Kentucky’s Barion Brown returned the second half kickoff back 100 yards for a touchdown and the Wildcats never looked back in pulling away to beat Miami (OH), 37-13, at Kroger Field on Saturday night.
Quarterback Will Levis, despite being rushed throughout and sacked four times, passed for 303 yards and three touchdowns. He had TD passes of one, six and eight yards.
Wide receiver Tayvion Robinson hauled in six passes for 136 yards.
Coach Mark Stoops’ 60th win tied him with Paul “Bear” Bryant as the Wildcats’ winningest coach.
Following a Miami turnover, Levis hit Chauncey Magwood with an eight-yard pass for a score and the Wildcats took a 27-10 lead with 13:58 remaining in the third period.
Ruffalo’s 50-yard field goal extended the Wildcats lead to 30-13 with 1:09 left in the third quarter.
Levis’ one yard TD pass to Dane Key with 7:46 made it 37-13.
The Redhawks took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards to take the lead 7-0 on Trye Shelton’s 22-yard run with 9 minutes, 39 seconds left in the first quarter. Graham Nicholson added the PAT kick.
Kentucky pilled seven on tight end Brenden Bates’ six-yard TD pass from Levis with 7:29 remaining. Matt Ruffalo’s kick was good.
The Wildcats took the lead on Ruffalo’s 34-yard field at 10-7 with 9:22 left in the opening half.
Miami tied it at 10-all on Graham Nicholson’s 48-yard field with 6:10 to go in the second quarter.
Ruffalo’s 24-yard field goal as time expired put UK up for good 13-10 at the half.
Kentucky will play at Florida next Saturday night. Kickoff from Gainsville is at 7 pm.
At Lexington
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
MO (0-1)…..7 3 3 0 – 13
UK (1-0)……7 6 17 7 – 37
Scoring:
First Quarter
MO – Tyre Shelton, 22-yard run (Graham Nicholson kick), 9:39
UK – Brenden Bates, 6-yard pass from Will Levis (Matt Ruffalo kick), 7:29
Second Quarter
UK – Matt Ruffalo, 34-yard field goal, 9:22
MO – Graham Nicholson, 48-yard field goal, 6:10
UK – Matt Ruffalo, 25-yard field goal, :00
Third Quarter
UK – Barion Brown, 100-yard kickoff return (Matt Ruffalo kick), 14:47
UK – Chauncey Magwood, 8-yard pass from Will Levis (Matt Ruffalo), 13:58
MO – Graham Nicholson, 27-yard field goal, 9:04
UK – Matt Ruffalo, 50-yard field goal, 1:09
Fourth Quarter
UK – Dane Key, 1-yard pass from Will Levis (Matt Ruffalo kick), 7:46
Next up: Kentucky (1-0) at Florida (1-0), 7 pm, Sept. 10.