By: Casey Madison (X/BleedBlueCasey) | Photo via UKAthletics
Kentucky had not one, but multiple chances to move the football six inches to likely win the game, and couldn’t do it.
In a season already defined by disappointment and misses, the Wildcats found a new way to lose Saturday night at Kroger Field. Facing No. 21 Texas, Mark Stoops’ team dominated nearly every meaningful stat and still walked off the field with a 16–13 overtime loss that felt all too familiar.
The difference in yardage? 400–179. They almost quadrupled them in first downs, 26–8. Their defense was GREAT. But when it came time to closing out the game, six inches separated victory from another defeat, and Kentucky failed. Twice.
“I Wanted To Play To Win”
Mark Stoops stood by his call to go for it on fourth-and-goal in overtime.
“I wanted to play to win,” Stoops said, “We played well the entire game and had a great opportunity. Six inches or whatever, a half yard to win. We came up short.”
He wasn’t exaggerating. The Wildcats ran two plays from inside the one-yard line, both stuffed by a Texas defense that knew exactly what was coming. Running back Dante Dowell tried to leap over the pile on third down, a move Stoops admitted wasn’t part of the design. Then Kentucky lined up again, same formation, same idea, same result.
“It was frustrating…We had worked extremely hard to get that fixed. We’ve been efficient this year… but we weren’t tonight.”
The result was a WASTED opportunity. A game that slipped away when Kentucky had outplayed its opponent in literally every aspect.
Same Story, Different Week
This isn’t the first time the Wildcats have done everything but win. They’ve improved statistically week by week, but the scoreboard keeps saying otherwise. Red-zone mistakes, missed field goals, and conservative calls continue to define their season that isn’t looking very promising.
Even Stoops acknowledge this pattern:
“You can look at the bottom line, and we all do,” he said. “Unfortunately, we came up short, and that hurts.”
It’s not just the pain, but it’s the repetition. How does a veteran coaching staff end up running the same failed play twice at the one-yard line against the No. 1 team in the country? How do you generate 26 first downs and only 13 points.
Photo Via UKAthletics
Cutter Boley Shined, But It’s Wasn’t Enough
Freshman quarterback Cutter Boley was one of the few bright spots in a very frustrating night. The Lexington native played his best game yet, completing 31 of 39 passes, and throwing 258 yards.
“He was 31-of-39, which is impressive,” Stoops said. “He’s comfortable, hanging in the pocket, hitting crossing routes, and operating efficiently.”
Boley used his legs to keep drives alive, and even had Kentucky’s lone touchdown, breaking loose for a 16 yard scramble into the end zone. Beyond that, every red-zone other trip sputtered. Despite putting up more than 400 yards on offense, they only had one touchdown.
Cutter Boley, via UK Athletics
Defense Deserved Better
Kentucky’s defense tonight was nothing short of excellent. Without linebacker D.J. Washington, who was ruled out pregame, Arch Manning still had a season-low in yardage.
“They played extremely hard,” Stoops said. “Brad [White] and Bush [Hamdan] had great plans. To get 26 first downs against that defense is impressive.”
The defense did its job. The offense, once again, didn’t finish the job.
No Time to Feel Sorry
At 2–4 and 0–4 in the SEC, it isn’t looking like the schedule gets any easier. The excuses are gone, and the schedule is about to get even less forgiving. Next up: No .11 Tennessee, Auburn on the road, Florida (who beat Texas), then road trips to Vanderbilt and Louisville to close the season.
“It hurts, but there’s no other option,” Stoops said. “You’ve got to go back to work. They’re invested, they’ll keep fighting.”
They may keep fighting, but the patience outside that locker room isn’t improving any time soon.
Because on Saturday night, Kentucky wasn’t outclassed. It wasn’t overwhelmed. It was simply six inches away twice, and couldn’t finish. A true testament to how close this team is to turning the corner, and how far it still has to go to actually win.
