Key plays and game balls: Kentucky
South Carolina couldn't muster enough offense to defeat Kentucky Saturday night as the Gamecocks dropped 2-2 after a 17-10 loss.
Here are key plays and game balls from the game.
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Five Key Plays
Darius English runs into the kicker
Late in the first quarter, Kentucky had fourth and two and decided to punt. Punter Grant McKinniss dropped the snap, throwing of the rhythm of the play. English got a good run of the edge and lunged to try to block the punt. He lost his balance and bumped into McKinniss, drawing a flag. Will Muschamp argued that because English was being blocked when he lost his balance, the flag should be wiped out, but to no avail. The penalty gave Kentucky a first down, and it used the second chance to score a field goal.
Hurst breaks out
Hayden Hurst was wrapped up by Courtney Love for no gain on bubble screen, but he didn’t concede the tackle. Hurst kept his legs churning and broke the tackle. The blocking set up perfectly and Hurst rumbled 30 yards before being pushed out of bounds. On the next play, A.J. Turner burst around the corner for a 12-yard touchdown run. Prior to Hurst’s catch and run the Gamecock offense had been virtually nonexistent – the 30 yards was a full quarter of the Gamecocks’ total yards up to that point.
Block in the back
Late in the third quarter, Rashad Fenton fielded a line drive punt and cut to his left. He easily got around the edge of the defense and weaved his way for a touchdown. However, the return was called back due to a block in the back. The worst part was that Fenton already had the corner when the block occurred. South Carolina settled for a field goal on the drive, losing out on four points.
Third and one
South Carolina had third and one from the Kentucky 49. But instead of trying to run for the first down, Brandon McIlwain rolled right and threw incomplete. Running the ball in that situation was not a given, since South Carolina’s run game struggled, but going with a pass with only a yard to gain was highly questionable.
Fourth and one
With 1:40 left in the game, Stephen plunged ahead for the first down. South Carolina had no timeouts, and Kentucky was able to go to the victory formation and run out the clock.
Game balls
Offense
Hayden Hurst
Hurst has become the reliable safety blanket Will Muschamp envisioned during the offseason. He has the athleticism to turn a screen pass into a 30-yard play, and the savvy to get open when the play breaks down. Hurst finished with seven catches for 84 yards, both team highs.
Defense
Darius English
English seemed to be in the backfield the entire game, even though he was called for a critical running into the punter penalty as a result. English finished with seven tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.
Dante Sawyer
English was the speed off the edge, and Sawyer was the muscle in the middle. He only had three tackles, but two came in the backfield. He routinely got push up the middle, the lone bright spot in run defense.
Special Teams
Sean Kelly
Kelly had an average night by his superb standards. He punted eight times for a modest average of 37.4 yards per punt, but five of the punts were downed inside the 20.
