For 30 minutes of game time, the Kentucky football team looked like world beaters who could certainly take down the Alabama Crimson Tide. The last 30 minutes, however, showed that the Wildcats still have a ways to go. A 17-13 lead at halftime turned into an all-too-familiar 45-17 loss that fans have experienced in SEC play before.
As in any game, there were good things for Kentucky to take away from the week two loss. Unfortunately, there is a lot to work on as well. The second half proved that.
So what happened in Saturday's matchup with Alabama? How did a first half lead turn into an blowout? Let's take a look at how things took such a drastic turn in the second half of the game.
Alabama adjusted on defense
In the first half of the game, Kentucky struggled to move the ball
at times, but the offensive line mostly held up, and Kenny Minchey was able to settle into the pocket and running backs were able to generate yardage. In the second half, the Tide coaches were much more aggressive, and had the Kentucky OL in their heels. The blitzed from different angles and consistently hit Minchey and stopped runs behind the line. Kentucky wasn't able to make the correction.
Too many bad risks by Will Stein
As the game started to swing toward Alabama, Stein tried to regain momentum with some risky plays that only ended up hurting them. When they fell behind for the first time, 23-17, Kentucky's drive stalled after a 3rd down run lost 2 yards. Instead of punting, the Cats attempted a fake punt that failed, leading to more points for Bama. They went for it again later in the game and failed as well, but the fake punt was a huge turning point in the contest.
Kenny Minchey sacks
Early in the second half, Kentucky wanted to keep the momentum going. On their first drive of the half, they got into a 3rd and long, and Minchey was sacked, and had to punt. Alabama would kick a field goal to make it 17-16. On their next drive, the Wildcats got into a 3rd and 6, and Minchey was sacked again. This time he fumbled on the sack, and the Tide recovered, and turned it into a touchdown to take the lead. He was under pressure a lot in the second half, and they couldn't get any continuity on offense.
Kentucky defense wore down
The Wildcats defense was tremendous in the first half. They forced turnovers, made Keelon Russell a pocket passer, and even scored points. In the second half, Alabama's adjustments paid off. The Tide scored on every drive in the second half, and Kentucky seemed unable to make any plays. With the offensive struggles, the defenders also wore down, and looked tired.
Talent won out
Will Stein upgraded the overall talent level at Kentucky, and there's no doubt about that. However, when lined up against a team like Alabama, it's obvious that the Wildcats are still behind the SEC's top teams in the arms race. They will likely continue to add talented players, but it will remain hard to compete against the top teams in a tough conference.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: What happened to Kentucky in the second half vs Alabama
