Is Kentucky a Football School Now?
By Kyle Koster
Kentucky dismantled Mississippi State, 28-7. The Wildcats are now 4-0 and ranked 17th in both polls. This is the first time they’ve been in the Top 25 since 2007.
The SEC East, outside of Georgia’s force field, is down. No one is more surprised to be typing this sentence than me, but could Kentucky actually make a run at the conference championship game?
Here’s the remaining conference schedule:
- South Carolina
- at Texas A&M
- Vanderbilt
- at Missouri
- Georgia
- at Tennessee
All three of those road trips are winnable, with College Station presenting the biggest obstacle. It’s possible, though not entirely likely, that Kentucky could be 8-0 overall and 6-0 in conference when Georgia comes calling.
More realistically, the Wildcats put together a solid 8-win season and earn a respectable bowl game. Having that for a floor is pretty good for a program desperate for relevance.
Benny Snell Jr. has been as advertised. His 540 rushing yards are good for third in the country. Kentucky is 11th in rushing yards/game as quarterback Terry Wilson has added 241 of his own to augment spotty passing performance.
A ball-control offense has been buoyed by a lethal defense, which is allowing a paltry 13.3 points/game — good for 7th in the nation. Mississippi State was averaging a 50-burger before encountering the pain in Lexington and mustering a singular touchdown.
This could all be fool’s gold. For now, though, it’s shining so pretty.