@font-face { font-family: “Times New Roman”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }Kentucky’s senior day didn’t go as planned. The Wildcats had a beaten up Vanderbilt team limp into Commonwealth stadium just as they were beginning to heal up. This should have been a bloodbath from the initial kickoff to the final whistle of the game. But it didn’t go down quite that way.
The Cats began the contest flat with a three and out and promptly allowed the (previously anemic) Vanderbilt offense to drive their way down to the one yard line behind a 31 yard run by fourth string running back Kennard Reeves. Then defense was able to hold the Commodores to a field goal, but the tempo for the half was set and the Wildcats let Vanderbilt think they could play with them.
On the following drives, Kentucky and Vanderbilt traded field goals and then touchdowns to leave what should have been a vastly superior Kentucky team down 13-10 at halftime. But then again, starting slow and looking lost has been the M.O. for the Wildcats over the past two seasons, so fans should be getting used to this type of game by now. The defense gave up plays of 31, 45, and 52 yards in the first half and the offense was having trouble putting together sustained drives, with only 2 of their 6 first half possessions exceeding five plays.
That’s when the coaching staff decided to leave the team to themselves.
“The coaches just left. They were like if you all don’t want to win then you all just stay in here. Don’t come back out here. I’m going to give you a minute to talk about what you want to talk about but don’t come out if you don’t want to finish this game and win.” Senior Derrick Locke
The start of the second half could basically be summed up into the release of Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke onto the hapless Vanderbilt defense. After a 12-yard drive, Kentucky’s Ridge Wilson cut down Vanderbilt quarterback Larry Smith for a sack and forced the offense to punt the ball away. Kentucky started the drive with an 8-yard rush by Derrick Locke, and then the fireworks started. Cobb took the next play to show off his versatility and speed as the junior receiver scampered 73 yards for a touchdown. Two drives later, Kentucky scored on a 1-yard touchdown run by Derrick Locke that was set up by a 52-yard rush by Cobb.
“The heart we showed in the second half and the way we were able to come back and just the things we were able to do in the second half. We expect to play the whole game like that and we have to start finding a way to do that.” Cobb said after the game.
The fourth quarter started with Vanderbilt stopping Kentucky’s offense cold at the one yard-line. Despite getting some momentum back, Vanderbilt couldn’t take advantage of a personal foul call because of negative plays and penalties of their own, and had to punt the ball away, and Kentucky took the opportunity to take the reigns and never look back. One the first play of the following drive, Mike Hartline found Chris Matthews for a 55-yard touchdown pass. Then the defense held Vandy, forcing them to turning the ball over on downs. The ensuing possession was capped by an 83-yard touchdown run by Derrick Locke that essentially put the game out of reach and helped lock up bowl eligibility for Kentucky.
“It feels great. It definitely makes you proud to be the first class that came in and started the bowl streak and to go out going to another one. I think it really sets the foundation of the guys younger than me to keep it going, to keep it alive, and to ma
ke them realize what they’re working towards. All we have to do is keep working to get it done and we have another game two weeks from now and it going to be bigger than anything we’ve done this year.” Kentucky QB Mike Hartline said about being bowl eligible every season he’s been here.
The end of the game was capped by Kentucky sending in the backup offense in with starting quarterback Mike Hartline. This curious decision to leave Hartline in was made clear when he was pulled from the game after one hand off. Realizing it would be the last time they would see the controversial quarterback in a Kentucky uniform, the fans in Commonwealth stadium gave him a well-deserved standing ovation on his way to the sideline.
“I was just really proud to be a part of this team, to be a part of this University and program and just to share it with the guys around me that have been here as long as I have, the other seniors. It was just nice to get a round of applause from every body but also to hug Randall on the sidelines, hug coach Sanders, hug coach Phillips who’s been there with me through thick and thin, so it means a lot.” Hartline said when asked what the ovations meant to him.
The Wildcats will get a week to rest up and heal up before heading down to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. If Kentucky wants to break the quarter-century losing streak to the Volunteers, getting out to a fast, or at least faster start will go a long way towards helping the team win.
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