No surprise Wan’Dale Robinson set UK record and set up winning score with another spectacular play

Wan'Dale Robinson had 10 catches for 170 yards Saturday and is now UK's single-season leader in catches and receiving yards. (UK Athletics Photo)

If Craig Yeast’s single-season receiving yards record was going to be broken at Kentucky, it was going to take a special player. Wan’Dale Robinson is that player and somehow today I think even Yeast had to like what he saw from the former Western Hills High School star to move him ahead of Yeast in the UK record book.

Robinson had 10 catches for 170 yards in UK’s 20-17 Citrus Bowl win over Iowa. That boosted his season total to 1,334 yards — 23 more than Yeast had in 1999 — on 104 catches and made him the first UK player ever to have 100 receptions in a season.

Yeast had a knack for making spectacular plays after he caught the ball and often was at his best in big games — just like Robinson. That’s why I think Yeast had to love the way Robinson broke his record.

Trailing 17-13 and facing second down and 10 at its own 47-yard line, Robinson took a throw from quarterback Will Levis, made a couple of defenders miss, got a great block from a teammate and made it a 52-yard gain to the one-yard line to set up Chris Rodriguez’s game-winning touchdown run.

Robinson couldn’t even explain what he did or how he did it on that record-setting catch.

“I got the ball, and once I turned, I saw a corner coming at me and wanted to make him miss and whoever else was coming, make them miss,” Robinson said.  “I don’t really know how to explain it. It is just more of an instinct. You just go out there and do it. I can’t really tell you how to do it or what to do. It is just God-given I guess.”

God-given indeed because not many individuals are given that kind of talent. He also had catches of 17 and 10 yards on that drive. On the 17-yard catch, he was hammered on the play and didn’t get up immediately. He went out for one play and then was right back out there.

Don’t forget he had a 31-yard catch on a third-and-26 play in the first half that set up a UK field goal. He also drew a pass interference call.

It was an easy call to name him the Citrus Bowl Most Valuable Player in what likely will be his final game in a UK uniform. He could make a lot of name, image, and likeness money if he returns but I am not sure there is anything he could do to help his draft stock after the historic year he just had against Southeastern Conference competition.

The Nebraska transfer is probably a one-and-done at UK but if he does leave his legacy is established.

“It is really hard to describe what he has meant to us. He is the ultimate competitor, and he is very selfless. He plays extremely hard. He plays the game for himself, his family, his teammates, this institution, the state,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said.

“Just plays so hard and makes such competitive plays in big moments. That is what you need to win a bowl game, to beat quality opponents. You need your guys to step up and make plays when you need them. He certainly did that.”

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz watched Robinson two years at Nebraska and knew he was a “quick, dynamic” player.

“He was good when we faced him last time, and he is probably better right now and that comes with age. We have a lot of respect for him,” Ferentz said.

Everyone should. If you ever watched him in high school, you knew he was special. He amassed over 8,000 total yards of offense on a team without a lot of other offensive weapons but he was so good he could still make spectacular plays.

Robinson committed to UK but then signed with Nebraska, a move based mainly on his concern over the lack of a passing offense at UK. He was productive for two years at Nebraska but not overly happy over being used so much at running back. He decided to transfer and when UK hired new offensive coordinator Liam Coen from the NFL, Robinson came home.

“Me coming home, I had the mentality of coming and working and just do everything I can to help our team win. As time went on, they started trusting me more and more, just to do more and more,” Robinson said Saturday.

“I just tried to do everything I could, and then everything came with it. I am just extremely blessed that they gave me the opportunities to go out there and make plays like I did, and he gave me every chance I could to go out and catch all the balls I could.”