Ray Davis Wants Teammates To Understand That Their Season Isn’t Over

Ray Davis had nowhere to run against Alabama. (Vicky Graff Photo)

Running back Ray Davis certainly would like to have had a better game in his final home game for Kentucky.

While he did score two touchdowns, he had only 26 yards on 12 carries in Saturday’s 49-21 loss to No. 8 Alabama. He did catch five passes for 32 yards.

He’s now third in single season touchdowns at UK with 16 with two games remaining. The Vanderbilt transfer now has 26 career rushing touchdowns, including 11 this year.

Davis needs 71 more yards to reach 1,000 yards this season, something that seemed like a given when he shredded Florida for 280 yards in week four.

Davis said his first and only season at Kentucky was “crazy, fun and electrifying” with lots of ups and downs.

“I wouldn’t trade it for anything else in the world and I said it back on media day trying to earn my respect and make sure that the Kroger (Field) fans know who I was, Lexington knew who I was,” he said.  “I said it awhile back about how I’m not Benny (Snell), I’m not (Randall) Cobb, I’m Ray Davis.

“I think the fans were able to get to know me throughout the season and throughout the year and I’m forever indebted and I thank BBN again for accepting me and letting me come here and do the things that I can do and fall in the steps of the great running back before me.”

Davis wants to make sure teammates understand the season is not over with two more regular season games along with a bowl game. However, UK has lost four of its last five games.

“We still have South Carolina, (Louisville), obviously we have the bowl game. Yes, it’s the last one in Kroger, but it’s not the last football game we will be playing together,” Davis said. “Just trying to remind them that and preaching that to the team, it’s not over. A lot of teams would love to be in the position we are, and a lot of teams would love to be able to play in a bowl game at the end of the season.

“Unfortunately, they’re not and we are so we have to be able to keep our spirits up and know there’s a lot more football left.”

He understood how emotional the loss was for UK’s seniors in their final home game.
 
“I think for our younger guys and the rest of the group, I think that a lot of them knew that again you have to flush it down the drain and get ready for next week because we have two more opponents,” Davis said.

“We have three more opponents really, so we have to keep stacking days and just getting better and fixing the things we need to fix and attacking the things we can get better on.”