Youngstown State didn’t waste any time showing Kentucky what it’s bringing to Lexington.
In its season opener last night, the Penguins rolled past Mercyhurst 43-10, and the numbers tell the story fast: touchdowns on their first five possessions, 484 total yards, and a 29-3 halftime lead that ballooned to 36-3 before the offense finally hit a wall.
The biggest reason Youngstown looked so sharp was the same name Kentucky already had circled: Beau Brungard. The reigning FCS Player of the Year put together a monster debut, piling up 351 yards of offense and five touchdowns.
He completed 20 of 29 passes for 232 yards and three scores, then added 119 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on 21 carries. It was the 11th time in his career that Brungard has gone over 100 yards both throwing and running in the same game, and he was close to doing it by halftime.
That came against a Mercyhurst team still adjusting to Division I football, so Kentucky’s defense will be dealing with a different level of challenge. But the film still made one thing obvious: Brungard is the engine, and he runs behind a veteran offensive line for one of the best teams in the FCS. Keeping him in check is the assignment.
There was also a brief moment early when Mercyhurst made Youngstown’s defense look vulnerable. On the opening drive, the Lakers marched 63 yards in 10 plays and got all the way to the Penguins’ 2-yard line before the stand held, helped by a dropped touchdown pass. Mercyhurst settled for a 24-yard field goal and a 3-0 lead.
After that, Youngstown’s defense settled in. Mercyhurst managed just 178 yards the rest of the way and didn’t find the end zone until the final two minutes.
That first drive should matter to Kentucky. If Mercyhurst could move the ball 63 yards on the opening possession, Kenny Minchey and Will Stein’s new-look offense will have reasons to feel good about its chances next Saturday.
We’ll have more on the Youngstown State matchup as Sept. 5 in Lexington gets closer.
In Other News...
Kentuckys Ceiling Just Changed After A Massive Late Roster Boost
Mark Mitchells path to Lexington has already had an impact, even before a ball is tipped. After a Louisville judge granted an injunction in his case against the NCAA, Mitchell was cleared to play an additional season of college basketball, and his commitment to Kentucky gave the Wildcats a late jolt that showed up quickly in preseason perception. With Mitchell in the fold, Kentuckys roster suddenly looks deeper and more complete, and that has been reflected in the way national observers have started to view the team.
CBS Sports and Jon Rothstein have both adjusted their projections for the Wildcats, a sign of how much this addition changed the outlook in a short span. It is not just about climbing in preseason rankings, either. Mitchells arrival, along with other roster moves, has forced a rethinking of Kentuckys projected starting lineup and, by extension, the ceiling of a team that already looked intriguing before this latest boost. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Just Gave Kentucky Fans Fresh Rivalry Ammo
A new fanbase study has given Kentucky supporters a little extra ammunition for the annual back-and-forth with Louisville, and it comes from an unlikely place: Reddit. Andy Whiteoak of Covers.com dug through thousands of posts to rank the vulgarity of college football fanbases across the FBS, and the results put Louisville near the top of the list while also showing a pretty wide gap between the in-state rivals.
For Kentucky fans, the most useful part may be less about the exact ranking and more about the company Louisville kept. The Cardinals were the only ACC school in the top 10, while several other league schools landed among the least vulgar fanbases, a contrast that should give the rivalry another easy jab the next time the two sides trade barbs. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Has A New Reason To Push Hard For Seneca Driver
Seneca Driver keeps giving Kentucky plenty to think about. The highly ranked Boyle County tight end was one of the most dynamic players on the field in a 35-0 win over Bryan Station, showing once again why he has become such an important in-state recruiting target for the Wildcats. Kentucky coach Will Stein has made it clear he wants to keep elite prospects close to home, and Drivers blend of size, skill and playmaking makes him exactly the kind of player the program cannot afford to let get too far away.
The complication, of course, is that Driver is already committed elsewhere, and that only raises the stakes for Kentuckys pursuit. Even with a pledge in place, the Wildcats are continuing to push, hoping to change the conversation before signing day. For a program trying to build its future around top local talent, Driver is the sort of recruit worth the effort, which is why his latest standout performance may have only sharpened Kentuckys focus. [Read more 🡒]