Kentucky’s special teams gave the Wildcats plenty to think about in the win over LSU, but not enough to trigger another shakeup heading into Oklahoma.
The biggest burst came from Brock Coffman, who turned a punt into six points by breaking two tackles and racing 55 yards to the end zone in the second quarter. That return put Kentucky ahead 14-10 and stood as the sharpest moment in a kicking game that otherwise swung from one extreme to the other.
Wilson Berry handled punting duties for the first time this season and earned another look. The veteran averaged 40.3 yards per punt, netted 35.0 yards, and managed one punt that pinned LSU inside the 20.
South Florida transfer Adam Zouagui, making his fifth start, kept his kickoff work clean with a 100 percent touchback rate for the third straight game, but the field-goal side was messy. He missed from 42 yards and 26 yards, then later hit from 28 and forced overtime with a 33-yarder after attempting four total field goals in the fourth quarter.
Head coach Will Stein said the move to Berry in Week 6 was about stability, and that Berry will stay in the job against Oklahoma.
“Just felt like Wilson gave us the best chance in this last game for us to have consistency,” Stein said about Kentucky’s punter situation. “I think Tom’s a really good punter.
He’s showed it in practice a ton. He had a big punt safe opportunity against South Carolina where we downed it in there tight.
I felt like it was best for our special teams unit, our punt unit, to put Wilson out there and give him an opportunity to see what he could do in a big moment.”
“Wilson will line up first again in this next game.”
At kicker, Stein isn’t ready to make a switch either. Zouagui is 8-of-11 on field goals this season, and his make from 50-plus against Texas A&M remains on the résumé.
Still, the LSU misses came in a key spot, and they were impossible to ignore. Even so, Stein said he’s sticking with him for now.
“I don’t plan on doing anything…He’s made a 52-yarder on the road. He made a game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter against South Carolina.
So, just like sometimes the quarterback misses a read on mesh, kicker unfortunately misses those. It’s big moments.
They’re points. So that’s what everybody sees.”
Stein said he saw “a lot of resolve” from his kicker and liked what Berry added to the punting operation. Practice competition is still ongoing, but no specialist changes are expected this week.
In Other News...
Kentuckys New SEC FPI Spot Says Plenty After The LSU Win
ESPNs latest Football Power Index update offered another snapshot of where Kentucky stands after its Week 6 win over LSU, and the numbers say the Wildcats are still very much part of the SEC middle class fight. The rankings, which adjust to recent results and project the rest of the season, showed a league landscape that remains crowded, with teams such as Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Auburn, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Florida, Texas A&M and Missouri all clustered in the conversation around Kentucky.
For Kentucky, the update matters because it reflects more than just a single win. It is a reminder that the LSU result changed the way the computers view the Wildcats, but the SEC race is still tight enough that every weekly shift in FPI carries weight. The next step is whether Kentucky can turn that bump into something more lasting as the season moves deeper into league play. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Defense Is Stuck Waiting On A Massive Alex Afari Decision
Alex Afaris status has turned into one of the more consequential off-field issues hanging over Kentucky as the season moves along. The linebacker remains unable to play while legal rulings around temporary restraining orders and subsequent court decisions continue to sort out whether he can be cleared again, leaving the Wildcats in a holding pattern at a spot where they could use help.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals already ruled that a temporary restraining order is just that, temporary, and the next round of hearings in Kentucky and at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit could shape the answer from here. With injuries already thinning the linebacker room, Afaris potential return matters even more than it otherwise would, which is why this one is worth watching closely until the legal process finally gives Kentucky some clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Fans May Have Just Seen A Program-Changing Night
A sellout crowd at Kroger Field got more than a memorable October night when Kentucky toppled No. 10 LSU 35-34 in overtime. The setting had the feel of a reset for the program, with a throwback uniform, a new team walkout ritual and the kind of energy that had the whole stadium believing something bigger might be happening in real time.
Kenny Minchey delivered the final jolt with the winning two-point conversion, turning an upset into a scene Kentucky fans will be talking about for a long time. The celebration spilled so far beyond the field that the Southeastern Conference hit Kentucky with a $500,000 fine after a fan stormed the turf, a costly reminder of how quickly one breakthrough win can carry both momentum and consequences. [Read more 🡒]