Suspension will impact UK’s chances against South Carolina

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By Annie Dunbar

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The suspension of UK football players for violation of team rules will directly impact the Cats’ performance against SEC foe South Carolina.

Four players were suspended from Saturday’s conference matchup in connection with reports of shots fired on campus Sunday evening, per UK Athletics. The four players, quarterback Drew Barker, running back Stanley Williams, wide receiver Dorian Baker and defensive end Tymere Dubose, are all freshmen.

“Proper conduct is emphasized as a core value of our program,” head coach Mark Stoops said, per UK Athletics. “If we have a situation in which someone who does not act according to our standards, we hold him accountable.”

Leading into one of the most important matchups of the season, UK cannot afford to lose focus or offensive speed.

The most impactful of the suspended players are Stanley Williams and Dorian Baker. Williams, who has played in all four games so far, has rushed for 101 yards, averaging 6.2 a game. Williams has tallied 279 all-purpose yards. Stoops and company utilize Williams’ explosive speed to take the field in the middle of the game and be a playmaker.

Baker, who has also played in all four games, started at wideout in the Cats’ matchups against UT Martin and Ohio. He has tallied 122 receiving yards, averaging 11.1 yards a game. Baker ranks second amongst the Wildcats’ offense in catches behind freshman wide receiver Garrett Johnson.

With the absence of Williams and Baker, the Cats lose offensive depth that has been a vital key to success thus far. This will especially have a negative impact on UK’s offense, who struggled against SEC bottom feeder Vanderbilt, with the hungry South Carolina Gamecocks on the horizon.This incident is not the kind of national attention the Wildcats need, headed into Saturday. To overcome the situation, the players who are not directly involved need to stay focused and perform. Offensively, this means that the backfield and wideouts will have to step up in place of Williams and Baker, and make the break through plays that win games.

While the players are currently suspended for the one game, UK Police are still investigating.

“We will be meeting tomorrow with the Fayette County Attorney’s office to determine what actions should take place,” Chief of UK Police Joe Monroe said. “Once that investigation is completed, that information will be turned over to the Office of Student Affairs as dictated by university policy to investigate whether any violations of the code of student conduct have taken place.”