Kentucky football torches New Mexico enabling seniors to make memories

For once it was nice to see the Kentucky football seniors go out in style actually beating up a team and allowing its seniors to shine as the Wildcats rolled over visiting New Mexico State 55-16.

In fact, there were some career highlights that helped overshadow four more turnovers that seem to have plagued this team all season long yet they are somehow 8-3 on the year.

We won’t dwell on that for now.

None the less this squad has righted the ship after three straight losses to Georgia, Mississippi State, and Tennessee then beating Vanderbilt 34-17 last week.

All of Big Blue Nation has been longing for Kentucky to light up the scoreboard and it has taken three years since Louisville in 2018 to hang at least 56 on someone. For a Kentucky senior to enjoy such a day they would have to go back 61 years when UK beat North Dakota State 83-0.

Kentucky football seniors have fun making memories, setting records in blowout

While not a game of complete beauty today we can enjoy the moments and it is evident offensive coordinator Liam Coen was going to let his seniors go out with some well-deserved memories. He called plays for nearly everyone who stepped on the field and helped many solidify their name to Wildcat lore.

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said after the game that it was important for a multitude of players to get time on the field in the second half.

"“I challenged the team at half time because I wanted to see some younger players in the game. I wanted to see players that had been around here for a long time that may be playing their last game in this stadium. They deserved the opportunity to get some reps. That’s fun and that’s joyous for all of us to watch those guys play that work so hard that don’t get an opportunity to play. So, it was important to take charge and be dominant in the second half, and they did that defensively. “"

It certainly helped that the Wildcats racked up 707 yards of the total offense running 70 plays. Couple that with 600 two weeks ago in a heart-breaking 45-42 loss to Tennessee, Big Blue is now averaging 422.5 yards per game increasing it by 28 more yards from before the game.

That was due to quarterback Will Levis completing 21 of 31 passes for 419 yards and two touchdowns. The total yards is the 12th-highest single-game total in school history.  It’s been since 2007 when Andre Woodson put 430 up on Tennessee that BBN has witnessed a 400-yard passer.

Josh Ali and Wan’Dale Robison are the first duo receivers in Kentucky history to each go over 100 yards in a single game.

It didn’t look that way to begin the game though.

Kentucky’s defense forced a three-and-out but then the Wildcat offense regressed to its old turnover ways as Levis took his eye off a snap that sailed past him. He tried to fall on it but couldn’t and instead New Mexico State ran it into the end zone for a touchdown.

Another low was the three fumbles Kentucky coughed up with Chris Rodriguez doing so near the goal.

However, let’s just looks look at some other highlights.