Kentucky football powered past South Alabama 45-21 on September 26 at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky, relying on a historic ground attack that produced three 100-yard rushers. The Wildcats improved to 3-1 on the season by churning out 390 total rushing yards and five touchdowns, completely dominating the second half after holding a narrow 24-21 halftime edge.
Historic Rushing Trio Dominates Kroger Field
Kentucky’s rushing attack carved up the South Alabama defense behind a rare triple-threat performance in the backfield. CJ Baxter led the charge with a career-high 149 rushing yards on 16 carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter, as reported by Field Level Media. Jason Patterson added a career-best 137 yards and three scores on 12 rushes, while Jovantae Barnes contributed 100 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts. According to Field Level Media, this marked just the second time in program history that three Kentucky players reached the 100-yard rushing mark in a single game, matching a feat last accomplished on October 3, 2020, against Ole Miss.
“Our backs ran hard,” Kentucky coach Will Stein said, as reported by Yahoo Sports. “They made people miss. We definitely covered them up better in the run game. Especially as the game went on, we kind of just started to wear them down. You could see it.”
First-Half Back-and-Forth Battle
Despite Kentucky’s eventual offensive explosion, South Alabama (2-2) kept the contest competitive during the opening two quarters behind quarterback Jared Hollins. Starting in place of the injured Bishop Davenport, Hollins completed 23 of 43 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions, according to Field Level Media. Receiver Jeremiah Jones-Thomas paced the Jaguars with game highs of six catches and 91 receiving yards.
The visiting Jaguars capitalized on Kentucky miscues early. After a muffed punt by the Wildcats, P.J. Martin scored on a 7-yard run to tie the game 7-7 early in the second quarter. Following a Kentucky turnover on downs, Hollins connected with Anthony Eager on a 36-yard touchdown pass to give South Alabama a 14-7 advantage. After Barnes leveled the score with a 7-yard touchdown run, Hollins found Jones-Thomas for a 19-yard scoring strike to push the Jaguars back ahead 21-14.
Kentucky responded decisively in the final 72 seconds of the first half. Patterson ignited the response by breaking free for a career-long 75-yard touchdown run. Shortly after, linebacker Grant Godfrey intercepted Hollins and returned the ball to the South Alabama 20-yard line, setting up Adam Zouagui for a 34-yard field goal that gave the Wildcats a 24-21 lead at the break.
Second-Half Shutout Secures Win
The Wildcats completely took control after halftime, outscoring South Alabama 21-0 and outgaining the Jaguars 272-153 in the second half. Patterson opened the third quarter with a 15-yard touchdown run just 1:47 into the period to extend the lead to 31-21. He later added his third score of the afternoon on a 2-yard run with 12:55 remaining in the game.
Quarterback Kenny Minchey capped the scoring for Kentucky by connecting with Shane Carr on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 10:45 left on the clock. Minchey finished the day completing 19 of 25 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown, bringing his season totals to eight passing touchdowns and one interception through his first four starts, per Field Level Media.
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