Wide Receiver Injuries May Break Kentucky's Back
Slowly but surely, injuries have done significant damage to Kentucky on both offense and defense.
Here's a list of starters and important role players who have dealt with some sort of injury throughout fall camp and the first six games of the season:
- OL Kenneth Horsey
- OL Jeremy Flax
- OL Tashawn Manning
- QB Will Levis
- RB Kavosiey Smoke
- RB JuTahn McClain
- RB Ramon Jefferson
- DL Josaih Hayes
- LB Jacquez Jones
- OLB J.J. Weaver
- FS Jalen Geiger
Add in DB Vito Tisdale, who will miss the entire season due to a torn ACL, along with RB Chris Rodriguez and LB Jordan Wright, both of whom were held out at the start of the year...it's been a tumultuous couple of months on the injury front.
One player group that's managed to avoid getting hurt is the wide receiver room...at least until Saturday night against South Carolina.
Top receiver Tayvion Robinson left the game against the Gamecocks in the third quarter after hitting the turf. He walked off under his own power but went straight to the injury tent and did not return to the game.
Then late in the fourth quarter, after UK's defeat was all but finalized, Dane Key was unable to haul in a pass from QB Kaiya Sheron, resulting in the freshman WR immediately walking to the sideline, grabbing at his wrist and hand, seemingly in agony.
Head coach Mark Stoops had this to say about the potential injuries to his playmakers after the defeat:
"Yeah, it’s a tough point in the season. I told the team that. You know, it is what it is. So, you know, we got to get back," he said. "You know, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. So, you know, we got to get back up. I told them — challenged them. Get in the ice tub, get in the training room, get healed up and we got to get back at it. You know, we play a really good team coming in next week and we have to regroup and we got to get back to who we are."
Robinson and Key have combined for 44 catches, 683 yards and six touchdowns in six games, which is irreplaceable production. Only Barion Brown has been as reliable of an option for the offense this season.
Assuming Kentucky will welcome Will Levis back to the field next weekend against Mississippi State, he might not have some of his favorite targets to throw to. Toss in a banged-up and already sub-par offensive line, and the offense is reeling.
"We’ve got to play really good, you know, as a team. And that’s my biggest disappointment. I don’t feel like we rallied," Stoops said. "And it — not just in a goofy cliché when I say this: But, like, for us we’ve been — you guys have watched us, we’re not great in any area. We’ve got to be good as a team. The strength of our team is generally as a team. We weren’t good in that today. We weren’t good in a lot of different pieces. And that’s not good."
Losing Levis in the first place was detrimental to Kentucky's success, but if the Cats suffer any more long-term injuries to key players, it may not matter who's under center.
UK's bye-week can't come any sooner.
Kentucky Football News
Watch Mark Stoops' reaction to the loss here.
Offensive Coordinator Rich Scangarello Also Spoke on the defeat
Kentucky's Offense Broke Down Around Kaiya Sheron
UK Fell Nine Spots to No. 22 in the Latest AP Poll
Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.
Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.
