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All photos courtesy Tony Wagner photography, via association with Jeff Houchin.
Quarterbacks A-
Will Levis had a solid game, with 11-19 for 188 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. His quarterback rating for the game was a rugged 175.7. He made the plays he needed to make, generally did not force anything, yet got rid of the ball when he needed to avoid a sack (for the most part) in what is likely his last game ever at Kroger Field, leading Kentucky to his second consecutive win as a starter, and Kentucky's fourth consecutive overall over the Cardinals, he deserved this grade.
Running Backs - B+
Yes, Louisville outrushed Kentucky in today's game, 164 yards to 158 yards. But Chris Rodriguez earned his twentieth 100 yard rushing game at Kentucky, a Kentucky record as he rushed for 120 yards on 24 carries. JuTahn McClain added 10 carries for 50 yards, as the two combined for all of the running back carries for a 5.0 yard per carry average. In the second half, with the lead and needing to grind yardage, UK rushed for 94 of the 158 yards and a number of first downs.
Receivers/TEs A
Freshman Barion Brown again led Kentucky with four catches for 44 yards, including an acrobatic leaping catch on a fade in the end zone for a 3rd quarter touchdown that gave Kentucky some breathing room at 23-7. Josh Kattus caught two passes for 76 yards, including a lumbering 70 yard jaunt breaking a couple of tackles on Kentucky's second possession that led to the touchdown. Freshman Dane Key added three catches for 37 yards and grabbed Kentucky's first touchdown. Receivers also managed a jaw-dropping 156 yards after catch of the 188 total receiving yards. While there were only 11 catches in the game, the receivers did what they needed to do, and extra credit for so many yards after catch.
Offensive Line B-
I struggled with this grade. Early in the game, I thought that they were allowing too much penetration by the Louisville defensive line, resulting in ineffective rushing and rushed passes or sacks. But as the game went on, they managed to do enough to allow an effective rushing attack, particularly in the second half, and sufficient time for Levis to connect on the passes he needed. When I look at the post game statistics, though, I can't help but see the seven tackles for losses, however. A more in-depth review might change the grade either up or down, but in today's game, a B- seems appropriate.
Defensive Line A-
Louisville rushed for 164 yards, 4.4 yards per rush attempt and one rushing touchdown. But Kentucky managed to stop Louisville eight of 12 times on third down, and had an additional fourth-down stop, primarily due to the defensive line digging in. Freshman Deone Walker was a man-child today, with six tackles, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a tackle for loss and one half sack.
Linebackers A-
Yes, most of the grades are good today. JJ Weaver, Jordan Wright, and Trevin Wallace each had seven tackles today. Weaver and Wallace each had a tackle for a loss, while Wright was given credit for 0.5 tackle for loss as well. Wright managed two quarterback hurries as well, putting pressure on the Louisville quarterbacks. D'Eryk Jackson also added two solo tackles.
Secondary A
Zion Childress has been such a find for Kentucky. The transfer from Texas State has been a godsend for the Wildcats. Today's stat line included five tackles (three solo), a pass breakup, a tackle for loss and a sack. He just seems to be everywhere he needs to be. I'm not sure I want to point out anybody else, because I might say something negative and really, I'm not sure that anything negative needs to be said in a game where the opposing quarterbacks passed for only 145 yards on 27 attempts, and had two passes intercepted. Overall, I think the secondary was well coached this year, and showed that in this game.
Special Teams A+
This really probably doesn't deserve the "plus" but it does need to be distinguished, so this is the game for it. Let's start with Kentucky's much-maligned field goal kicking. The long snaps were good, the holds secure, and Matt Ruffalo's four field goal attempts (43 yards, 29 yards, 35 yards and 40 yards) all went cleanly through the uprights for 12 very important points. Wilson Berry punted three times for a 42.7 average, including a punt that was downed at the 1 yard line. Chase Poore kicked off seven times for Kentucky, with Louisville not returning a single kickoff. The only blemish was a single 30 yard punt return by Louisville (with Berry getting credit for both the punt and the tackle), but I'm not going to drop the grade for that one. They have received very poor grades for most of the season; we're going to give the highest score to them for this game.
Coaching A-
Kentucky had to prepare for two quarterbacks today, and did so well, bottling up Malik Cunningham in relief of Brock Domann and avoiding the dreaded "backup quarterback" jinx that seems to have played Kentucky over the years. Louisville came into the game with a vaunted pass rush, and although they did manage two sacks, the quick passes kept Louisville at bay. The game plan to get the ball in the hands of the talented playmakers and allow them to gain yards after the catch was solid, as was a commitment to the running game in a nice mix.
Mark Stoops did not blink with his decisions to kick field goals, despite recent shaky play, and it paid off in a 4-4 performance. While we heard the fans boo the decision to punt on fourth down and four after a 16 yard gain right before the half, the decision, while conservative, was appropriate given the circumstances and how Kentucky's defense was bottling up Louisville's offense (even though it ended in a Louisville touchdown). There was no reason to make that easier than it had to be. Really, there's not much to complain about from a coaching standpoint other than the nine penalties Kentucky had. If I recall correctly, all were in the first half. That was cleaned up at halftime. In addition, I'm giving the benefit to the coaching staff for causing a three and out on Louisville's first possession of the second half after they had the momentum of a last-minute touchdown in the first half and receiving the opening kickoff to begin the second half. Kentucky followed that with a four plus minute drive leading to a field-goal to extend the lead, with the next possession leading to a touchdown, and the possession after that leading to a field-goal that pretty much put the game out of reach with the three consecutive scores in the third quarter.
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