Kentucky got exactly the kind of lift it needed in South Carolina, and the SEC took notice.
Wide receiver Kenny Darby and left tackle Lance Heard were both honored Monday after key roles in Kentucky’s overtime win over the Gamecocks. Darby was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week, while Heard earned SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
Darby was at the center of Kentucky’s passing plan from the start. Quarterback Kenny Minchey looked his way 18 times, and the Louisiana native delivered a career-best 12 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown. After the game, Darby credited the players around him for making it happen.
“First off, I want to say thank you to Kenny Minchey for giving me the ball and feeding me the ball, and the way our O-line came out in the second half,” Darby said before taking questions from reporters on Saturday night.
His production put him in rare company. Darby became the first Wildcat with at least 12 receptions, 96 yards and one touchdown in an SEC road game since Randall Cobb at Mississippi State in 2010.
The freshman’s day also drew national attention. Charles Power, who highlighted him as one of college football’s top freshman standouts from week 5, praised Darby’s feel for the game and his ability to create separation.
“Throughout the game, he showed his innate ability to find open space in the defense, something that we saw throughout his productive high school career,” writes Power. “Darby also almost had one of the plays of the game in the first half with an outstanding over-the-shoulder grab that was ruled incomplete despite looking like a catch. The former Rivals300 prospect is among the most productive true freshman wide receivers to this point in the season with 25 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns.”
Heard’s recognition came after another eye-catching performance on the line. His work at left tackle helped Kentucky keep moving, and the numbers backed it up: he graded out at 81 percent, posted five knockdown blocks, and had the two-on-one block on one play. He didn’t commit a penalty and didn’t allow a sack.
Heard’s impact showed up in the final numbers, too. Kentucky produced 266 yards of total offense and 17 points in the second half, the engine behind the largest comeback road win in school history. The Wildcats’ lone rushing touchdown and a fourth-and-1 conversion for a first down both came straight through Heard’s left tackle spot.
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