Kentucky’s offense found its spark on the ground Saturday night, as C.J. Baxter, Jason Patterson and Jovantae Barnes combined for a historic rushing performance in the Wildcats’ 45-21 victory over South Alabama.
The Wildcats did not get off to the start they wanted. After falling behind 21-14, Kentucky needed a major response before halftime, and the running game delivered.
Kentucky scored the final 10 points of the first half to take a 24-21 advantage into the locker room. From there, the Wildcats continued to control the game with a dominant performance from their running backs.
For the first time since 2020, Kentucky had three different players rush for at least 100 yards in the same game.
Baxter led the way with 16 carries for 149 yards and a touchdown. Patterson was equally impressive, rushing 12 times for 137 yards and three touchdowns. His biggest play came late in the first half when he broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run.
Barnes also reached the century mark, needing just eight carries to produce 100 yards and a touchdown.
The last time Kentucky accomplished the three-100-yard-rushers feat came against Ole Miss in 2020. On that night, Chris Rodriguez Jr., Terry Wilson and A.J. Rose each surpassed 100 rushing yards in a 42-41 overtime loss.
This time, however, Kentucky turned its historic rushing performance into a convincing victory.
The production from Baxter, Patterson and Barnes gives Kentucky another weapon to build around as SEC play continues. The Wildcats have shown that they can lean heavily on their ground game when the offense needs a spark.
However, the performance also highlighted an area Kentucky may need to improve.
Kenny Minchey will likely need to be more consistent through the air as the schedule gets tougher. Kentucky cannot expect its running backs to produce three 100-yard performances every Saturday, particularly when facing SEC competition on the road.
The Wildcats will next travel to face South Carolina, giving Kentucky another opportunity to build on the momentum from its impressive comeback against South Alabama.
For now, though, the running back room deserves plenty of credit. Baxter, Patterson and Barnes combined for 386 rushing yards and five touchdowns, helping Kentucky overcome a shaky start and finish with a 45-21 victory.
