Saturday wasn't the kind of day that the Kentucky football team wanted, but in the end they walked away with a 45-21 win. Coach Will Stein wasn't happy with the effort or the performance, but they advanced to 3-1 on the season, and jumped into the AP Top 25 for the first time this year.
The offense was mostly limited to a dominant running game, though it turned out to be all that was necessary. The Wildcats rushed for almost 400 yards and three different players had at least 100 yards and a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Kentucky couldn't get consistent pressure on the quarterback, and it led to some big plays from South Alabama. The Cats led by just three at the half, but they buckled down in the second half as the Jaguars began to look
worn down.
Coach Stein was definitely unhappy with some of the play on Saturday, but there were some very good play too. Here's a look at those whose stock is up after week four, and those whose stock is down.
Stock up: The running backs
The Kentucky offense didn't have their best game, but the running game was terrific. C.J. Baxter posted 149 yards and a touchdown. Jason Patterson had 137 yards and 3 touchdowns. Javantae Barnes had 100 yards and a score. All three were instrumental in the Wildcats win.
Stock down: Willie Rodriguez
It was a tough afternoon for Kentucky's star tight end. He had just 2 receptions for 18 yards, and he had a big drop on a fourth down attempt in the first half. Henry Boyer and Mikkel Skinner both had solid games, and Rodriguez was held in check by the South Alabama defense. He will bounce back, though.
Stock up: Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace
Kentucky's defense wasn't able to get pressure on Saturday, especially in the first half. Humphrey-Grace, however, played well. He had 1.5 sacks in the game, and deflected a pass that was intercepted, setting up a field goal that gave the Wildcats the lead before halftime. He is having a terrific season as well.
Stock down: The rest of the pass rush
Outside of Humphrey-Grace, Kentucky just couldn't get after the quarterback. They tried different combinations, but none worked, and South Alabama was able to make some big plays as a result. The pass rush has been inconsistent this season, and they'll need to figure things out going forward.
Stock up: Aaron Gates
The defense as a whole had issues all over at times, but Gates was strong for most of the day. He was credited with 3 pass deflections, and played well in coverage. It was his best game so far since transferring to Kentucky during the offseason.
Stock down: Brock Coffman
Coffman made one of the biggest mistakes of the game, and nearly did it twice. Early on, he fielded a punt on a bounce, and took a hit which could have knocked the ball loose. Minutes later, he tried to do it again, and this time he did fumble which resulted in points for South Alabama. He tried to make a play, but has to just let those balls roll rather than take a big risk in fielding them.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Stock up/Stock down from Kentucky's win over South Alabama
