Finally Special Teams Were Special for Cats

Alex Raynor made three field goals over 40 yards and went 5-for-5 on extra points. (Vicky Graff Photo)

If there was one area Saturday where Kentucky had no issues it was special teams — a huge change from the constant miscues that the Cats seem to have last season. Coach Mark Stoops brought in Jay Boulware not only to coach running backs but also named him special teams coach. Boulware brought in two snappers and got kicker Alex Raynor from Georgia Southern.

Those changes and more paid off big time for UK in Saturday’s 44-14 win over Ball State.

There were no bad snaps on punts, extra points or field goals. There were no missed field goals as Raynor hit from 41, 46 and 46 yards on his field goal tries. He was also 5-for-5 on extra points.

Chance Moore put all eight of his kickoffs into the end zone and Wilson Berry averaged 47 yards per punt on two punts.

If that’s not enough, Tayvion Robinson averaged 13.5 yards per return on his two punt returns.

And then there was sophomore Barion Brown who broke a 99-yard kickoff return (he had 100-yard return in last year’s opening game).

Want more? Octavious Oxendine even blocked a late Ball State field goal try.

Stoops said special teams were a “very big positive” in the opening win.

“We had one snap that was a touch high, but other than that everything was smooth. Very good kicks. The kickoff return, the punt game was good. Kickoffs were strong,” Stoops said.

“Just overall I think the  team has worked hard in all phases, not just snapping, holding, kicking, but the blocks for that. We were just solid across the board.”

The UK coach even found some humor in UK having to settle for a Raynor field goal on its first drive after a 41-yard completion to Dane Key got the Cats in scoring position.

“I think everybody enjoyed seeing the field goal kicker kick it through the uprights, right?,” Stoops laughed and said. “Three (points) probably felt like seven on the opening possession for us, so that was a good thing.”

And what about the dynamic Brown?

“He’s one of those guys that works so hard,” Stoops said. “He’s ready to go. He wants that ball. He wants to go score. So that was good for him and good for us. Our group has really worked hard as a group. He got some good blocking and some good effort there. Great individual effort by him.”