Through 30 minutes, Kentucky was right with Alabama. In fact, the Cats went to the locker room leading 17-13 with tangible hope that they could pull off the upset.
However, Alabama came out and put the clamps down in the second half.
Backed by four second-half touchdowns, the Crimson Tide completely flipped the momentum of the game and held the Cats to under 100 yards of offense in the second 30 minutes. It was just part of a 45-17 win that handed the Cats their first loss of the season and Will Stein
his first loss as a head coach.
Let’s take a look at four things that stand out from Saturday’s game at Kroger Field.
Alabama is still really good
They may not be the Crimson Tide of 2009-2020, but this is still a really good Crimson Tide team. Really good teams overcome two early turnovers, which is what Alabama did on Saturday. In addition, really good teams just keep coming at you. That’s also what Alabama did on Saturday.
Even after giving up a tip-drill pick-six to Kentucky defensive lineman Mi’Quise Humphrey-Grace and a fumble on their next possession, the Tide responded with a pick-six by linebacker Luke Metz that tied the game 7-7.
Alabama kicker Conor Talty made three field goals to keep the Tide right with the Cats at 17-16. Again, they kept the pressure on Kentucky to hold onto the lead and break the game open. When the Cats couldn’t do that, Alabama took advantage to make it 31-17 at the end of the third quarter.
The Crimson Tide made it 38-17 with just over nine minutes remaining in the game, and that’s when Cats fans made their way to the exits. Eventually, Alabama made it 45-17 late in the fourth quarter to cap off a 32-0 scoring run. Disappointment? For sure, but this is still Alabama. Nick Saban may not be on the sidelines anymore, but the name is still the name.
This Kentucky Team still feels different
It’s felt that way since Will Steing first got here. This is not the same Kentucky team we saw last year, two years ago, or even any team of the last 13 years. There’s a different energy surrounding these Wildcats. It was evident Saturday during the walk from the Cats’ practice facility to the tunnel at Kroger Field, when Cats’ legends Tim Couch and Craig Yeast accompanied Will Stein and the Cats.
The crowd at Kroger Field Saturday was in a frenzy. It wasn’t just because it was Alabama in town to take on the Cats. It’s because Cats fans finally have something to be excited about, and Will Stein is at the epicenter of it.
Cats fans shouldn’t be down on this team because they lost to Alabama. For more than one half, they looked like they belonged on the same field as the Crimson Tide. That matters. A year ago, the outlook wouldn’t have been so good going up against the Crimson Tide. That’s in no disrespect to Mark Stoops, but it’s a testament to the different energy and belief that there is in Lexington this season.
Now we really find out about this Cats team
Since December, the Cats have been in the honeymoon phase. That’s great, but you really learn about a program when it faces adversity. Now, we’ll see how the Cats respond after a loss, a blowout loss at that. What better opponent to do it against than the Texas A&M Aggies next Saturday?
Stein and the Cats hit the road for the first time next week when they head to College Station to take on a team that was 11-0 at one point last season and played in the College Football Playoff. The Aggies came into this week ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, so that alone makes it a measuring stick for the Wildcats.
Look, we knew the Cats were going to likely be a team around .500 this season. We may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves with Alabama coming into the Bluegrass this week. And there’s still a long way for the Cats to go.
Do they have to win at Texas A&M? If we’re talking CFP, which, hey, go for it, then it’s probably a must-win, but the bigger picture is about getting better and looking like you belong on the same field as the top-tier SEC teams. Success this year is measured in that realm. Yes, wins and losses are important, but it’s about Kentucky getting better each week.
It’s easy to feel good about yourselves after wins. But it’s what you learn about yourselves through adversity that counts. That’s what Kentucky will now do, and next week will tell us a little more about how high this team’s potential is this season.
Kentucky has something with their tight ends
That was validated early on Saturday afternoon. Willie Rodriguez was consistently getting the ball in the first half, and Henry Boyer caught a 20-yard touchdown on a great play call by offensive coordinator Joe Sloan.
When an offense can unleash its tight ends, that can create mismatches for the opposing defense and make it harder for them to hold up in opposing coverage. Kentucky clearly is able to do that, and it’s going to help with Kenny Minchey’s development as a quarterback.
Now, let’s discuss what took place today.
