Kentucky’s Loss To Texas A&M
Kentucky dropped its first game of the season with a 20-14 loss to Texas A&M in overtime in College Station. In what was a defensive struggle, the Wildcats had chances to win but simply couldn’t get the job done. Questionable play-calling and too many mistakes led to their downfall. Here now are four takeaways from Kentucky’s loss to Texas A&M.
The Defense Was Incredible
For the better part of the game, the Wildcat defense kept them in this contest. Time and time again the Kentucky offense went three-and-out as the Aggies had the ball for almost 35 minutes. As a result, the Cats finally wore down and were gassed by the overtime.
However, with the Aggies trying to get a score that would ice the game, Darius West returned a fumble 40 yards to tie the game at 14.
https://twitter.com/Scott_Charlton/status/1048756774122217474
On the night, Texas A&M had 390 total yards including 164 on the ground. Trayveon Williams had a majority of that with 128 yards and a rushing touchdown and another 72 yards receiving. The Wildcat defense forced two turnovers in doing everything it could to keep them in the game.
Josh Allen had another huge game for Kentucky with four tackles and a pass breakup all while seemingly being held on every play.
A&M has been holding Josh Allen all night. I guess no need to start calling it now. pic.twitter.com/AcQv7qmDNV
— Stephen Huntsman (@ThirdandVermont) October 7, 2018
In addition to the fumble return, West had a huge game with 10 tackles and an interception. One other player who came up huge was Mike Edwards. The senior safety had nine tackles with three coming for a loss.
Kentucky’s Offense Was Ineffective
Aside from a 54-yard flip pass from Terry Wilson to Lynn Bowden for a touchdown, the Wildcats did very little on offense. In fact, the first play of overtime was the first time all night Kentucky ran a play on the Texas A&M side of the field.
The ineffective offense shown in the second half against South Carolina continued against the Aggies. For the game, the Wildcats only had 178 total yards. Furthermore Benny Snell only had 60 yards with many of those coming late in the fourth quarter. The Heisman trophy contender only had 13 carries on the evening, the third least of his career.
The Wildcats were held to 70 yards on the ground far from their league-leading 259 yards per game. The top-ranked A&M rushing defense proved it against Kentucky. At times, Wilson looked unsure out there in his decision-making. A lot of the credit goes to the Aggie defense.
Mark Stoops said during his post-game show that he and offensive coordinator Eddie Gran briefly discussed trying backup Gunnar Hoak. Stoops said Wilson wasn’t comfortable the entire game. As bad as the offense played, it certainly would have been worth a shot. How bad was the offense? Before the overtime, they punted on nine straight possessions.
In addition to the ineffective offense, there were a number of mental miscues made by the Cats. For the game, they were flagged eight times for 52 yards. While that may not seem like a lot, many came on first down. When your offense is struggling, the last thing you need is starting 1st and 15.
Overtime Was A Disaster
Kentucky lost the coin flip and started on offense. What followed was one of the worst sequences in recent Wildcat history. A first down pass to Bowden gained four yards. On second down, Wilson ran for another four but slid when it looked like he could get a first down. With the Cats facing a third and two they lined up with Snell in the Wildcat and Texas A&M called timeout.
Following the timeout, Kentucky decided to pass and Wilson did the one thing you can’t in that situation which is take a sack. Miles Butler came in to attempt a 43-yard field goal which hit the crossbar and bounced back. How your best player doesn’t touch the ball in that situation is just mind-boggling. Gran, of course, was asked about that after the game.
Eddie Gran on the 3rd and 2 call: “Looking back on it, I should’ve probably handed 26 the ball.”
— Shawn Smith (@gbbcountry) October 7, 2018
For long-suffering Cat fans, it brought back images of 2009 game against Tennessee where Randall Cobb never touched the ball and Kentucky lost in overtime.
Following the miss, the Aggies marched down the field and won on a 10-yard run by Williams. For our last of four takeaways from Kentucky’s loss to Texas A&M, let’s look at a positive.
The Potential For A Huge Season Is Still There
The Wildcats let one slip away in their chance to start 6-0 for the first time since 1950. However, they can still have a huge season. If you told True Blue Fans at the halfway point the Cats would be 5-1, they would take it in a heartbeat.
Next week is a much-needed bye week followed by Vanderbilt at home. Looking ahead, Kentucky should be favored in every game but Georgia and maybe Missouri. In addition, the games against Vandy, Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, and Louisville look like potential victories.
Win those and Kentucky is looking at its first nine-win regular season since 1977. With the number of fans, the school would bring them to a warm-weather destination for a bowl.
It’s ok to be upset about this game because the Cats let one get away. However, losing in overtime in one of the toughest places to play is nothing to hang your head over. This can still be a very memorable season for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Thanks for checking out four takeaways from Kentucky’s loss to Texas A&M here at Last World On College Football. With the Cats on their bye week, next time out we will look back at the first half of the season.
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