Five Takeaways: No. 8 Kentucky 31, Northern Illinois 23
Barion Brown's Explosive Ability Earns UK The Win
WOW is Barion Brown fast. If not for his speed, neither of his touchdown receptions go for scores. His 15-yard screen catch was as impressive as it gets, as he darted through the NIU defense to lock down UK's first score of the game. Then for his second TD, Levis found him in open space for a 70-yard score, which is a bad sign for any defensive back. Speed killed the NIU secondary in bulk tonight.
Tayvion Robinson Is A Tip-Top Wide Receiver
The WR1 was elite for Kentucky tonight, catching passes for yards and two touchdowns. His playmaking ability is second to only his own teammate Brown, but the Virginia Tech transfer showed tonight that he was more than a class above the Huskies. Levis targeted Robinson on third down more than anyone else, showing that true QB-WR connection.
The Offensive Line...Is There Any Getting Better?
Through four games, Kentucky has seen no easily-visible improvement from its offensive line. Whether it's continuity issues, not gelling or just straight up missing blocks and assignments, the Big Blue Wall has been anything but impressive. Will Levis was sacked more times tonight, so at what point does UK acknowledge that maybe the O-line can only grow so much? It's been a clear step down from the previous few seasons and it doesn't seem to be getting any better.
"Just Okay" Defensively
Head Coach Mark Stoops said the defense was just okay after allowing 23 points to the Huskies. NIU finished with 327 total yards, 199 of which came through the air. The Huskies got to the defense on their first and last drives of the game. Backup quarterback Ethan Hampton did quite the job for NIU, hurling 13 completions for 196 yards and a touchdown. UK was never going to be able to top last weekend defensively, but tonight wasn't all that close to matching it.
Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Could Be A Shootout
After seeing the Rebels pour points on four opponents, none of which are close to the level of Kentucky, then seeing the Wildcats struggle a bit on the defensive side tonight, signs could be pointing towards a shootout of sorts next weekend in Oxford. The Wildcats possess a better defense than the Rebels, but Ole Miss will bring the best offense that UK has seen this season by a wide margin. Mark Stoops vs. Lane Kiffin will be an interesting battle next weekend down in The Grove.
