Kentucky Offense Remained Calm in Crucial Moments
There were ten minutes left on the clock. The scored was tied at 24. Through the first 11 games of the 2023 season, history told you that Louisville was prepared to win the game. On Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Kentucky left victorious.
In one-score games in the fourth quarter this season, Louisville was 6-0 and Kentucky was 0-3. The Cards made their own luck by being opportunistic in critical moments. One of those happened again when Devin Leary was hit while trying to throw the ball out of bounds. The ball floated in the air for what felt like an eternity and the Cards picked off the pass deep in Kentucky territory.
Louisville converted on a fourth down to tie the ball game with just over two minutes remaining. Instead of panicking, the Kentucky offense kept their cool.
“Honestly, I was really calm,” quarterback Devin Leary said after the game. “Getting around all of the offensive linemen on the sideline, being around those guys like Ray (Davis) and even Ramon (Jefferson); those are guys that have a lot of snaps, veterans that have been in similar situations. They kind of just tell you, they look at you in the eyes and say, ‘Have fun with it.’
“That kind of clicks in your head that this is a game we’ve been playing our whole lives. In big-time situations like that, it’s important to have fun because they don’t come around often. Being able to take advantage of that moment, being in that moment was huge for me and the entire team.”
Liam Coen’s Move to the Kentucky Sideline Pays Off
Throughout his coaching career offensive coordinator Liam Coen called plays from the sideline. Following a health scare in September, he moved up to the booth. This afternoon he moved back to the sideline and knew his group had the confidence to go down and win the football game.
“To be able to look at those guys in the eye at times was a proud moment, it felt good. Even when we throw a catastrophic pick, he never wavered,” Coen said of Leary.
“He comes back and throws a seam down the field to Barion (Brown). You just look at the kids in their eyes and you feed off them and I’m kind of kicking myself for not doing it more often.”
Barion Brown took a big hit but held on for a 23-yard gain to put Kentucky within striking range. During an injury timeout Stoops gave direct instructions.
“I wanted to put the game on our offensive line and just run straight downhill like we used to,” said Stoops.
They put the rock in Ray Davis‘ hands and he ran 37-yards for the game-winning score.
“It hasn’t been perfect, but there have been some moments of really high quality football. In the biggest moments our kids played high quality football and made plays. That’s what you call competitive greatness: being your best when your best is required. That’s what those guys did,” said Coen.
“I don’t really care how the rest of the game went. In the biggest moment of the game when we needed a big play, our kids stepped up and I’m really proud of them for that.”
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