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Playing from behind isn’t easy for any quarterback. But when you’re turning to a backup QB making his first collegiate start, playing from behind can be even more difficult. Unfortunately, that was the case for the Kentucky Wildcats in their 24-14 loss to South Carolina on Saturday night.
It was reported throughout the week that star QB Will Levis was dealing with a left foot injury and that could lead to backup quarterback Kaiya Sheron making his first collegiate start for Kentucky. After speculation that Levis might be able to give it a go, news broke during Saturday’s warmups that Sheron was indeed the starter and Kentucky would have to handle business without their star QB.
Instead of cleaning up their sloppy play from a week ago, more mistakes in all three phases of the game were once again too much for the Wildcats to overcome.
- Fumbled on their first play from scrimmage that led to a South Carolina touchdown just :17 into the game
- Missed a 45-yard field goal off the left upright in the first quarter that would’ve led to a 10-7 halftime lead
- Missed tackles in the second half that led to explosive plays and 17 second half points for South Carolina
- Sheron was constantly under pressure and had to take six sacks that cost Kentucky 54 negative yards
These mistakes don’t seem so critical mid-game, but they add up over the course of four quarters and make it so difficult to win vs. any team – let alone schools in the Southeastern Conference.
Last week, Kentucky’s errors cost them a win on the road at Ole Miss that could have very well solidified their place inside the top-5 of the Associated Press poll rankings. Instead, the Wildcats suffered a 22-19 loss and saw their No. 7 ranking shift backwards to No. 13.
This week, Kentucky continued their sloppy play and could very well fall out of the AP top-25. While you can make the argument Levis missing the game shouldn’t make a drastic impact on their ranking, this loss wasn’t all on his replacement. No, Kentucky didn’t pose the threat of moving the ball downfield with Sheron under center. However, Kentucky didn’t do enough as a team to help out the redshirt freshman in his first start.
The loss comes as one of the more frustrating and disappointing blunders during the tenure of Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops. He’s the winningest coach in program history and has had so much success in Lexington. However, this game is near the top of the list when it comes to head scratching losses that are difficult to comprehend.
Each game takes preparation and each decision is earned, win or loss. Kentucky, in all three phases of the game, earned their second straight loss on Saturday night. They’ll look to bounce back next Saturday when they host Mississippi State.
