With a victory, Mark Stoops began his eleventh campaign in Lexington. Ball State made some careless mental errors, as in most first games, but Kentucky still trounced them 44-14 at Kroger Field.
Brad White’s defense ignited the game by causing two mistakes that led to points in the first half. In addition, the Cats scored a touchdown on special teams, making up for Devin Leary’s underwhelming debut and Liam Coen’s absence from the sidelines.
18 of his 31 passes for 243 yards, a touchdown, and an interception were completed by the quarterback for Kentucky. With 14 carries for 112 yards and two touchdowns, Ray Davis led Kentucky in rushing. His 30-yard touchdown run in the final minute meant a little more to bettors who took UK -26.5. It wasn’t a well-executed offensive.
One of the best front sevens we’ve ever seen in Lexington was the Kentucky unit. Anwar Stewart’s defensive line was prepared for a hard opponent when it faced a Ball State offensive line that had 66 returning starts and was ranked in the top 20 nationally. The Cats frequently and early entered the backfield. They were disruptive even when there wasn’t a TFL. Kentucky recorded eight TFLs, three sacks, and 1.5 sacks in total, led by Kahlil Saunders.
Kadin Semonza, a true freshman, was given control of the offense by Ball State in the second half. On his debut drive, the elusive quarterback made a strong impression, converting three third-and-long situations on his route to the end zone.
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