Nov. 17, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky junior varsity football team defeated Fork Union Military Academy 55-28 at Commonwealth Stadium, Monday afternoon.
Kentucky accumulated 371 yards in total offense scoring seven touchdowns in the game – five on the ground and two through the air. UK’s ground game was led by sophomore tailback Trey Bowland, who gained 128 yards on 16 carries and scored three touchdowns.
Through the air, freshman Aaron Boyd caught seven balls for 107 yards and a touchdown to lead the Wildcat receiving corps. Sophomore quarterback Caleb Newton was a perfect 5-for-5 on the day for 100 yards passing, including a 43-yard touchdown strike to freshman Gene McCaskill to lead the Wildcat air attack.
The Wildcat defense caused a fumble and an interception on the day while holding the Blue Devils to just 88 yards rushing. Freshman defensive back Greg Wilson led UK in tackles with 10, including two for a loss of six yards while freshman linebacker Ronnie Sneed added nine tackles, including the only quarterback sack in the game, and blocked an extra point for the Wildcats.
Fork Union took the early lead after a 49-yard touchdown pass from Nicholas Owens to Darrien Burch on its opening drive with 11:09 left in the first quarter. The Blue Devils’ extra point attempt by Adam Dyer was blocked by Sneed, giving FUMA a 6-0 early advantage.
Kentucky cut the lead in half mid-way through the first quarter on its first drive of the game with a 43-yard field goal by Ryan Tydlacka.
In the second quarter, the Wildcats drove 55 yards on four plays, capped off by a 14-yard rush by Bowland. The score put Kentucky up 10-6 for its first lead of the game.
The Wildcats would not relinquish the lead after recovering a FUMA fumble at the Blue Devil 27-yard line. Soon after, UK added another Tydlacka field goal, this time from 46 yards, to give the Wildcats a 13-6 advantage. Later in the second, Bowland scored his second touchdown of the game on a two-yard plunge to increase the Kentucky lead to 14 points.
Fork Union would answer with a touchdown of its own after quarterback Jeffrey Lagree’s sneak into the end zone from the one-yard line. Blue Devil starting quarterback Nicholas Owens completed a pass to D.J. Coles for the two-point conversion to cut into the UK lead 20-14. Kentucky came back with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing drive, as Newton connected with McCaskill on a 43-yard touchdown to give the Wildcats a 27-14 lead going into the half.
Kentucky started the second half with freshman Taiedo Smith returning the opening kickoff 68 yards to the Fork Union 10-yard line. UK later scored on a seven-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Will Fidler to Boyd to increase its lead to 34-14 early in the third quarter. Fork Union running back Mario Crawford later scored on a 12-yard rush to cut the Wildcat lead to 34-20. The Blue Devils’ two-point conversion attempt failed.
UK opened the fourth quarter with A.J. Grigsby intercepting Nicholas Owens at the FUMA 45-yard line and returning it 27 yards to the Blue Devil 18-yard line. The return set up a UK touchdown drive, finished off by Bowland four plays later, crossing the goal line from two yards out to push the UK lead to 41-20.
Fork Union responded with a score of its own mid-way through the final quarter as Blue Devil receiver Deon Miller hauled in a three-yard touchdown pass from Owens. After Lagree rushed for the two-point conversion, the Blue Devils trailed UK by 13, 41-28, but would get no closer.
On the next drive with 6:20 remaining in the game, UK running back Norman Webb rumbled 39 yards for a score to give the Wildcats a 48-28 advantage. Three minutes later, Wildcat tailback Matt Ramsey rushed for a six-yard touchdown for the game’s final margin.
Fork Union was led by Owens through the air, passing for 155 yards on 11 attempts with two touchdowns and an interception. Miller led all Blue Devil receivers with five receptions for 48 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, Lagree made the biggest impact rushing for 60 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
“I think it is a great opportunity for a lot of our guys to get some game action,” UK head coach Rich Brooks said. “I’m very pleased with some positive things. It was a great opportunity to get game action and evaluate our personnel and I saw a lot of good things out there. Some of these guys will get out on the field a lot quicker because of some of the things that they did today.
“I thought the quarterback play was very good. (Aaron) Boyd did some good things (at wide receiver). I was also very pleased with the field goals and the extra points. Not only the kicking, but the snapping and the holding were good as well. On defense, (Chris) Cessna made a lot plays today. It’s good to see him get some action. Antonio Thomas made some plays and (Ronnie) Sneed made some plays at linebacker. Antwane Glenn did some good things today. Chandler Burden, who hasn’t gotten to play a whole lot this year, got some good reps and Greg Wilson did some good things for us today at safety, which is encouraging.”
This was Kentucky’s only junior varsity game of the season. Fork Union closes its season with a 5-4 record.
Kentucky’s varsity squad returns to action on Nov. 29 when it plays Tennessee on the road in Knoxville, Tenn. Kick-off in Neyland Stadium is slated for 6:30 p.m. EDT and the game will be carried live nationally on ESPN2.
