Sumo-Karngbaye Thriving in Featured Role
Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan has repeatedly said that he wants his offense to be able to run the ball. And through three games, the Cats have proven to have an effective ground attack. Following Tuesday’s practice, Hamdan again emphasized how important it is for UK to be able to fun the football.
“I think it’s critical,” Hamdan said. “With this offense, it’s always going to start with being able to run the football. At times, defenses have played pretty soft on the back end and not allowed us to stretch the field as much. Having that run game has been impressive.”
In just over a half of football against Southern Miss, UK ran for 148 yards and a touchdown. Against South Carolina, Kentucky had 139 yards rushing. And last week, against then-top-ranked Georgia, the Cats rushed for 170 yards.
Perhaps the biggest surprise through three games is the emergence of Demie Sumo-Karngbaye as the featured back. With Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum injured, Sumo-Karngbaye has taken on the role as UK’s primary back. He has rushed for 59 yards on just eight carries against Southern Miss, followed by a 70-yard performance against South Carolina. Last week, Sumo-Karngbaye rushed for a career-high 98 yards against Georgia. Hamdan has been impressed with Sumo-Karngbaye’s performance.
“He’s probably a little bit of a surprise,” Hamdan said. “Obviously, we think highly of Demie but any time you go in the SEC and you play good defenses and you do what he did and the toughness he’s running with, he’s done a really nice job.”
Sumo-Karngbaye has even surpassed his own expectations through three games.
“I exceeded expectations so far,” he said. “I envisioned more receptions but obviously, the game called for me to rush for whatever I rushed for.”
Last season, with Ray Davis carrying much of the rushing load, Sumo-Karngbaye was relegated to being a backup and catching passes. This season, the UK staff asked more of him and he has responded.
“It was more of a focusing on this,” Sumo-Karngbaye said. “It wasn’t a switch I had to turn on, it was just natural.”
Sumo-Karngbaye credits UK running backs coach Jay Boulware with helping him in a variety of ways.
“The edge, the fire, everything he brings to the game,” Sumo-Karngbaye said. “He’s always in my ear, telling me to hit this hole or read this a certain way and pass blocking for sure. He’s definitely helped me out with that. He’s just a great coach.”
In the offeseason, Boulware challenged Sumo-Karngbaye to become the featured back for the Cats. It’s a role Sumo-Karngbaye has embraced.
“He just showed me how much value I can bring to the running back room,” Sumo-Karngbaye said. “It was just too much trying to be different places at once. He was like I need you in one spot for now, then we can talk about other things. And I took that on.”
Through three games, the Kentucky running game has proven that it can effectively run the ball. Much of that has fallen on Sumo-Karngbaye, who has emerged as a significant weapon this season.
