Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By Keith Taylor

Kentucky Today

Kentucky took care of business Saturday.

Coming off two straight Southeastern Conference setbacks, the Wildcats rolled to a 41-6 win over outmatched Ohio University at Kroger Field. The Wildcats showed no signs of a letdown following last week’s narrow 13-12 loss to No. 2 Georgia.

“It’s good to get back in the win column.” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said. “I feel like the last couple of weeks, our guys have worked hard to get some things corrected. (They’ve) had the right mindset in their preparation (and) we want to be more consistent. Today, it was far from perfect.

“Many mistakes (were made) out there, but a lot to get corrected. I think it was important to play a lot of guys. Players work extremely hard. A lot of young guys got in there tonight and I think that’s extremely important. “

The lopsided win marked the team’s 18th straight regular-season non-conference victory, the second-longest streak in the nation behind Georgia. It was a win the Wildcats (2-2) needed to get their offense back on track.

Kentucky, which didn’t score a touchdown in losses to South Carolina and Georgia in its previous two games, ended a streak of nine quarters without a score in the end zone in its best offensive performance of the season.

Overcoming the Bobcats, Stoops said it was going to be “methodical” but praised his team’s ability to overcome the obstacles.

“I think our team had that mindset,” Stoops said. “They knew that you have to go beat them. You know, you have to go win the snap.”

In the fourth start of his collegiate career, Wildcats signal-caller Brock Vandagriff threw for a career-high 237 yards for Kentucky, which finished with 488 yards of total offense against the Bobcats. Behind Vandagriff, Kentucky threw for 282 yards, with receiver Dane Key snagging seven passes for 145 yards, including a 42-yard catch in the second quarter.

“Coach (Bush Hamdan)n did a great job of getting the calls in fast so we’re able to get out there and get on the ball fast,” Vandagriff said. “As far as when the pre-snap, I think we were pretty solid on that this week. … I think we executed the game plan that we were trying to go out there and execute.”

Backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, a Rutgers transfer, completed Kentucky’s scoring against the Bobcats with a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

The Wildcats also generated 206 yards rushing, with backup running back Jamarion Wilcox providing a chunk of the yardage with 82 yards on eight carries, a career-high. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye scored two touchdowns and rushed for 47 yards.

For the second straight week, Kentucky limited the opposition to just one touchdown and added to the Wildcats’ tally when Maxwell Hairston scored on a 25-yard pick-six in the third quarter.

“I don’t see a weakness in Kentucky’s defense,” Ohio coach Tim Albin said. “I stand by that statement. They are athletic. We had trouble adjusting to the speed on both sides of the ball.”

Stoops said the afternoon encounter will help prepare his squad for next week’s contest at fifth-ranked Ole Miss.

“We need to have a great week of preparation because we know the challenge that lies ahead,” Stoops said. “We’ve got to be, you know, on point from the beginning of the week.