Kavosiey Smoke Proves His Worth With Stellar Second Half Against Florida

The Kentucky RB stepped up in a big way for the Wildcats in Gainesville

No Chris Rodriguez, Ramon Jefferson or JuTahn McClain and a weak offensive line to boot. Yet somehow, senior running back Kavosiey Smoke powered through with a crucial second half performance that helped lead Kentucky to a 26-16 win over Florida in The Swamp. 

Smoke finished the night with 80 yards on 14 carries, 71 of which came in the second half. Following a dreadful start on the ground in the first 30 minutes that led to a 13-10 deficit, the senior said the message from head coach Mark Stoops at halftime was a simple one:

"You just got to finish," Smoke said. "Put the plays you had in the first half behind you. We were down three, but Coach (Stoops) said it was 0-0, so we just came out to finish it."

Finish they did, as Kentucky's offensive line finally picked up steam while offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello's playbook opened up, creating holes in the Gator defense. Smoke busted out four runs for 10 yards or more in the second half, giving quarterback Will Levis some much-needed breathing room in the pocket when UK went back to the passing game. 

This is the second time that Smoke has seen victory in Gainesville, though this time is much sweeter for the Wetumpka, Alabama native. 

"It means a lot. Man, I remember we came here my freshman year and we won, but I didn't really play, so me playing in The Swamp, It was different," he said. 

As preseason camp rolled along, it appeared as though Smoke was going to get lost in the fray amidst a jam-packed running back room filled with old and new talent. He wasn't featured anywhere near the first team midway through the fall, but eventually something clicked. 

It was a welcomed sight for Kentucky as it became more and more apparent that Rodriguez would not be seeing the field at the start of the season. Then after one game, his fellow tailbacks Jefferson and McClain both went down with injuries and would be end up being unavailable for the Florida game. 

It's hard to carry a next-man-up mentality when there are hardly any running backs left to play. Smoke and redshirt freshman La'Vell Wright managed to carry the torch and a big workload when UK was in desperate need of some offense on the ground. 

It's only been two weeks, but Smoke's decision to return for one final season at Kentucky is already paying dividends. 

"My plan on coming back wasn't for me personally, it was for the whole team," Smoke said. "We're trying to make it make it to a bigger stage than just a bowl game. We're trying to make it to Atlanta and the big bowl, the National Championship." 

While his goal is lofty, he knows more than anyone what it takes to overcome adversity when its staring you dead in the eyes. 

"Just keep your head down and work man. Yeah, you got to work, you got to work. I've been like that, I was raised like that. My family just put our head down, and nothing is gonna get handed to you...you got to work for it." 

The work continues as Kentucky looks to improve to 3-0 next weekend against Youngstown State. 

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