UK’s defense rallies behind Bud Dupree in 48-14 win over Louisiana-Monroe
Kentucky senior Alvin Dupree tackles a ULM player during the first half of the Kentucky vs. University of Louisiana at Monroe football game at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, October 11, 2014. Photo by Jonathan Krueger
October 11, 2014
By Annie Dunbar
After Louisiana-Monroe came charging out of the gates, scoring two touchdowns and taking an early 14-3 lead, UK’s defensive “Bad Boyz” were forced to reset and regroup.
“I take it upon myself to be the leader of the team,” senior linebacker Bud Dupree said. “If it’s not going well, I have to make a play. I have to make sure all of the guys are on the same page and not worried about the bad plays that have happened and move onto the good. Once I told everybody to move on and keep moving on, things started clicking.”
Following the lackluster first quarter, the “Bad Boyz” took over and held the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks scoreless through the remainder of the game. Safety Ashley Lowery led the Cats on defense with seven tackles. Linebackers Khalid Henderson and TraVaughn Paschal had six a piece, Paschal also tallied one sack. Combined, UK totaled six sacks on the day.
Dupree was not far behind with five tackles and 1.5 sacks. With 19 sacks in his career, Dupree tied Dennis Johnson for second in UK career history. Dupree also swatted a Warhawk field goal, forcing Louisiana-Monroe to miss.
According to head UK coach Mark Stoops, there’s nothing the defensive leader can’t do.
“You’ve heard me say it all along, how versatile he is,” Stoops said. “He’s an exceptional football player. He really is. He’s instinctual, plays with great energy. He’s been a great leader. Very versatile. I feel like he could play a lot of positions. I feel like he could play any three linebacker positions. He’s very versatile.”
Not only did the Cats’ come up with clutch stops throughout the game, the “Bad Boyz” also contributed with racking up points on the board. The squad has tallied three defensive touchdowns on the season, the first time since 2009. Against Louisiana-Monroe, UK put up 45 unanswered points, 14 coming from the defense. Safety Marcus McWilson was one of the defenders that snagged the ball out of the air and ran it into the endzone for a pick six.
“No one said defense couldn’t score a touchdown … so why not us?” McWilson said.
With a fifth victory under their belt, the Cats move to 5-1 on the season for the first time since 2007. This leaves UK tied for the top slot in the SEC East heading into the Cats’ showdown with LSU.
“I love it,” Stoops said. “I love it. Let’s go.”
