FINAL: Kentucky Defeats Ball State 44-14 in Season Opener
Mark Stoops kicked off his eleventh season in Lexington with a win. Like most opening games, there were sloppy mental mistakes, but Kentucky still defeated Ball State 44-14 at Kroger Field.
Brad White’s defense provided the spark by creating two first half turnovers that resulted in points. The Cats also picked up a special teams touchdown, overcompensating for a lackluster debut by Devin Leary during Liam Coen‘s return to the sideline.
The Kentucky quarterback completed 18-of-31 passes for 243 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Ray Davis was Kentucky’s leading rusher with 14 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, including a 30-yarder in the final minute that meant a little more for those who invested in UK -26.5. It was not a smooth offensive operation, but the Wildcats did enough to leave Kroger Field with a comfortable win.
Kentucky Special Teams are Once Again Special
The third phase of the game was Kentucky’s Kryptonite in 2022. Stoops hired Jay Boulware to fix that problem. So far, so good.
The kicking operation was clean when Alex Raynor delivered darts between the uprights from 41, 46 and 46 yards in the first half. On the other side of the line of scrimmage, Kentucky blocked a Ball State field goal. The Wildcats provided even more fireworks in the second half when Ball State made the grave mistake of kicking to Barion Brown. He made the Cardinals pay with a 99-yard touchdown, the second straight season-opener with a house call from the explosive athlete.
Ball State Strikes First
Back under the headset for the first time since 2021, Liam Coen orchestrated an impressive opening drive, until it was stalled by a Barion Brown drop, forcing Kentucky to settle for a field goal. The Cats’ second drive went nowhere fast, leaving the door open for the Cardinals from Muncie.
The Cats were flagged on the opening snap to move the chains, the first of two penalties on the drive. Running QB Kiael Kelly entered the game and picked up aggravating yards. When he wasn’t running around, the Cardinals were dinking and dunking, using tempo to put the bigger Kentucky defense on its heels. The 13-play, 73-yard scoring drive ended with a Layne Hatcher QB sneak to give Ball State an early 7-3 lead.
Ray Davis served as the catalyst for the Wildcats’ response, eventually punching the ball into the end zone from the 2-yard line to help Kentucky retake the lead for good.
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Kentucky Defense Creates Offense
The clunky Kentucky offense was in need of a shot in the arm in the second quarter. The defense happily obliged.
Alex Afari used the hit stick on a Ball State tight end to knock the football free. Jalen Geiger picked up the ball and returned the ball 69 yards for a touchdown, the second score of the safety’s career. When the offense stalled in Ball State territory a few possessions later, Brad White’s defense delivered again. This time an official blew the whistle dead, erasing what would have been a scoop and score for Jordan Lovett. Instead, the Wildcats settled for a field goal. Mark Stoops was not happy with the stripes.
Kenneth Horsey Injured
A touchdown off the board was not the only consequence from the official’s premature whistle. Two plays after the Wildcats recovered the fumble, senior left guard Kenneth Horsey went down with a lower leg injury. He required help off the field to the sideline and then was taken to the UK locker room on the back of a vehicle. Horsey is the second left guard to suffer an injury since the start of training camp. Ohio State transfer Ben Christman will miss the 2023 campaign. West Virginia transfer Dylan Ray replaced Horsey at left guard.
Horsey was not the only player that had to be carted off at the end of the first half. Ball State superstar LB Clayton Coll‘s left leg was placed in an immobilizer with just a few seconds left on the clock before halftime.
Defensive Line Lives Up to the Hype
The Kentucky front seven was heralded as one of the best we’ve ever seen in Lexington. Facing a Ball State offensive line with 66 returning starts, ranking in the top 20 nationally, Anwar Stewart‘s defensive line was ready for a formidable foe. The Cats were in the backfield early and often. Even when it didn’t result in a TFL, they were disruptive. Led by Kahlil Saunders‘ 1.5 sacks, Kentucky tallied eight TFLs and three sacks.
In the second half Ball State handed the reins to a true freshman, Kadin Semonza. The elusive quarterback was impressive on his first drive, converting three third-and-longs on his way to the end zone. On the following drive Zion Childress picked off a pass in the end zone, but it was waved off by a flag. The Kentucky defensive line responded with an impressive goal line stand to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. Brad White’s defense was The Real MVP.
Trevin Wallace led Kentucky in tackles (12) and TFLs (2).
Kentucky vs. Ball State Box Score
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