Report Card: Grading Kentucky’s season-ending loss to No. 22 Louisville
By Jason Hall
Published:
Here’s how the Kentucky Wildcats graded after their 44-40 loss to No. 22 Louisville.
OFFENSE: B
Stanley “Boom” Williams rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries in Saturday’s loss. Williams’ most impressive run came in the fourth quarter as he broke three tackles on his way to the end zone. But Patrick Towles threw for just 176 yards and two interceptions on 14-of-29 passing.
DEFENSE: B
Kentucky managed to score two touchdowns on turnovers, including a 40-yard pick six by Fred Tiller in the second quarter and a 30-yard fumble return by Mike Douglas. However, the Wildcats defense struggled otherwise, allowing third-string quarterback Kyle Bolin to throw for 381 yards and three touchdowns on 21-of-31 passing. All three scores were to DeVante Parker, who finished with 180 yards and six catches.
SPECIAL TEAMS: A-
Austin MacGinnis was 4-for-4 on field goal attempts and 4-for-4 on extra point attempts. Landon Foster averaged 45.7 yards per punt and landed two inside the 20-yard line. Foster made six attempts in Saturday’s game.
COACHING: B
Mark Stoops’ team fought against a favored road opponent. The Wildcats managed to see a solid rushing performance against the nation’s No. 3 overall rush defense. The coaching staff did a solid job keeping Kentucky in Saturday’s game, despite falling on the short end.
OVERALL: B
Kentucky was solid in a game many expected to have a wider margin. The Wildcats deserve credit for forcing turnovers, despite allowing a high score against a talented offense. But it wasn’t enough to stop the collapse that kept Kentucky out of the postseason for the fourth consecutive season.
A former freelance journalist from Nashville, Jason covers Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Kentucky
