Takeaways from Kentucky's blowout win over Murray State

The Wildcats got a much needed blowout win on Saturday.

Nov 16, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive back Jordan Lovett (25) celebrates with linebacker Tyreese Fearbry (42) after he intercepted a pass during the second quarter against the Murray State Racers at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats welcomed in the Murray State Racers to Kroger Field on Saturday as they head into the final three games of the season. Not much was expected going in other than a feel-good win, and that's exactly what Kentucky got on Saturday. It was a slow one because of all the flags, but they got there, winning 48-6.

Offense struggled early on, especially Vandagriff with two deep passes. One that was tipped into the hands of Hardley Gilmore after nearly being intercepted, and the other was intercepted. Aside from that, Kentucky was able to put a lot of points on the board, and the defense did their job holding the Racers.

Let's dive into some takeaways.

1. Jamarion Wilcox was the bright spot for Kentucky offense.

With the passing game struggling for much of the first half, the running game was clicking. Jamarion Wilcox was the bright spot for the Wildcats, with over 100 yards rushing on the day with 123. He added all of that in with a touchdown, and so did Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who had nearly 50 yards plus a touchdown. Kentucky ended the day with well over 200 yards total on the ground. It wasn't as much of a disciplined outing as they would have hoped, as they had 9 penalties for 87 yards, while Murray State had 15 penalties for 112 yards. Thankfully in the win, Kentucky got some of the younger players some snaps, which is always good.

2. Kentucky defense did their job.

The defensive side of the ball didn't have many slip-ups on Saturday, as they held Murray State to just 6 points the entire game against a not-so-good Racer offense. The unit had 2 tackles for loss along with a sack. Kentucky's defense also allowed 256 yards compared to their 584 yards of total offense. Can't complain when the defense only allows 6 points on the day.

After this win to give the Wildcats some needed momentum, they will head down to Austin to take on the Texas Longhorns, a top three team in the country that is absolutely clicking. That game is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Kentucky has advanced to 4-6 overall (1-6 SEC) with the win over Murray State.