By LARRY VAUGHT
Snow at Halloween?
Okay, it’s only Oct. 28th, not the 31st. But who cares about the date or anything else if you are a Kentucky football fan. Snow or not, Kentucky BEAT TENNESSEE. For only the sixth time since 1965, UK beat Tennessee.
Quarterback Stephen Johnson scored on an 11-yard run with 33 seconds to play as Kentucky overcame its own mistakes — and there were plenty of them — win 29-26.
The Wildcats won despite losing four fumbles and running just 52 plays compared to 78 for the Vols.
But UK’s two best playmakers — Johnson and running back Benny Snell — made the biggest plays when it counted the most and UK’s defense did just enough to keep Tennessee out of the end zone and force field goals to give UK the win.
“Even you guys (in the media) got to admit that is a thing of beauty. Come on. It is. How many times were we on the wrong end of that? There have been many times when we played some good football and come up on the wrong end,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “It was really nice to be on the other end and just hang in there.”
Kentucky had gone three-and-out twice before driving 72 yards in 10 plays to win the game with Snell and Johnson carrying the load. Snell finished the game with 180 yards and three touchdowns on 27 carries. The song, “Benny and the Jets,” played at Kroger Field when the game ended and Snell headed to his customary spot in the corner of the end zone to find his parents. He climbed into the stands to hug both his mom and his dad like he normally does.
“I always do that and I definitely was going to do that tonight,” Snell said.
After Snell’s fumble on the game’s first play gave the Vols the ball at the UK 15-yard line, the Kentucky defense forced a 30-yard field goal for a quick 3-0 lead. But Kentucky answered with a 60-yard, six-play scoring drive ignited by Bowden’s 32-yard kickoff return.
Stoops never hesitated about giving the ball back to Snell. The sophomore repaid him with a 27-yard burst up the middle that set up his 6-yard scoring run with 10:16 to go in the first quarter.
“I knew he was due a big game like this,” Stoops said.
That drive brought the stadium back to life even before the scuffle on the UK kickoff (every player on both teams was cited for an unsportsmanlike penalty on the play) or when Tennessee had an 80-yard scoring play wiped out by a holding call. Still, the Vols did reach the 1-yard line before a penalty, sack and short run forced another field goal to cut the lead to 7-6 with 4:34 left in the first half.
Tennessee’s offense continued to find ways not to get touchdowns as the Vols missed a 44-yard field goal after receiving a fumble at the UK 41. The Cats got a 48-yard run by Snell — his second longest of the season — to set up his 2-yard scoring run for a 14-6 lead on the second quarter’s first play.
Even the football Gods couldn’t keep Tennessee from finally scoring after blowing so many early chances. The Vols put together a 75-yard scoring drive that gashed UK’s run defense for their first offensive touchdown since a game Sept. 23 against UMass to cut the lead to 14-13.
On this night so close to Halloween, UK fans got another treat when the Cats responded with a 75-yard scoring drive capped by Snell’s 2-yard scoring run for a 21-13 lead after Bowden threw a 34-yard pass to Tavin Richardson to get the ball to the 5-yard line. But after the Vols got a taste of the end zone, they came right back with a 71-yard drive to make it 21-20 at halftime.
But the Kentucky offense had trouble getting untracked in the second half due to its mistakes and Tennessee’s ball control offense. Johnson even went out with a left shoulder injury and his backup, Drew Barker, fumbled on one series. The next series Johnson came back and pulled the ball and ran the first play. Stoops said it was a “read” play and he made the correct read.
“Stephen, there’s not many players that would have came back and even played,” Stoops said. “He is absolutely tough as nails. We so much pride and respect for him. He led us on that (last) drive. I don’t think many players would have played.”
Not only played but taken hits and wanted more. Johnson finished six carries for 84 yards and completed six of 15 passes for 46 yards. But what the passing game lacked, Johnson made up for with guts and savvy.
“That’s just how he is,” offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said.
“Stephen is a dog. It didn’t surprise me he came back in and played. That’s him,” linebacker Josh Allen said. “We got that last defensive stop for him after we scored. He’s our leader.”
Kentucky had throw the ball five times and gone three-and-out two straight series before the winning drive. Stoops said he did not tell Gran to go back to the running game on the winning drive.
“I didn’t say a word. I didn’t want to get in the way or handcuff them in any way. I had a lot of confidence in them,” Stoops said. “The last drive I said let’s just be us.”
That meant running the ball. Kentucky ran for 289 yards and averaged 8.0 yards per run.
It also meant not only a rare win over Tennessee, but also guarantees UK being bowl eligible for a second straight year.
“I hope we want more than six wins,” Stoops said. “Let’s not kid ourselves. Look at our league and look at the pressure teams are under. Players feel that. It means a lot (to be bowl eligible). We have not been perfect. But the kids stay united.”
The players do want more now, too.
“We have a chance now to really get to a special bowl,” linebacker Denzil Ware said. “That’s what we have to do now and what we are going to do.”