Missouri travels to Kentucky for first SEC game of 2021 college football season.
The Missouri vs Kentucky football game kicks off the first SEC matchup for the 2021 college football season. More of Big Blue Nation came out to Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky, for a total of 58,437 fans in attendance to see the new-look Wildcats.
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Game Final Score
The University of Kentucky vs University of Missouri final game score was 35-28. This was the first SEC football matchup for both teams.
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Recap
The Kentucky Wildcats returned to Kroger Field after a hyped season opener last week. After the new offense put up 45 points against ULM, Big Blue Nation was looking forward to the next test. While there were more flashes of hope for the 2021-2022 college football season, it didn’t come without flaws. Nonetheless, UK got the win and the hype train continues for another week!
Returning running back Chris Rodriguez led the Wildcat offense with 207 yards on a total of 27 carries. He also produced four of UK’s touchdowns on a career night. Three of those touchdowns came from the ground game, but he also grabbed his first receiving touchdown.
Will Levis had another big game behind the new high-powered offense of Liam Coen. Levis finished the game on 10-of-18 passing which produced 179 yards and a touchdown. The Wildcats produced a total of 520 yards in total offense however behind ground and pound and other big plays.
One of those plays came early in the game on the first possession for Kentucky. Receiver Wan’Dale Robinson received a motion-handoff run which he turned into a huge 64-yard run on the second play of the game! This was the longest run of his career and further showcases his versatility. He was stopped just short of the endzone, but setup Rodriguez for a 5-yard receiving touchdown. This put the Cats up early for a 7-0 lead.
To further the Cat’s early jump in the Missouri vs Kentucky Football game, Rodriguez rushed for a touchdown at the 5:13 mark on a 3-yard run. This pushed the lead to 14-0 in the first quarter.
Missouri responded however, capping a 10-play drive for 75 yards. Tigers quarterback Connor Bazelak connected on a 6-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-7 to close the first quarter.
UK came right back with a big play on a 49-yard pass from Levis to Robinson however. This setup Levis for a short quarterback keeper, rushing for his first touchdown as a Wildcat on a 3-yard carry. This moved the score to 21-7 as the Wildcats took a commanding lead early.
The University of Kentucky compiled another drive late in the second quarter, however this is where things started to unravel a bit. Rodriguez fumbled at the goal line, which ultimately turned into the equivalent of a 14-point net loss. The Cats lost out on a touchdown, while Missouri marched down the field for 80-yards. Bazelak connected with Keke Chism on a 17-yard touchdown pass. This closed the half at 21-14, somewhat equalizing the early momentum the Cats had going for them.
In the second half, the Kentucky defense would snatch its first interception of the season. UK linebacker, Jacquez Jones, picked off a Missouri pass. This setup Rodriguez for his third touchdown of the day which put UK up 28-14 with 13:19 let in the third quarter.
The Missouri offense kept coming however as the Wildcats struggled to get a stop. This run by the Tigers would lead to 14 unanswered points however, eventually tying the game at 28-all. This put Wildcat fans anxiously on their edge of their seat after such a commanding start of the game.
With 13:11 left in regulation, Kentucky responded with another drive. However, that finished with a dicey run by Rodriguez. He found the endzone once again, but fumbled the ball in the mix which was recovered by offensive lineman Eli Cox. Nonetheless, Rodriguez was credited for the score to put UK football up 35-28 with the fourth quarter winding down.
Kentucky had the opportunity to punch in a field goal to provide some cushion in the final minutes, however Missouri blocked a field goal attempt with 2:07 left in the game. Then Kentucky’s first quarterback sack of the night by JJ Weaver came on a big third down stop. This essentially killed Missouri’s last attempt to close the gap as the clock expired.
Box Score
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