The University of Kentucky Wildcats walloped UT Martin on Saturday evening. With a final score of 50 - 7 this sixth win of the season will make the football Cats eligible for their 4th consecutive bowl game.
Kentucky was in control of this game from the opening play. After snapping the ball over the quarterback's head the Skyhawks attempted to recover only to throw a pass short of the line of scrimmage for a safety to give the Cats an opening lead. This wouldn't be the end of the pain for the boys from Tennessee. The Skyhawks would give up another unforced turnover on the following drive that led to a very early Cats lead of 9-0.
It wasn't just UT Martin making offensive mistakes that led to the Wildcats victory. AJ Rose vaulted for a 63 yard touchdown shortly following to move the Cats in to a 16 - 0 lead before the end of the first quarter. That continued into the second quarter on the back of Lynn Bowden as he rushed in two touchdowns showcasing his physical prowess.
Despite pulling a number of starters from the field for the second half the Cats continued to push the score up. In the end Travis Tisdale, Tyler Markray and Chris Rodriguez would join Bowden and Rose in scoring touchdowns for the Wildcats.
The Cats looked like a different team yesterday. I'm not sure if this is them starting to really get a feel for playing with one another or that they simply out-talented the Skyhawks but it was certainly refreshing. I knew this year would be a step back from last year's success but knowing that this team is growing certainly keeps optimism for the future of the program alive and well.
The Wildcats will be facing the state rival Louisville Cardinals next weekend at home. While that game has significant value to any Kentucky fan it will also be a factor in helping to determine which bowl game the Cats are selected for. Right now early thoughts from CBS Sports says that Kentucky is likely heading to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. This would certainly be okay with me as that still gives the Big Blue Nation a short drive to support their team.