LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky football team got back into the win column on Saturday beating Murray State, 48-6.
The Wildcats came out looking like a team that was coming off a bye week. The Racers started driving the ball downfield into Kentucky territory at the 47. Kentucky came up with the first turnover of the game when Jordan Lovett picked off Murray's Jayden Johannsen.
Kentucky quickly turned it into points that maybe shouldn't have been. On the first drive, Brock Vandagriff looked deep for Hardley Gilmore. The pass was underthrown and about to be picked off when it when off the hands of the defender and right into Gilmore's for the 52 yard touchdown connection. UK would take the 7-0 lead.
After forcing a Racers punt, Vandagriff was looking for another deep pass but Murray's KaVan Reed who ran it back to his teams own 46 yard line. It didn't hurt the Wildcats because they forced another punt.
The Cats then put together an 11 play, 73 yard drive that included a 26 yard pass play to Dane Key and a Vandagriff 22 yard run. It was Demie Sumo-Karngbaye who finished it off with a three yard touchdown run and UK would take a 14-0 lead.
Just before the half, Kentucky started a drive at its own eight yard line. Jamarion Wildcox did most of the damage on the drive with a 15 yard play to start the drive, another one for 13 yards and then a 32 yard pick up down to the Kentucky 21. But the Wildcats had to settle for a 32 yard field goal by Alex Raynor to make it 17-0 UK.
Murray State drove all the way down to the Kentucky 22 before Jordan Lovett came up with another interception. This time he tipped it high and brought it down at the 9 yard line.
Kentucky had the ball with a little over two minutes to go but used a methodical approach to go all the way downfield and score on a Vandagriff pass to Ja'Mori Maclin from 19 yards out for a 24-0 lead at the half.
UK got the ball to start the second half and freshman Cutter Boley came in to play quarterback. He completed his first pass for 19 yards to Josh Kattus and then led a 7 play, 75 yard drive to a score as Jamarion Wilcox got in from 4 yards away. Kentucky would lead 31-0.
After several field goals, Boley would connect with Anthony Brown-Stephens on a 22 yard touchdown. The first collegiate TD pass for Cutter and Kentucky would lead it 41-6. He'd add another before it was over. A 14 yard pass to Brown-Stephens.
Vandagriff finished 12-19 for 183 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception. Boley was 10-14 for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
Kentucky is on the road next Saturday for the first trip to Austin to face Texas as an SEC opponent. Kick off is 3:30.
