Kenny Minchey has turned toughness into a calling card for Kentucky, and the numbers back it up.
The quarterback absorbed plenty of punishment in the win over Vanderbilt and still kept the offense moving. That kind of poise under fire is exactly what Kentucky coach Will Stein has been talking about.
“Long as my eyes are downfield, I feel like the stuff that’s happening right in front of me kind of fades out a little bit. Obviously, I don’t like getting hit and taking shots, but our coaches do a great job of knowing things and picking out things in my game that I need to get better at,” Minchey said after the Vanderbilt win.
“That’s something that we’ve been working at throughout the season. You know, to be able to stare down the barrel was definitely good for my progression as a quarterback, and then obviously for the team.”
Stein said the way Minchey stays composed when pressure closes in says a lot about him.
“That’s the sign of a really tough person. Quarterback, you know, you don’t think about them as tough guys. But when you are standing in a pocket and grown men are running full speed at you trying to destroy you and you make a pass and complete it, that shows great toughness,” Stein said.
“Not for himself, but also for our team. His teammates see that.
His coaches see that. Yeah, it was real.”
Minchey’s production has been every bit as impressive as his grit. He ranks 24th in the country with 14 passing touchdowns, sits 26th with 1,775 passing yards and is tied for seventh with just one interception. He has also completed 69 percent of his passes, right near Stein’s target of 70 percent.
Among quarterbacks with 200 or more attempts, Minchey and Miami’s Darian Mensah are the only two at 68 percent or better completion rate with at least 10 touchdowns and just one interception.
The Notre Dame transfer has been especially sharp after halftime and in overtime. In the second half this season, he is 92 of 127 for 1,085 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception, a 72.4 percent completion rate. He also has 28 completions of 15 or more yards and 11 completions of 25 or more yards.
Earlier this season, Stein laid out the traits Kentucky wants in its quarterbacks, and Minchey fits the profile.
“Do they love it? Do they eat, sleep, breathe football?
Can they mentally handle what we do offensively? And then, just like on-field play accuracy I think is vital
to success,” Stein said earlier this season. “Specifically in our offense where my last, I don’t know, three guys, four guys were all over 70 percent, and we still push the ball down the field and create explosives, but I think accuracy, playing on time is vital. And then I think mental toughness, like these guys get coached really hard in our system.
“I think Joe Sloan is one of the elite quarterback developers, as well, in the country, and for him to be our offensive coordinator makes it even better to me. For all quarterbacks across the country that wanna play winning football, I think Kentucky is a great place to do that.”
Minchey’s impact shows up beyond the stat sheet, too. He usually stops to hug his mother before leaving the field after each game.
He handed the game ball to safety Jordan Castell after Castell’s game-saving interception return for a touchdown at Oklahoma. He also paused for a photo with a Danville Admiral football hat after learning about the unexpected death of Danville football player Jamaree Johnson.
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