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Halftime Quick Take: Kentucky offense starts fast, defense silences Ohio
By Ethan Levine
Published:
One week removed from a 59-point performance against UT Martin, the Kentucky Wildcats wasted no time getting in the end zone in Saturday’s Week 2 showdown with the Ohio Bobcats.
Quarterback Patrick Towles led the Cats’ offense straight down the field on its first offensive possession, capping a 10-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to true freshman Dorian Baker to take an early 7-0 lead.
On its second drive, Stanley “Boom” Williams, another true freshman, took a carry 53 yards to extend the UK lead to 14-0.
At that point, the Wildcats’ defense began to take over.
Kentucky limited the Bobcats to just 120 yards of offense for the half, shutting them out on the scoreboard. Ohio starting quarterback Derrius Vick didn’t make it out of the first quarter, starting the game 0-of-6 passing before he was replaced by J.D. Sprague.
Sprague was ready for the challenge, completing 7-13 passes for 55 yards. He eluded a stout Kentucky pass rush time and time again to extend plays, occasionally throwing the ball down the field while other times tucking the ball away and running. He amassed 2 carries for 24 yards in the half, and as a team, the Bobcats racked up 65 yards on the ground.
With less than two minutes remaining in the half, UK place kicker Austin MacGinnis overcame a missed field goal earlier in the game by knocking in a 53-yard field goal to extend the Kentucky lead to 17-0.
Towles was 10-of-17 passing for 131 yards and a touchdown, maintaining his turnover-free 2014 campaign. His favorite target in the first half was sophomore Ryan Timmons, who caught six passes for 73 yards, all in the first quarter.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
