LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – About the only thing that could stop Kentucky in Saturday night’s season opener against Southern Miss was lightning. And, in the end, it did.
But not before the Wildcats put a full game’s worth of scoring and highlights on tape in a 31-0 victory that was declared final by agreement of both teams with just over 10 minutes to play in the second half.
Some games, fans leave at halftime. In this one, the teams left. Just said, “screw it, this thing is over.”
It was, by the way, over. Kentucky, after a bit of a shaky first quarter on both sides of the ball, found its stride in the second, outgaining Southern Miss 152-19 on its way to a 24-0 halftime lead that became 31-0 after the Wildcats’ first possession of the second half.
“By mutual agreement of the participating institutions as permitted by NCAA rules, tonight’s game between Kentucky and Southern Mississippi has been terminated and is considered a complete game with a final score of 31-0 in favor of Kentucky. All statistics in the game are considered final and complete.”
Here's the crazy thing – the offensive statistics that Kentucky put up through seven possessions would’ve looked pretty good for a whole game last season.
New quarterback and Georgia transfer Brock Vandagriff completed 12 of 18 passes for 169 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Kentucky ran for 148 yards on 22 carries, led by Demi Sumo-Karngbaye, who had 59 yards and a touchdown in eight attempts. Kentucky averaged just 121 yards rushing per game last season.
“A very strange situation there,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “I've been here 12 years and never been through delays like that. I was proud of our team. We had felt like that this could happen today. We talked about it all week and I talked with you about it and I talked with the team about being so excited for game one and burning all of that energy too early -- whether it is pregame warm-up or waiting for the game to start. Lo and behold, we get here and what? Two-hour delay, is that what it was? Something like that. And the players handling that and coming out and playing relatively clean. . . . A different situation but we will make the most of it. I'm proud of our guys.”
Kentucky led just 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, after having one drive stalled on a tipped-ball interception. Defensively, it gave up three long third-down conversions. But as the Wildcats settled in, both sides of the ball started to grind Southern Miss up.
Kentucky allowed only five rushing yards in the abbreviated game, and picked off USM quarterback Tade Rademaker – a former starter at Florida State – twice.
For Vandagriff, who has waited three years to be a starter, waiting through a two-hour delay to take the field on Saturday seemed like an eternity.
“It was the first time that I have ever had any monster delay like this,” he said. “It was definitely different, you know, there was several times we got up and got our shoulder pads on and beginning to walk out and, ‘oh, nope you got to go back.’ That happened two of three times. So, finally people were just taking off their shoulder pads and laying on the ground. It was just different, definitely mentally, trying to get ready three different times and stuff like that. At the end of the day, both teams had to do it, same circumstances. That is how it was for me.”
Barion Brown had four catches for only 28 yards, but two went for touchdowns. Dane Key had three catches for 60 yards and Ja’Mori Maclin had a pair of catches for 66.
The Kentucky offense ran 32 of its 42 plays in Southern Miss territory.
“I liked what I saw,” Stoops said. “I think we mixed up our runs well. I think we stretched it out and hit it downhill. We hit them with some gap games.”
Defensively, Zion Childress led Kentucky with four tackles, one for loss. JJ Weaver had three tackles, including a solo sack, and D’Eryk Jackson had three tackles and a tipped ball that led to an interception. JQ Hardaway tipped a pass himself, then stayed with it for an interception in the first quarter.
After a late night, Kentucky will turn around and get to work quickly preparing for a home game against South Carolina on Saturday at 3:30.
The Wildcats drew 61,627 for their home opener in Kroger Field, and a great many stayed through the long delay. Stoops made a point to address it.
“I sincerely can't even begin to thank the fans for what they were like,” Stoops said. “To go out there two hours after we were supposed to and see them going nuts and cheering us on and rooting for us, that was truly amazing. Just now, as (athletics director) Mitch (Barnhart) and I were walking down we were discussing that we didn't know what was going to transpire. . . . Just great appreciation for our fan base. I'm glad we played a pretty decent game, relatively clean. I know our guys played hard and they were excited to play for them and I felt like our team really did that.”
Until it couldn’t anymore. Between the lightning strikes, Kentucky struck quickly and enough times to leave fans wanting more.
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