Johnson’s Gutsiest Effort Yet Leads UK Past UT
Stephen Johnson has absorbed lick after lick this season, but somehow he’s just kept lining up for the next play.
But finally, he took a hti against Tennessee that sent him into the locker room for further examination. Even then, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind he’d return in short order.
“None at all,” Johnson said. “I told them on the sidelines, ‘Just get me in there, see what’s wrong, get me right back out.’ I definitely was going to continue playing this game.”
Johnson’s injury came at the end of a 34-yard run from deep in Kentucky territory to near midfield. He was able to walk off under his own power, but his non-throwing shoulder was clearly bothering him. He needed to get checked out before he could return.
“Stephen, there’s not many players that probably would have came back and even played in that situation,” head coach Mark Stoops said.
While he was being evaluated, his replacement, Drew Barker, lost a fumble to set up a Tennessee field goal that gave the visiting Volunteers a 23-21 lead. Right as the ensuing UK drive began, Johnson was spotted helmet in hand running from the tunnel toward the UK sideline. The crowd of 57,543 cheered loudly.
“That just gave me a little bit more life too,” Johnson said. “It really warms your heart when you come on the field and you got all of BBN screaming and shouting and just really excited for you. A very, very happy moment.”
Even happier moments would soon follow, though Johnson’s first three drives back ended in yet another lost fumble, UK’s fourth of the night, and back-to-back three-and-outs. It was in that moment that things seemed bleakest for the Wildcats, but the defense that refused to let the short fields created by those fumbles turn into anything more than three field goals stepped up again and got a stop.
That’s where Johnson – described by offensive coordinator Eddie Gran as “one of the toughest kids I’ve been able to coach in my life” – came in.
A quick first-down run by Benny Snell got the drive going, but he was stuffed on the next play. Gran then dialed up a rare pass for Johnson, who connected thanks to a phenomenal jumping, toe-dragging catch by Tavin Richardson.
After a review that overturned an original incomplete call, Johnson dashed 12 yards on a keeper before Snell carried four times in a row for 22 yards to set UK up with first and 10 from the Tennessee 11. UK then went back to the read play with Johnson deciding between handing to Snell and running himself. The choice was obvious.
“We just knew the whole game they had the end squeezing,” Johnson said. “As soon as I saw the linebacker squeeze too, I knew I’d have an outside run.”
It was clear Johnson would have a good gain, but he had his eyes on more. When UT’s Shawn Shamburger went low to make a tackle at the 2, Johnson leaped, showing no regard whatsoever for the fact that he was risking further injury to a shoulder that was in a sling postgame. By the time he got up unscathed, UK had taken a one-point lead with 33 seconds left.
“He’s absolutely tough as nails and we have so much respect and pride for him and our team does and he led us tonight and led us on that drive and like I said, I don’t think many players would have played in that situation,” Stoops said.
Not only did Johnson play, he laid it all on the line repeatedly and led UK to just its second win over the Volunteers in more than three decades. It took a double-reverse pass two-point conversion from Johnson to Snell and a Hail Mary caught two yards shy of a touchdown to make it happen, which perhaps was fitting.
“How many times were we on the wrong end of that for 33, 34 years or however many years?” Stoops said. “There’s been many times when we have played some good football and came up on the wrong end. We have done that here. And so it was really nice to be on the other end to just hang in there.”
In doing so, UK also reached bowl eligibility for the second year in a row in moving to 6-2. It’s no coincidence the Cats have done so with Johnson at quarterback.
“Stephen is a tough guy,” said Denzil Ware, who had the last of UK’s seven sacks on defense. “He’s a warrior and he’s a winner. Any team that’s got a quarterback that wants to be a winner, look at the success they have. At the end of the day, we got a winner behind the center.”
That winner completed just 6-of-15 passes for 46 yards against Tennessee, the passing game taking a backseat to a resurgent ground attack. Johnson didn’t waver though, not through injury or anything else. And when it came time to make the game-winning play, he did.
“Stephen’s a fighter,” Snell said. “Stephen’s just a tough guy. It was a run play. He made the right read. He pulled it, sacrificed his body, jumped in there. Amazing touchdown.”
Snell’s 180 yards and three touchdowns were overshadowed by Johnson’s heroics, but he wasn’t bothered for a second. How could he be with a quarterback so selfless?
“Steve’s amazing,” Jordan Jones said. “For him to get hurt and come back and lead his team to a victory, man, I love that dude. Love him.”
That selflessness has earned universal respect from teammates on both sides of the ball, including the safety with whom Johnson trades almost constant good-natured jabs. But even Mike Edwards had to quit the back-and-forth for a moment to deliver some heartfelt words to his quarterback.
“I told him, ‘I got a lot of respect for you,’ ” Edwards said. “A lot of people – a lot of people – would not be doing what he’s doing. Coming back in the game and scoring the last touchdown like that, he’s got great courage and great heart out there.”
All in a day’s work.
“I knew I had to do what I had to do to win this game,” Johnson said. “Just really proud of how we finished. Very, very proud of how we finished.”
