Kentucky’s comeback win at South Carolina did more than flip a scoreboard. It put two Wildcats in the SEC spotlight.
Wide receiver Kenny Darby was named the conference’s Freshman of the Week, while offensive tackle Lance Heard took home Offensive Lineman of the Week honors on Monday after Kentucky’s 35-34 overtime victory.
Darby, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound freshman from Bossier City, Louisiana, was the spark behind the Wildcats’ biggest road comeback in school history. Kentucky erased a 17-0 second-quarter deficit, and Darby was right in the middle of it all. He finished with a Kentucky single-game freshman record 12 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown.
His second-half work was especially sharp. Darby caught 10 passes for 82 yards after halftime, then opened the third quarter with a 17-yard touchdown grab.
He also delivered one of the game’s key plays in the fourth quarter, turning a short pass into a 22-yard gain on second down and 17 from Kentucky’s own 16-yard line. That drive ended with the field goal that forced overtime.
The performance put Darby in rare company. He 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. Through the season’s first five games, Darby has 25 catches for 322 yards and three touchdowns, and he leads or is tied for the team lead in all three categories.
Kentucky’s freshman receiver also picked up another honor for the outing, earning On3’s True Freshman Wide Receiver of the Week.
Heard’s award came after a dominant day at left tackle. The 6-6, 325-pound lineman from Bonita, Louisiana, drew plenty of attention for his work against South Carolina, including a pancake-block sequence on two defenders that went viral on social media.
On the stat sheet, Heard graded out at 81 percent, the best mark on the Kentucky line. He added five knockdown blocks, committed no penalties and did not allow a sack.
His blocking helped Kentucky pile up 266 yards of total offense and 17 second-half points in the rally. The Wildcats’ lone rushing touchdown and a fourth-and-1 conversion also came straight through his left tackle spot.
Kentucky is now 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the SEC. The Wildcats return home Oct. 10 to host No.
10/10 LSU at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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