Kentucky football (1-0) defeated Ball State by a score of 44-14 on Saturday to open its 2023 season in a game that shared many similarities with the team’s 2022 season opener against Miami (OH).
Saturday’s win marked fifteen straight wins against teams from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for the Wildcats, a streak which dates back to 2006 and includes the previous season’s victory over Miami.
Kentucky’s defense got off to a slow start in both games, as both the RedHawks and Cardinals scored rushing touchdowns in the first quarter, preventing the Wildcats from taking the lead at that point.
The second quarter of the Miami game saw only field goals from either team, resulting in a three-point Kentucky lead at halftime.
On the other hand, the second quarter against Ball State was all Kentucky, with the Cats scoring 20 points from a touchdown run by Ray Davis, a fumble return touchdown by Jalen Geiger and two field goals, both from 46 yards, by Alex Raynor.
What many people consider the highlight of each game occurred in the third quarter and, coincidentally, both plays were kickoff return touchdowns by Barion Brown.
Brown’s special teams performances earned him SEC Special Teams Player of the Week honors following both games.
Current Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary finished going 18-for-31 with 241 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception against Ball State. The touchdown was caught by sophomore receiver Dane Key.
Aside from Leary, the key offensive performer for the Wildcats on Saturday was running back Ray Davis, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
Kentucky’s run game was not nearly as strong in 2022 against Miami, as starting running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. was serving a four-game suspension. Kavosiey Smoke, who has since transferred to Colorado, ran the ball seven times for 32 yards in place of Rodriguez.
Quarterback Will Levis threw for 303 yards, three touchdowns and one interception against Miami, with all three touchdowns being caught by different receivers, Key being one of them.
Although the Wildcats relied more on the run game rather than passing against Ball State, both games showcased the team’s ability to overcome a slow start and put up points all throughout the game.
The defense performed exceptionally in both games as well, tallying three sacks in each. However, the Ball State game saw the defense record twice as many tackles for loss than in the previous year’s season opener.
After pulling away from a close score at halftime to defeat Miami, the Wildcats brought their momentum to Florida and defeated the No. 12 Gators the following week.
Facing a tough conference schedule this season, performing well early on is essential to set the tone for the difficult parts of the season, which the Cats definitely showed they can do on Saturday.
Kentucky, seeking to remain undefeated, will host Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 3 p.m. ET at Kroger Field. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.
