Dane Key, Brock Vandagriff lead UK to blowout of Ohio, snapping two-game losing streak
Behind a career-high 145 receiving yards from Dane Key, Kentucky football bounced back from back-to-back SEC defeats with a 41-6 win over Ohio.
Quarterback Brock Vandagriff completed 17 of 24 passes for 237 yards before heading the bench for the final 10 minutes of the game. Seven of those completions went to Key, who posted his second career 100-yard receiving game.
Running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye scored two touchdowns. Wide receiver Barion Brown and backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt both scored rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Redshirt freshman running back Jamarion Wilcox added 82 yards on eight carries.
The performance represented some needed momentum for an offense that did not score a touchdown against South Carolina or Georgia, but there were still missed opportunities for more.
Three UK drives stalled in or near the red zone, including one at the end of the first half that did not result in points because time expired before the field goal unit could snap the ball on fourth down. Kentucky finished the win with 488 yards and 26 first downs.
Still, Kentucky never trailed in the game thanks in large part to another strong defensive performance. The Wildcats limited an Ohio offense missing its starting quarterback to 223 yards. The Bobcats’ only touchdown came early in the fourth quarter with the outcome already decided.
TURNING POINT
With Kentucky nursing a 3-0 lead and facing third-and-9 at the Ohio 16-yard line on the first play of the second quarter, the offense finally found the play it needed to end a nine-quarter touchdown drought. Vandagriff hit Key for a 15-yard gain to the Ohio 1-yard line. On the next play, Sumo-Kargnbaye gave UK its first touchdown since the season opener. The outcome was never in doubt from there.
MVP: Dane Key
There have not been many opportunities for Vandagriff and his receivers to build chemistry in the last two weeks, but he and Key looked like a pair who had been playing together for years on Saturday. Perhaps the biggest play of the game came on a third-and-13 conversion in the second quarter where Vandagriff eluded pressure long enough to find an open Key for a 42-yard gain. Later on that same drive, which ended with UK’s second touchdown of the day, Vandagriff hit Key for a 36-yard gain on fourth-and-7.
KEY STAT
It’s been a quiet start to the season for cornerback Maxwell Hairston, but the top-50 NFL draft prospect essentially clinched the victory when he jumped a pass on the first play of Ohio’s second drive in the second half. Hairston returned his interception 25 yards for a touchdown and a 27-0 lead. It was Hairston’s third interception returned for a touchdown in his career, tying the UK record. Hairston has scored more touchdowns for UK than all but four offensive players on the roster.
UK football’s path to a bowl game back on track after taking care of Ohio
Five things you need to know from Kentucky’s 41-6 win over the Ohio Bobcats
Final statistics from Kentucky football’s 41-6 win over Ohio University
