What did Big Blue Nation learn from Kentucky's season opening win over Southern Miss?

Kentucky played an all-around great game against Southern Miss.

Aug 31, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Brock Vandagriff (12) slides between Southern Miss Golden Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Williams (96) during the second quarter at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Carter Skaggs-USA TODAY Sports / Carter Skaggs-USA TODAY Sports

The Kentucky Wildcats hosted the Southern Miss Golden Eagles to get the 2024 football season started and got the 31-0 win. Weather delayed the game and then weather ended up leading to the game being called with 9:56 seconds on the clock in the third quarter.

Kentucky was able to get the big win, and they did it in a commanding fashion. The way the defense and offense were playing, the final score would have likely been a much wider margin.

Heading into the 2024 season, many college football fans knew the Kentucky Wildcats were going to have a suffocating defense, but the offense was a question mark. Well, the offense showed up in this game as Brock Vandagriff was 12-18 for 169 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw a pick that was tipped, but it wasn't the best ball. All in all, it was an excellent performance for the Georgia transfer.

All of Kentucky's receivers, Dane Key, Barion Brown, and Ja'Mori Maclin, were great in this game and proved that this would be an elite room for the Wildcats. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye was exceptional as he rushed eight times for 59 yards and a touchdown. He will be a solid weapon for this offense all season.

The simple answer to what we learned from the win over Southern Miss is that this Kentucky team is going to be a lot more balanced than what many originally thought. The college football world hadn't been introduced to Vandagriff yet, but he had a solid debut and is going to be a really good player for Kentucky this season.

The Kentucky Wildcats have a big test coming up next Saturday when South Carolina comes to town.