Saturday night’s offense is what Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops has been waiting for all season long.
The best performance wasn’t enough to beat bitter-rival Tennessee as the Volunteers escaped the Wildcats, 33-27, at Kroger Field.
Tennessee did what it does best – take away Kentucky’s ground game, holding running back Ray Davis to just 42 yards and one touchdown on 16 rushing attempts. UK finished with 72 as a team.
Quarterback Devin Leary passed for a season high 372 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The NC State transfer had his best game as a Wildcat, connecting on 28-of -39 passes. Sophomore Dane Key was on the receiving end of seven of those passes, covering a career best 113 yards and a touchdown.
Neither team had a turnover and Kentucky finished with a season low 21 yards.
The Wildcats will travel to Starkville to face Mississippi State (4-4) next Saturday. Kickoff is 7:30 pm.
At Lexington
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
UT (6-2)……..10 13 3 7 – 33
UK (5-3)……….0 17 7 3 – 27
Scoring:
First Quarter
UT – Jaylen Wright, 52-yard run (Charles Campbell kick), 10:47
UT – Charles Campbell, 44-yard field goal, 5:34
Second Quarter
UK – Alex Raynor, 28-yard field goal, 14:51
UT – Charles Campbell, 49-yard field goal, 11:13
UK – Barion Brown, 11-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick), 7:38
UT – Chas Nimrod, 39-ard pass from Joe Milton III (Charles Campbell kick), 6:16
UK – Ray Davis, 7-yard run (Alex Raynor kick), 1:46
UT – Charles Campbell, 34-yard field goal, :05
Third Quarter
UT – Charles Campbell, 35-yard field goal, 6:49
UK – Dane Key, 7-yard pass from Devin Leary (Alex Raynor kick), 2:39
Fourth Quarter
UT – D Sampson, 12-yard run (Charles Campbell kick), 7:30
UK – Alex Raynor, 28-yard field goal, 4:24
Next up: Kentucky (5-3) at Mississippi State (4-4), 7:30 pm, Nov. 4.