The touchdown drought ended for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Kentucky racked up 488 yards of total offense, and the Wildcats defeated the Ohio Bobcats, 41-6, at Kroger Field Saturday.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak in which Kentucky (2-2) had failed to reach the end-zone against either South Carolina in Week 2 or the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs last Saturday.
The drought ended when running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye found the end-zone from a yard out in the opening seconds of the second quarter to put Kentucky ahead, 10-0, after Alex Raynor’s extra point.
Brock Vandagriff’s 15-yard completion to receiver Dane Key on 3rd-and-9 set up the Wildcats’ first touchdown in nine quarters and capped a seven-play, 80-yard drive that took 3:29 off the clock.
RELATED: SEC Football 2024 season leaders in total QBR entering Week 4
Earlier in the game, coach Mark Stoops had received some boos after sending Raynor on for a 30-yard field goal on a 4th-and-3 from the Ohio 12-yard line with 5:48 to play in the first quarter.
Sumo-Karngbaye finished with two second-quarter touchdown runs after adding another score on Kentucky’s next series. Ohio had driven all the way to the Kentucky 5-yard line before backup quarterback Nick Poulos, starting in place of an injured Parker Navarro, fumbled. JJ Weaver recovered the ball for Kentucky.
On the next series, Vandagriff and Key hooked up twice — including on a 4th-and-7 from the Bobcats’ 38 — as the Wildcats finished with an 80-yard scoring drive on eight plays. Sumo-Karngbaye capped it with a 2-yard run for a 17-0 lead at halftime.
Maxwell Hairston had a walk-in 25-yard interception return for touchdown in the third quarter to extend the lead to 27-0. Barion Brown then found the end-zone on a 23-yard touchdown run that made the score 34-6 with 11:38 to play in the game.
Backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt scored from two yards out with 3:45 left to cap the scoring and give Kentucky a much-needed victory before the Wildcats resume SEC play next Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels.
Vandagriff finished the day 17-of-24 for 237 yards passing. Key had a career day for Kentucky, catching seven passes for 145 yards. Freshman Jamarion Wilcox led the Wildcats’ rushing attack with 82 yards on eight carries.
Kentucky’s defense held the Bobcats to 223 yards, well below Ohio’s season average of 391 per game. The 41 points scored by Kentucky were the most since their 45-28 win over Vanderbilt last September.
The Wildcats improved to 37-5 all-time against MAC competition.
NEXT UP
Kentucky visits No. 5 Ole Miss next Saturday for a noon ET kickoff at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The game will be televised on either ABC or ESPN.