Stanley ‘Boom’ Williams ignites the UK offense
Kentucky running back Stanley Boom Wiliams runs for the end zone during the second half of the Kentucky vs. University of Louisiana at Monroe football game at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, October 11, 2014. UK won 48-14 over ULM. Photo by Jonathan Krueger
October 11, 2014
By Joshua Huff
The UK football team, much like the crowd, marched into Commonwealth Stadium Saturday looking lethargic and uninspired. A mindset many anticipated from a team that hung its emotions out to dry in a come-from-behind win against South Carolina the previous Saturday.
Luckily for UK, the team had two players who sat out during the USC game, though it was because of suspensions. Lucky because the two players provided a spark that energized the Cats and help rip UK out of its first quarter woes.
Running back Stanley “Boom” Williams returned from his one-game suspension and nearly single-handedly carried a UK offense that other than Javess Blues’ exceptional game, provided little spark in an otherwise defensive game.
Williams opened the game exploding for a 75-yard kickoff return that set the Cats up for the first points of the game; a field goal from Austin MacGinnis. One his first carry of the game, Williams scampered for 19 yards and broke the 100-yard mark for this first time this season on a 58-yard touchdown run.
In all, Williams had 104 rushing yards on seven attempts with one touchdown.
“It feels good (to be back),” Williams said. “I just wanted to come out and play hard. I owed it to my teammates, the fans, the coaches…I just wanted to come out and play a real good game.”
When asked if he came out with a chip on his shoulder, Williams said he came into the game with something to prove.
“I did,” he said. “From missing the game last week, big game. It hurt. I came out with a chip on my shoulder. Coaches wanted to give me the ball and wanted me to make plays, and that’s what I did.”
With the ineffectiveness of the four other running backs who touched the ball, it’s a good thing Williams came out with that chip. The four other running backs (Jojo Kemp, Braylon Heard, Josh Clemons and Mikel Horton) amassed just 14 yards against the ULM defense.
A stat line that bothers UK offensive coordinator Neal Brown.
“Obviously our immaturity showed,” Brown said. “We did not play very well on offense, at all. We struggled, thought we did some very good things on the return game, but we just struggled for consistency.”
If it wasn’t for the big plays on special teams, offense and the two touchdowns on defense, the score may have resembled the 14-3 ULM lead during the first quarter, late in the game. But the return of Williams changed the tone.
“Having Stanley (Boom) back, he got in space a couple of times and he’s got a lot of ability,” Brown said. “I mean he’s a really good player. I thought he was patient on those big runs he had.”
