li id="ClFUcj">UK has won each game this season by at least 14 points, first time that has happened since the first two games of 2014.</li>
<li id="kA8wnA">Kentucky has won 12 of its last 15 games, tied for the second-best record in the Southeastern Conference in the last 15 games.</li>
<li id="TtoRKh">It’s UK’s best record in a 15-game span since Dec. 31, 1976 through Sept. 30, 1978, when the Wildcats were 12-2-1 during that time.</li>
<li id="WKkJD6">UK scored 38 points in each of the first two games, first time that has happened since 2007.</li>
<li id="3wilrx">Kentucky had touchdown drives of 90 and 94 yards. UK also had two 90+ touchdown drives last week, giving the Wildcats four on the season. </li>
<li id="Ckt7JI">UK has already matched the team total of four 90+ yard scoring drives from last season.</li>
<li id="cPkurF">UK made 9 of 14 third-down conversions, 64.3 percent, the team’s best since last season’s win at Florida (9 of 13). </li>
<li id="PLhMiQ">UK has made 121 consecutive extra points, the ninth-longest active streak in the nation. </li>
<li id="VtWnuC">UK has allowed 24 points or less in 15 of its last 16 games. That is the best such stretch since October 14, 1978 to Sept. 6, 1980. UK allowed 24 points or less in 18 of 19 games in that stretch.</li>
<li id="W6lfR8">UK had three players complete at least one pass vs. an FBS opponent for the first time since 2012 vs. Georgia. </li>
<li id="ah7or0">UK had at least one interception in each of the first two games, the first time that has happened since the 2016 season.</li>
<li id="qMj4Ga">This is the first time UK has had a linebacker with an interception in consecutive games since 2014 vs. South Carolina (Bud Dupree) and Louisiana-Monroe (<span>Josh Forrest</span>). </li>
</ul>
<p id="omFRWf"> </p>
<p id="XRGXTw"><strong>Player Notes</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="20hCMO">UK’s game captains -- LB <strong>Josh Paschal, </strong>QB <strong>Terry Wilson, </strong>LB <span><strong>Kash Daniel</strong></span><strong> </strong>and athlete <span><strong>Lynn Bowden Jr.</strong></span>
</li>
<li id="PyMUZi">The honorary captain was former linebacker <strong>Chris Chenault </strong>(1985-88), UK’s No. 2 all-time leading tackler (482).</li>
<li id="hOGKOw">Junior quarterback <strong>Terry Wilson</strong> completed 14 of 26 passes for 114 yards. He also rushed eight times for 43 yards and a touchdown. He left the game late in the third quarter with a left knee injury.</li>
<li id="8nQaHm">Wilson is 12-3 as a UK starter, best record for any UK QB in his first 15 starts with starting lineups available since 1993.</li>
<li id="ap4qcq">QB <strong>Sawyer Smith, </strong>a transfer from Troy, saw his first action at Kentucky. His first pass was a 54-yard touchdown throw to WR <span><strong>Ahmad Wagner</strong></span><strong>. </strong>For the game, Smith 5 of 9 passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns.</li>
<li id="GVEYuH">Wagner had his best game as a Wildcat, catching three passes for 71 yards, including the 54-yarder which was his first collegiate touchdown. He also drew three pass interference penalties during the game – one negated by an offsetting UK penalty and the other on his touchdown catch.</li>
<li id="yO8Qix">Junior athlete <strong>Lynn Bowden Jr. </strong>caught seven passes for 54 yards and one touchdown.</li>
<li id="JF58w1">Now has 1,086 career receiving yards, moving past Derek Homer for 27<sup>th</sup> place on the UK career receiving yardage list.</li>
<li id="HlHVzg">Threw a 32-yard completion to Terry Wilson that set up Kavosiey Smoke’s first-quarter touchdown run. Bowden has completed 4 of 6 passes for 124 yards during his career.</li>
<li id="1xCymk">He is the first UK player with at least six receptions in each of the first two games since <span>Randall Cobb</span> in 2009. </li>
<li id="dSxsWQ">Redshirt freshman RB <strong>Kavosiey Smoke </strong>had career highs with 11 carries for 92 yards. He also had a 32-yard touchdown run.</li>
<li id="IB8Nsq">With game stats available since 1946, Smoke is the first UK player to have scoring runs of at least 32 yards in each of the first two games of the season. He also had a 40-yarder last week vs. Toledo. </li>
<li id="4IKspt">Junior RB <strong>Asim “AJ” Rose</strong> had a career-high 17 carries for 82 yards, including an eight-yard touchdown run.</li>
<li id="s1sdBI">Rose and Smoke each have a rushing touchdown in the first two games of the season, first UK teammates to tally rushing TDs in the first two games since <span>Tony Dixon</span> and <span>Alfonso Smith</span> in 2007.</li>
<li id="DhGAkq">Senior LB <span><strong>Kash Daniel</strong></span><strong> </strong>picked off his first career interception. He added five tackles.</li>
<li id="ZlO0tC">Senior S <span><strong>Jordan Griffin</strong></span><strong> </strong>had his first interception of the season, the second of his career. </li>
<li id="xmgMcw">He also notched the first quarterback sack of his career and had a career-high two pass breakups.</li>
<li id="xtzSlh">Sophomore LB <strong>Josh Paschal </strong>had five tackles, including a career-high two tackles for loss.</li>
<li id="Rhy50e">Sophomore WR <span><strong>Allen Dailey Jr.</strong></span><strong> </strong>made his first collegiate start.</li>
</ul>
<p id="iAaKAa"> </p>
<p id="OEpE71"></p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/8/20855101/uk-football-5-more-thoughts-on-kentucky-emu-cats-uf-gatorsAdam Haste2019-09-08T11:01:19-04:002019-09-08T11:01:19-04:00ESPN 680 UK Postgame Show: Wildcats beat Eagles but lose Terry Wilson
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<img alt="Sawyer Smith" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wTNH0NA7uXmiMxprd7CGWUB9U8o=/0x0:3368x2245/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65203263/usa_today_13327164.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s the Sawyer Smith show now.</p> <p id="JMwN6i">The <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> took care of business against the visiting <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/eastern-michigan-eagles">Eastern Michigan Eagles</a> 38-17. But the win didn’t come without a major cost. </p>
<p id="nuWlbU">UK quarterback <span>Terry Wilson</span> was taken down from behind by an EMU defender and suffered a major knee injury in the process. There has been no official word on the significance of the knee injury, but according to head coach Mark Stoops, he’s going to be out for the year:</p>
<div id="8qkqbe">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I had to get him a few snaps, my guy is out for the year."<br><br>Our cameras caught Coach Stoops saying this after the game. Looks like it may be Sawyer Smith's team. <a href="https://t.co/D3e6ZMHyax">pic.twitter.com/D3e6ZMHyax</a></p>— Charlie Walter (@CharlieWalterTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlieWalterTV/status/1170553479879897088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
</blockquote>
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<p id="v3vgZF">Troy transfer <span>Sawyer Smith</span> stepped into the spotlight as the next man up and his first ever pass as a Cat was a 54 yard touchdown bomb to <span>Ahmad Wagner</span>. Smith’s debut gave BBN a level of comfort as he finished the game 5-9 for 86 yards and two touchdowns but the loss of Wilson will be hard to shake.</p>
<p id="tPam7G">Here is what I discussed on the podcast:</p>
<ul>
<li id="SjvdDg">
<span>Terry Wilson</span>’s injury and what it means going forward</li>
<li id="LU3t9A">
<span>Kavosiey Smoke</span> is emerging as the RB1</li>
<li id="HBEeRI">
<span>Ahmad Wagner</span> has emerged as a dangerous weapon</li>
<li id="xdjYG4">We saw Eddie Gran open up the playbook in the first quarter</li>
<li id="XmCyiQ">
<span>Lynn Bowden</span> can do it all (duh)</li>
<li id="nPp9mI">Defense was good at times but needs to clean some things up for Florida</li>
<li id="zEDKhZ">Mark Stoops press conference</li>
<li id="xh87oh">Where would UK be with <span>Gunnar Hoak</span> instead of Sawyer Smith?</li>
<li id="73iU8Z">Sound from Eddie Gran, <span>Kavosiey Smoke</span>, Sawyer Smith, and Lynn Bowden</li>
</ul>
<div id="QCQXd6"><iframe width="100%" height="400" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F677942892&show_artwork=true"></iframe></div>
<p id="pSnz1Y">I’ll be back on ESPN this week, Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday 3-6 on The Take and I’ll be live after the game vs. the <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a>. Tune in for the latest updates on the Cats.</p>
<div id="kdgLop">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Follow the leader, ESPN Louisville.<br><br>- ESPN 680 (Louisville) | 105.7 FM (Frankfort)<br>- <a href="https://t.co/MCcOqOuvzx">https://t.co/MCcOqOuvzx</a> <br>- ESPN Louisville app | ESPN app | TuneIn<br>- Listen: <a href="https://t.co/JRjOoYeaBX">https://t.co/JRjOoYeaBX</a> <a href="https://t.co/kqo5tDvwZl">pic.twitter.com/kqo5tDvwZl</a></p>— ESPN Louisville (@ESPN680) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPN680/status/1131976633940873216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2019</a>
</blockquote>
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https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/8/20855395/sawyer-smith-espn-680-uk-wildcats-podcast-emu-eagles-terry-wilsonJames Streble2019-09-08T07:00:00-04:002019-09-08T07:00:00-04:00Mark Stoops and Wildcats recap win over Eastern Michigan
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<img alt="Mark Stoops" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/7SrmBCaryAMzhAgNGt_fxf21OwU=/421x251:3959x2610/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65202522/DSC_6954.0.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>By Jason Marcum | Jason Marcum - Sea of Blue</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s next man up for the Cats. </p> <p id="OH5zUy">Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops was looking for a fast start in Saturday’s non-conference matchup with Eastern Michigan. <span>Terry Wilson</span> and company answered the call, as they raced out to a 14-0 first quarter lead en route to a 38-17 win at Kroger Field.</p>
<p id="Vy3Udg">The Wildcats used a potent ground game to set the tone as <span>A.J. Rose</span> and <span>Kavosiey Smoke</span> found the end zone on touchdown runs of 8 and 32-yards, respectively, as UK moves to 2-0 on the young season. </p>
<p id="0vmuoe">Unfortunately, that’s when the good vibes took a turn for the worse as the Cats squandered three different scoring opportunities in the second quarter and lost Wilson for the game at the 1:19 mark in the third quarter with a left knee injury.</p>
<p id="CITaKv">The first missed opportunity came at the 9:12 mark as A.J. Rose fumbled at the 1-yard line after UK moved the ball 69 yards on 13 plays. The next scoring chance was set up by <span>Jordan Griffin</span>, who intercepted a Mike Glass pass and returned it to the Eastern Michigan 11-yard line. </p>
<p id="jB1sYW">However, an unsportsmanlike penalty moved the chains back to second and 21 from the 22-yard line and the Cats had to settle for a <span>Chance Poore</span> field goal. The final misstep came when Smoke broke free for a 21-yard touchdown run that was called back due to offensive holding. <span>Poore</span>’s field goal attempt missed to end the drive as Kentucky headed to the locker room with a 17-3 halftime advantage. </p>
<p id="tAiziq">The Wildcats finished with 461 total yards and were led by Smoke, who ran for 92 yards on 11 carries. A.J. Rose also ran for 82 yards and a touchdown. Smoke has now carried the ball 22 times for 215 yards and three touchdowns in two games.</p>
<p id="oz2j5U">Wilson looked fearless in the first half, moving out of the pocket and taking deep shots down the field. He finished the game 14-for-26 for 114 yards and a rushing touchdown. </p>
<p id="bowIMl">Graduate transfer <span>Sawyer Smith</span> took over for Wilson late in the third quarter and found <span>Ahmad Wagner</span> for a 54-yard scoring stroke on his first pass in a Wildcat uniform at the 14:20 mark in the final quarter. He threw his second touchdown pass of the night when he connected on a 2-yard strike to <span>Lynn Bowden</span> on the Cats final offensive play. Sawyer finished the game 5-for-9 for 76 yards. </p>
<p id="bbQgMo">The Kentucky defense was also dominant in the first half and was led by <span>Brandin Echols</span> and <span>Yusuf Corker</span> with seven tackles each. <span>Kash Daniel</span> also had an interception, while punter Max Duffey continued to impress with an average of 43.3 with a long of 56 yards.</p>
<p id="TA5qxz">After the game, Stoops and select players met with the media to discuss the win, Wilson’s injury, and next week’s SEC opener at home against No. 11 Florida. Here is a recap of what they said via UK Athletics: </p>
<h2 id="ZCXI22">Mark Stoops</h2>
<p id="gZyhOr">MARK STOOPS: Good to start the season 2-0. Just like last week, there was so many good things that we did tonight. Really appreciate our team’s effort. There is just a lot of things we could clean up, and we will.</p>
<p id="lL6Gzh">That’s why we’re out here playing. It’s nice to win by 14 and win by 21 and come back and say there are some things we can do better. We’ll do that, and that’s why we’re a team.</p>
<p id="DFV7tL"></p>
<p id="7ED0q7">You know, that’s why when somebody makes a mistake somebody will picked them up. I think we’re doing a good job that with. Our team is hungry for more. I know we can be a lot better, and that’s a good thing.</p>
<p id="96Bptp"></p>
<p id="LFl1jH">They’re excited to make the corrections on this game and move on and get ready to prepare to play for a big game here again this week coming up.</p>
<p id="MlcYf0"></p>
<p id="36wuVF">Good to be 2-0, good to take a lot of lessons from this that we know we can improve from, and we’ll move forward and get going.</p>
<p id="BjwxIS"></p>
<p id="Unxs3I"><strong>Q. (No microphone - Question regarding </strong><span><strong>Terry Wilson</strong></span><strong>’s injury status)</strong></p>
<p id="M7VKWP">MARK STOOPS: Left knee. You know, we’ll take a look at it tomorrow with an MRI.</p>
<p id="Phh8H9"></p>
<p id="oIrZSJ"><strong>Q. (No microphone - Question regarding what he said to the EMU coach after the game)</strong></p>
<p id="6AaUwg">MARK STOOPS: Maybe we got to not let TV on the field then after the game. I just was -- we were just talking about the game and having a conversation with coach, and it looks like -- you know, I’m not sure. I hate to put that out there right now until we get a look at it. I think you all know that it doesn’t look good. Anybody that gets carted off on a cart like that and they put his knee in that deal doesn’t look good, right?</p>
<p id="ZZ94Em"></p>
<p id="3qt74J">Just wait until I get the MRI tomorrow.</p>
<p id="gWzuRa"></p>
<p id="TqiiRe"><strong>Q. (No microphone - Question regarding the play when Terry got hurt)</strong></p>
<p id="LBhT9H">MARK STOOPS: You know, that’s why it’s illegal. That’s why it’s in the rule -- it’s illegal. It can happen. It can happen to anybody. They run a good program and Terry is hard to get a hold of. I’m sure he just reached out and grabbed anything he could. It’s very unfortunate that it’s part our game, but that’s why it’s in there. You got a runner running full speed like that and gets jerked back and the knee can’t handle that.</p>
<p id="XYPqnK"></p>
<p id="dXwq41">It’s unfortunate, and I’m sure throughout the season there is a good chance we may get called for it one time this year, too. I hope not, but certainly don’t teach that and I know they don’t either.</p>
<p id="TP8iwU"></p>
<p id="sMuMs9"><strong>Q. (Regarding the run game/running backs.)</strong></p>
<p id="yvS5nY">MARK STOOPS: That’s exactly right. You know, we really did that last week as well. Just wanted to work on things and spread it out and throw the ball around.</p>
<p id="403RgE"></p>
<p id="yTMcNE">With Sawyer, he needed the reps, that’s correct. We needed to get on the same page and just run our offense. You know, we felt comfortable with being able to run it out, but just wanted to run our offense one more possession for him, get him as many reps as we can.</p>
<p id="fLkWo8"></p>
<p id="3E20eh"><strong>Q. What do you see in Sawyer in practice?</strong></p>
<p id="8GKpz2">MARK STOOPS: Just like you saw out there today with the reps and going with the ones. There were some decision making out there today that I think he’ll learn from. There were some opportunities. But he can throw the ball. He throws it down the field. We have a lot of confidence in him.</p>
<p id="0DQTQs"></p>
<p id="ijNuhc">If he has to go, then we have confidence in him and we’ll run our offense.</p>
<p id="YRDIfu"></p>
<p id="X86grH"><strong>Q. (No microphone - Question regarding the missed opportunities in the second quarter)</strong></p>
<p id="5TFAmL">MARK STOOPS: Yeah, the fumble going in, just there is no excuse for that. Then penalty, just things of that nature. We’re able to overcome them, but as the competition gets better we got to get those cleaned up.</p>
<p id="v24hEk"></p>
<p id="iyxJQf"><strong>Q. Do you feel like you left a lot of points on the field?</strong></p>
<p id="Ekmitn">MARK STOOPS: I think there is no question we feel like we left some out there. So, you know, two of them -- two in the first half was just touching on the fumble and the penalty and left points right there.</p>
<p id="eocZ8q"></p>
<p id="ha9Slm">We did. Give them credit. I knew they were -- again, they played tough, they played sound. They don’t make it easy; you got to beat them. They don’t just give you things.</p>
<p id="rV4laX"></p>
<p id="aZl84o"><strong>Q. What did you like from this week compared to last week?</strong></p>
<p id="7UyIh6">MARK STOOPS: Again, felt like I liked the start. We talked about getting off to a fast start. I believe it was 17-nothing at one point and gave up the drive and we give up a third down and then we get a penalty on top of it and put them in position to get to three, we’re in pretty good control at halftime, so I like the start we had.</p>
<p id="8FhawS"></p>
<p id="fyYlqa">Again, we felt like we left a little bit out there. Could have been more. Those were some good things.</p>
<p id="I5vth9"></p>
<p id="q469oF"><strong>Q. I know you won’t be able to tell until the film, but how did you think the secondary played overall?</strong></p>
<p id="NJXgsF">MARK STOOPS: Okay. Okay. We gave up the touchdown pass. Again, just a missed assignment. Just a missed assignment. Comes from bad eyes, bad vision.</p>
<p id="X6k5s3"></p>
<p id="6ZLEwZ">Got to get it hammered out.</p>
<p id="VDfcjw"></p>
<p id="lkAvBF"><strong>Q. Did you ask for an explanation? It appeared that the holding call was in the end zone against Eastern Michigan.</strong></p>
<p id="wR7lXT">MARK STOOPS: I declined it to get the ball there. I felt like we could get seven or three, and we got the three. So just a decision I made.</p>
<p id="qmJgS0"></p>
<p id="pbvwVZ"><strong>Q. Does Sawyer have the kind of personality that can rally the team around him?</strong></p>
<p id="8b1uiI">MARK STOOPS: Yeah, I think the guys have a lot of confidence in Sawyer. Guys feel for Terry because he’s worked hard and he’s a leader on our team. You know, it’s part of our game, injuries. We’ve seen a lot of our players get hurt and miss a season.</p>
<p id="jrKRA3"></p>
<p id="WYLjww">Guys feel for them because they know the amount of work he put in and we have a lot of confidence in him. But the guys believe in Sawyer and we’re going to play to win no matter who is playing. Everybody better get that straight right now. We’re sad for Terry and it stinks because it’s part of our game, but believe me, we’re going back to work with the intent to win a football game next week, and that’s the way we’re going to approach it every week.</p>
<p id="OcceX9"></p>
<p id="I8aker"><strong>Q. (No microphone - Question regarding how Terry being injured effects the team’s offensive approach)</strong></p>
<p id="qj8Awf">MARK STOOPS: Nothing, nothing. We’ll run our offense. Sawyer is very effective. Maybe not quite as dynamic a runner as Terry, but the reads will be the same. If he needs to, he’ll pull it and get the aggravating yards and move the ball on their offense.</p>
<p id="f12Jv2"></p>
<p id="4bJVGV"><strong>Q. Have you talked to Terry or Terry talk to the players after the game?</strong></p>
<p id="trSgaW">MARK STOOPS: I got to go see Terry right now. I’m not sure whether we’re still in the holding tank or not. Just talked to team and came over here. I got to go see him right now.</p>
<p id="QICQOU"></p>
<p id="qNFAz9"><strong>Q. (Regarding grad transfer quarterbacks.) How much does it help Sawyer has as much experience as he got, especially last year?</strong></p>
<p id="e0smLi">MARK STOOPS: Yeah, I think it’s a big deal that we have Sawyer and he has the experience he has. The game won’t be too big for him, that’s for sure. Just got to go out there and get some reps and execute. There are some things he does extremely well; we’ll lean on those.</p>
<p id="xtsAHx"></p>
<p id="MaJnK3"><strong>Q. Kavosiey got the personal foul and you kept him in the game. Why did you decide to keep him in the game?</strong></p>
<p id="SBnpc4">MARK STOOPS: I’ll make the corrections when I need to make them. Believe me, he won’t do that again. We’ll get it straightened out.</p>
<p id="gLYq0x"></p>
<p id="9iQMnj"><strong>Q. You said this team has got to have more takeaways. Two more interceptions tonight. That’s got to be huge.</strong></p>
<p id="Hk7Wlo">MARK STOOPS: Yeah, the guys play hard. I’m not disappointed. They played hard tonight. Just got to play smarter and eliminate some of the foolishness with unforced errors.</p>
<p id="YwvoX8"></p>
<p id="Tt42Tk"><strong>Q. (Regarding the run game.)</strong></p>
<p id="lpxTQB">MARK STOOPS: Yeah, those guys, I mean, we rushed for 239. You’re going to have a good opportunity to win a game when you do that. They rushed for 49 I see here.</p>
<p id="pWQaY7"></p>
<p id="MeopMB">So rush yards are important. We certainly probably could have hammered it out a little bit more. We were working on some other things and throwing the ball and working on the pass game, so that’s good to be able to do that in a game.</p>
<p id="iFi2hg"></p>
<p id="pPfqGi">Certainly felt like we probably could have rushed it a few more times, that’s for sure, but we’ll see. I’m not sure what the stats were on all that.</p>
<h2 id="mGvuqE">
<strong>#14 </strong><span><strong>Ahmad Wagner</strong></span><strong>, WR</strong>
</h2>
<p id="sMst04"><em>On the difference of play between Terry and Sawyer Smith…</em></p>
<p id="68vTPk">“They are different quarterbacks, but they are both really good and both have their strengths and I think we can move the chains and still throw the ball. It’s not going to change, we are still going to be aggressive on offense, run the ball and throw the ball. We all have the upmost confidence in Sawyer.”</p>
<p id="z1jVXb"><em> </em></p>
<p id="dsscrq"><em>On his touchdown…</em></p>
<p id="mAp4ME">“I was excited. It was great, a great ball, great protection. I was happy to get in the end zone.”</p>
<p id="Drivde"><strong> </strong></p>
<p id="jJhRcj"><em>On Sawyer being ready…</em></p>
<p id="VwumBH"><strong>“</strong>He was ready to go, he was just ready to go. We always talk about next man up so he was ready. As soon as he saw Terry go down, he was throwing passes, getting ready, his energy was up and he was to take the lead of the team and that’s what he did.”</p>
<p id="1q72my"> </p>
<h2 id="s7XNUV">
<strong>#3 </strong><span><strong>Jordan Griffin</strong></span><strong>, S</strong>
</h2>
<p id="XpkZhP"><em>On the vibe in the locker room after the game...</em></p>
<p id="JzgZRy">“To be honest, the vibe was very different. It was very different than usual. Not everyone was satisfied. That was a great team we played against as well, but everybody is just hungry for more. That’s a good thing for us, I feel like everyone is still hungry. Everyone still wants more. Overall, it was much different from what it used to be, but I like it.”</p>
<p id="naXX0X"> </p>
<p id="tpkwYW"><em>On picking off a pass….</em></p>
<p id="AYTUjU">“I was just out there doing what I was supposed to do. It’s definitely fun of course just being out there again, being out there with my brothers and all. It’s a blessing. Thank God for it. I’m still focused on trying to improve. I had one bust and I look at that more than I look at the pick. I had one bust and I let a guy catch the ball in the third down, so those are the things I hone in on – I don’t really focus on the pick. Its good, but I know what I have to do.”</p>
<p id="nRxTAB"> </p>
<p id="2JRdkQ"><em>On young guys growing through the first two games…</em></p>
<p id="Vat97j">“They’ve grown a lot, and we always knew that was going to be the case. Those are some young guys, but those guys are hungry for more. Each week I feel like they’re getting better and better, and that’s the ultimate goal. I feel like that’s the best thing you can ask for from an individual.”</p>
<p id="kWplOM"> </p>
<h2 id="ckkdbw"><strong>#12 Sawyer Smith, QB</strong></h2>
<p id="igitXC"><em>On substituting Terry Wilson...</em></p>
<p id="OHogwe">“That’s not what you want as a friend or competitor. Terry was having a great game, had a really good game last week and was playing well, so to see this happen, you know, I love Terry. You have to do what you have to do. You have to go out there and play.”</p>
<p id="ek0ns0"></p>
<p id="RJDGxr"><em>On his mindset...</em></p>
<p id="BcKTjg">“I learned last year that you have to get into a different mindset quickly. It’s good that it happened last year (at Troy) because I have experience now. I have full confidence in the staff to get me ready. I have to get ready and keep it going.”</p>
<p id="YFMsiS"></p>
<p id="gDBlmH"><em>On offense change if Terry can’t go…</em></p>
<p id="2TznNi">“I think that as a backup quarterback, especially at this level of football, you need to have two or three guys that are ready to go. I think they have confidence in me to keep it going and I think that is how it should be.”</p>
<p id="DXRrip"></p>
<p id="ZVFpah"><em>On Ahmad Wagner…</em></p>
<p id="cQatsj">“He’s about 6’7. He looks about 8 feet (tall) out there. It’s fun to throw it to him, we’ve got plenty of playmakers. It’s not hard for us quarterbacks to make plays like that. We just have to be good and have good technique and steps and plays will come.”</p>
<p id="AUVeom"> </p>
<h2 id="ulN0Xd">
<strong>#20 </strong><span><strong>Kavosiey Smoke</strong></span><strong>, RB</strong>
</h2>
<p id="Ym8LEV"><em>On getting back into the game after an injury...</em></p>
<p id="vo4MxK">“It kind of made me mad, so after that happened, I started running even harder. And then, my teammates started to go even harder and we came out with a ‘W’.”</p>
<p id="XySmun"></p>
<p id="9EMsIn"><em>On how much confidence the team has in Sawyer Smith...</em></p>
<p id="7D6rDH">“I saw Sawyer play when he was at Troy. It’s time for him to step up.”</p>
<p id="4YKu3X"></p>
<p id="uk65Ye">On his long touchdown run …</p>
<p id="84rEY0">“My o-line, my tight ends, my team blocked for me. I give them all the respect. I don’t take the (credit) for that, they got that.”</p>
<p id="6Dtahr"> </p>
<h2 id="cCuojQ"><strong>#10 A.J. Rose, RB</strong></h2>
<p id="jOpEub"><em>On his view of the play that caused Terry Wilson’s injury….</em></p>
<p id="7hZ5Ba">“From my angle, it looked like a horse collar pulled his ear or something like that and his knee twisted up weird, but we don’t have to worry about that. I am praying for the best and hoping he is cool.”</p>
<p id="vBOV0g"> </p>
<p id="j5KudH"><em>On the positives he can take away from the game…</em></p>
<p id="qi6yOm">“We played hard all four quarters and from the time Terry was in, he managed the game. He did a good job and the offensive line came to play, and after what happened to Terry, everyone is feeling a little weird and a little sad right now. We are just praying for the best.”</p>
<p id="2nbUx9"> </p>
<p id="lmcW5h"><em>On Sawyer Smith…</em></p>
<p id="ViHXlY">“Sawyer is going to be great. He went out there and threw two touchdown passes. He knows the offense very well, and like I said, next man up. We have all of the faith in him.”</p>
<p id="H9s0dE"><em> </em></p>
<h2 id="7wtLSu">
<strong>#1 </strong><span><strong>Lynn Bowden Jr.</strong></span><strong>, WR</strong>
</h2>
<p id="s8e3jL"><em>On the penalties and drop balls...</em></p>
<p id="xzgpPy">“These first two games I really haven’t been playing like myself. I have probably been overthinking it and doing too much. I have to get back to the basics. I have to play my game”</p>
<p id="HZuxdp"> </p>
<p id="yqAhoj"><em>On how the team is preparing for next week’s game….</em></p>
<p id="o0Mi9o">“We have to go extra hard. We know what that team is going to bring, it’s Florida. Florida vs. Kentucky, one of the biggest games this year. I think we will be ready for them.”</p>
<p id="lLDVe9"></p>
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/8/20855104/mark-stoops-and-wildcats-recap-win-over-eastern-michiganGreg Goins2019-09-07T23:43:51-04:002019-09-07T23:43:51-04:00Mark Stoops gives brief update on Terry Wilson
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<figcaption>Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It’s not looking good for Wilson. </p> <p id="yxWdrj">An absolutely disgusting horse-collar tackle led to Kentucky sophomore quarterback <span>Terry Wilson</span> having to be carted off the field Saturday night vs. Eastern Michigan. Although his Wildcats won the game, <span>Wilson</span> will likely be out for the foreseeable future. </p>
<p id="5MEgWh">After the game, head coach Mark Stoops gave a brief update on Wilson, confirming it was a left knee injury and saying “it doesn’t look good.” Stoops added that Wilson will have an MRI on Sunday, so we should know fairly soon how serious the injury is. </p>
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<p id="Ji0ryA">During the postgame handshakes, it appeared Stoops said “my guy is out for the year,” likely in regards to Wilson.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"I had to get him a few snaps, my guy is out for the year."<br><br>Our cameras caught Coach Stoops saying this after the game. Looks like it may be Sawyer Smith's team. <a href="https://t.co/D3e6ZMHyax">pic.twitter.com/D3e6ZMHyax</a></p>— Charlie Walter (@CharlieWalterTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlieWalterTV/status/1170553479879897088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="mxYw9M">With Wilson out, Kentucky finished the 38-17 win with Sawyer Smith at quarterback. He threw two scores and looked well, enough that Stoops said “I think the guys have a lot of confidence in Sawyer” after the win. </p>
<p id="HU76BC">Stoops added that, if Wilson is out, redshirt sophomore Walker Wood would be the backup behind Smith. </p>
<aside id="PELCwH"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Kentucky holds off Eastern Michigan: 7 things to know & postgame talk","url":"https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20854926/kentucky-football-eastern-michigan-eagles-2019-takeaways-uk-wildcats"},{"title":"Highlights, box score & MVP from Kentucky beating Eastern Michigan","url":"https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20854917/kentucky-wildcats-highlights-box-score-game-mvp-uk-eastern-michigan-2019"}]}'></div></aside><p id="k7vARu">This was Kentucky’s second win of the season after they defeated Toledo last week, in part, because of Wilson’s excellence. Wilson threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns in the team’s Week 1 victory. </p>
<p id="F357XS">Prior to this tackle, Wilson was just 14-for-26 for 114 yards. A dynamic, dual-threat quarterback, Wilson had also carried for 43 yards. That said, here’s a clip of the tackle that forced Wilson to be carted off the field.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kentucky QB Terry Wilson carted off with an apparent knee injury on a dirty horse-collar takedown <a href="https://t.co/j2G2sLrLRh">pic.twitter.com/j2G2sLrLRh</a></p>— Sports Related (@SportsRelated) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsRelated/status/1170523945424117760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
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<p id="VwM5gk">Wilson hadn’t been great in this game, but he was consistently moving the ball and putting UK in scoring position, though they foundered several opportunities with penalties and a fumble. It’ll be huge if Wilson out in Week 3 against a <a href="https://www.alligatorarmy.com/">Florida Gators</a> team that currently sits at No. 11 in the national rankings, though that looks like a certainty at this point. </p>
<p id="HJx6ky">Wilson had already shown improvement this season prior to this play. The Wildcats’ season won’t be over without Wilson leading the charge, but it’ll make things far more complicated for a team that’s still a work in a progress. </p>
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https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20855017/uk-football-terry-wilson-injury-mark-stoops-kentucky-emu-eagles-2019NathanBeighle2019-09-07T23:29:32-04:002019-09-07T23:29:32-04:00Highlights, box score & MVP from Kentucky beating Eastern Michigan
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<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Kentucky’s second game to start the season was definitely a win, but far from comforting, and potentially costly. </p> <p id="s27CEB">As expected, your <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> have started the season 2-0 with their most recent win over Eastern Michigan by a score of 38-17. </p>
<p id="FJ6NUB">However, it appears that <span>Terry Wilson</span>’s season could be in jeopardy. During Saturday night’s win, the Kentucky quarterback was carted off the field after suffering a knee injury. Wilson appeared to say “it’s over” when being carted off, leading to the assumption of a season-ending injury. </p>
<p id="H0CrsA"><span>Sawyer Smith</span> came in and threw multiple completions (including a touchdown pass) to seal the win. Overall, though, Saturday wasn’t the best of days for the Big Blue Nation, but the Cats still came away with a win. </p>
<h1 id="jWvT0O">Highlights</h1>
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<h1 id="hMAlVJ">Box Score</h1>
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<p id="DYwRg1"><a href="http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/archived.php?id=268786">Go here for more stats.</a> </p>
<h1 id="jrNEsz">Game MVP</h1>
<p id="Iq6Csy">Despite quarterback <span>Terry Wilson</span> going down during the second half of Saturday’s win, Kentucky wideout <span>Lynn Bowden</span> managed to put together a sound game, catching seven balls for 54 yards and a touchdown. </p>
<p id="fzKEyU">Bowden also threw a 32-yard pass to Wilson as well as carrying the ball twice 17 for yards. The Big Blue Nation hasn’t seen a receiver quite as elite as Lynn Bowden since the days of Randall Cobb. But a breakout season last fall, Bowden has had an excellent start to his 2019 campaign. </p>
<p id="jcA6JO">Though the season potentially moving forward without Wilson at quarterback, Bowden’s talent edge should allow him to maintain success with Kentucky’s backup plan at quarterback.</p>
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https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20854917/kentucky-wildcats-highlights-box-score-game-mvp-uk-eastern-michigan-2019John Morgan Francis2019-09-07T23:14:30-04:002019-09-07T23:14:30-04:00Kentucky holds off Eastern Michigan: 7 things to know & postgame talk
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<figcaption>Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A win is a win, but at what cost?</p> <p id="StE9XZ">The <a href="https://www.aseaofblue.com/">Kentucky Wildcats</a> held on to defeat the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/eastern-michigan-eagles">Eastern Michigan Eagles</a> at Kroger Field on Saturday with a final score of 38-17. At times, the offense looks electric and the defense looked as stingy as last season. However, the third quarter injury to <span>Terry Wilson</span> cast a shadow over the entire evening.</p>
<p id="Gdg6Xh">There were a lot of bright spots for the Wildcats, including a balanced rushing attack and strong games from receivers <span>Ahmad Wagner</span> and <span>Lynn Bowden</span>. <span>Sawyer Smith</span> came in for Wilson and made a few really good plays, although it is always difficult to assess a backup quarterback coming in during the middle of a game.</p>
<aside id="FjfinJ"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Terry Wilson suffers injury vs. Eastern Michigan, carted off field","url":"https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20854971/kentucky-wildcats-terry-wilson-injury-eastern-michigan-eagles-2019"},{"title":"WATCH Kavosiey Smoke burn EMU for 32-yard score","url":"https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20854882/kentucky-wildcats-kavosiey-smoke-eastern-michigan-2019-uk-football"}]}'></div></aside><p id="3zr9yO">While we wait for more news on Wilson’s injury, here are seven things to know from the game:</p>
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<strong>Losing </strong><span><strong>Terry Wilson</strong></span><strong> is Huge</strong>
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<p id="0qofNo">Saturday’s offensive game plan was to have Terry Wilson take over the game. At halftime, he lead the team in both passing and receiving and was a close second in rushing. Through the two and a half quarters Wilson played, he had 8 rushing attempts, several of which were called, and 26 attempted passes. </p>
<p id="chohNV">Wilson was obviously going to be the centerpiece of this offense. It seems to have been built around his ability to move in the pocket and find open receivers. While the coaching staff says Sawyer Smith will operate under the same game plan, that is extremely hard to believe. Maybe Wilson will not be out of long. If he is, everything changes.</p>
<h2 id="1CfJlu"><strong>Kash is Back</strong></h2>
<p id="2w4tRa"><span>Kash Daniel</span> looked a lot more like himself on Saturday. In addition to his interception, he make tackles all over the field. However, if you go back and watch the tape you will see that he is near the ball on almost every snap. This is who he needs to be if this team is going to be competitive in the SEC.</p>
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<strong>Give </strong><span><strong>Smoke</strong></span><strong> the Rock</strong>
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<p id="h3wLLT">AJ Rose ran pretty well for the game, but <span>Kavosiey Smoke</span> was easily the most electric ball-carrier for Kentucky on Saturday. He averaged 8.4 yards per carry for the game, and that is not even including the long touchdown run he had called back in the second quarter. </p>
<p id="AISPHQ">We may end up seeing a <span>Jojo Kemp</span>/Boom Williams type of rotation where Smoke gets more action on third down. But even if we do not, I think Smoke will see increased time on the field moving forward if he continues to break loose for large gains in the running game.</p>
<h2 id="rksx4y"><strong>Production of Receivers “Drops”</strong></h2>
<p id="buMgzB">Against Toledo in week one, several receivers made huge catches for the Wildcats. And while there were a few against EMU (<span>Ahmad Wagner</span> is something special), there were also several catchable balls that ended up on the ground. </p>
<p id="OY1hFo">I think many were surprised by the performance in week one, so all we saw this week was the group coming back to reality a bit. They are not as good as we saw against Toledo, and probably will not drop as many passes regularly as we saw in week two.</p>
<h2 id="rjTQxt"><strong>Strong Rush Defense</strong></h2>
<p id="FNLNZW">I am not saying that Eastern Michigan is an offensive juggernaut, but holding any college football team to just 49 rushing yards is impressive. The front seven of Kentucky came to play in week two, and hopefully built some confidence before the Gators come into town on Saturday. </p>
<h2 id="MMHPRo"><strong>Untimely Mistakes</strong></h2>
<p id="pBsEcj">Whether it was AJ Rose’s fumble at the one yard line, the penalty by TJ Carter that extended EMU’s first scoring drive, or the holding penalty on Lynn Bowden’s long kick-off return the Wildcats shot themselves in the foot on more than one occasion during the game. </p>
<p id="yJxX5w">To contend in conference play, Kentucky has to avoid costly penalties and untimely turnovers moving forward. There were several during the game against EMU, and even one or two against Florida next week could cost them the game.</p>
<h2 id="jiqWuW"><strong>A Leader for the Secondary</strong></h2>
<p id="oHM7fd">The most inexperienced unit on the field for Kentucky this season is the secondary. Everyone on the field has something to prove, and fans have wondered which defensive back would step up to lead the group.</p>
<p id="gCShUO">Against EMU, <span>Jordan Griffin</span> made a strong case to be that guy. He had an interception, a sack, and several pass break-ups to lead the secondary to a strong performance. If the others can step up and follow <span>Griffin</span>’s example, this unit may be okay after all.</p>
<p id="BvtHo9">Now, let’s vent. </p>
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https://www.aseaofblue.com/2019/9/7/20854926/kentucky-football-eastern-michigan-eagles-2019-takeaways-uk-wildcatsJamie Boggs