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Kentucky Did Its Job in Ohio Win Despite Odd Operation

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Kentucky Did Its Job in Ohio Win Despite Odd Operation


If you were unable to watch Kentucky play Ohio on Saturday, things look pretty good from afar. The Cats checked plenty of boxes on the box score and provided some entertaining highlights.

35-point win? Check.
A pick six for Max Hairston? Check.
Career day for Dane Key? Let’s go.
Almost 500 yards of offense? Come on.
Only two sacks and seven incomplete passes for Brock Vandagriff? Hot Damn!

There is plenty to like about the 41-6 victory for the Wildcats, and not to be a Negative Nancy, but a few things were just a bit off in this game. It’s hard to find one specific word to describe it, so we’ll use some of Mark Stoops’ words.

Kick It or Go For It?

College football fans spent days wondering why Mark Stoops punted the ball trailing by one with three minutes to go against the No. 1 team in the country. Kentucky fans talked about it all week. They’ll be talking about fourth down decisions after this game too.

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There were two instances in the second quarter where Mark Stoops changed his mind late in the process. Alex Raynor was lining up for a school-record 56-yard field goal. They called a timeout and went for it instead. It worked like a charm. Dane Key caught a 36-yard pass on 4th and 7, setting up a touchdown on the following play.

A few minutes later, Kentucky was back in a similar situation. They could kick a field goal on third down, or try to take a shot to the end zone without any timeouts. After it looked like they were kicking, Stoops made an about-face and chose to go for it. Vandagriff was sacked and the Cats came away with zero points.

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board.

A Failed Fourth Down Led to Points

The defense was suffocating Ohio. On the Bobcats’ best drive of the day, Kentucky finally got a fumble to bounce their way for a turnover. They were well on their way to pitching a shutout when Max Hairston baited the backup quarterback into a pick six.

On the ensuing possession, the Kentucky defense forced a three-and-out, giving the offense the ball 55 yards away from the end zone. The Cats only needed one yard to convert on fourth down.

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Kentucky went quickly to the line to try to draw Ohio offsides. When that didn’t work, they stuck with the initial call, a read option. Stoops said Brock Vandagriff made the right read to keep the ball and run to the outside, but he dropped the football, giving Ohio enough time to tackle him behind the line of scrimmage.

With outstanding field position, Ohio quickly drove the field and scored its only touchdown of the day.

Indecisiveness Created a Clunky Operation

Stoops said after the game that in his ideal scenario, the Cats weren’t rushing to the line on fourth down to draw Ohio offsides. He’d prefer to get in a big set and run it down the Bobcats’ throat for a first down.

It’s similar to what happened in the other critical situations on fourth down. He’s still trying to get on the same page with his play-caller. “There’s a lot of firsts,” said Stoops.

“That’s on me because there’s no discussion. I’ve been here for 12 years. I know the BS that happens sometimes, you know what I mean? I should have known better and kicked the dang ball (before halftime).

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“I know. I’ve been here. (At) Other places you could drop back on third and 12, but the way we’re protecting right now, we should have got the three.”

More postgame coverage is on the way on the KSR YouTube Channel. Subscribe today to see press conferences, interviews, Rapid Reaction, and more.

Finally, a Kentucky Fumble Recovery

That back-and-forth wasn’t the only weird part about this game. Kentucky forced six fumbles in two SEC games and didn’t recover one of them. That is weird. It felt like the Football Gods were formulating a plan against the Kentucky defense when the Cats forced a fumble in the red zone, recovered it, then it was overturned by replay.

What in the world is going on here?

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The defense remained composed and a few plays later the ball was back on the ground. J.J. Weaver recovered it cleanly and there was 80-yard scoop-and-score potential. If only things were that easy. It got weird when he stumbled and fumbled the ball. Fortunately, he fell on it, but man. There for a while, you wondered what kind of voodoo was on the game.

The Kentucky Pass Protection is Not Good

Can Kentucky figure out its operation issues? Yes. Can Brock Vandagriff make more strides as a passer? He has plenty of time to grow. There is one question we know the answer to.

The pass protection on the offensive line is not good and it’s probably not going to get any better.

Kentucky called a deep shot with max protection. There were only two players running routes and Vandagriff found Key for a big 40-yard gain. Heck, it was even a free play after Ohio jumped offsides. The play was called back because the Cats were flagged for a hold.

Pass protection will be this team’s biggest issue moving forward. Some games will be better than others, but this is a clear deficiency that they will have to try to scheme around for the rest of the season.

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The Good Things Kentucky Did

Here’s the thing, despite the tone of this recap so far, you shouldn’t feel too bad about the way things unfolded. There was a lot to like from today’s game.

Dane Key had a career-high 145 receiving yards. Alex Raynor has made a school record 12 straight field goals. The defense is dominant, maybe even better than expected. Despite playing under duress, Vandagriff led an offense that gained 7.2 yards per play. They were more explosive than they’ve been all season, with seven runs of 10+ yards and 11 passes of 15+ yards.

The young guns also popped with more playing time. Steven Soles had a QB hurry and a nice tackle on a screen pass. Terhyon Nichols made an excellent PBU on a third down. Jamarion Wilcox continued to show his potential as a big-play back with a team-high 82 yards on eight carries.

Heck, Kentucky even broke in a new punter. Aidan Laros‘ only kick went 58 yards and if the coverage located the ball, it might’ve been downed inside the 10-yard line.

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It wasn’t a squeaky clean performance that will delight every Monday Morning Quarterback, but Kentucky ran away with a big win when they really needed it before hitting the road to take on a top ten Ole Miss team.



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Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026

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Ohio high school girls basketball scores: Friday, Jan. 9, 2026


CLEVELAND, Ohio — OHSAA girls basketball scores from Friday in Ohio, as provided by The Associated Press.

Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard, Mich. 43, Notre Dame Academy 35

Baltimore Liberty Union 47, Cols. Hamilton Twp. 34

Berlin Center Western Reserve 68, N. Jackson Jackson-Milton 46

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Blanchester 40, Bethel-Tate 37

Chagrin Falls 37, Burton Berkshire 32

Circleville 62, Amanda-Clearcreek 40

Cle. Hay 88, Cle. Glenville 2

Cols. Centennial 78, Columbus International 50

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Cols. Linden-McKinley 54, Cols. Whetstone 28

Cols. Walnut Ridge 73, Cols. Marion-Franklin 12

Delaware Buckeye Valley 50, CSG 43

Delta 48, Bryan 44

Dublin Coffman 47, Cols. Upper Arlington 39

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Hilliard Darby 43, Thomas Worthington 32

Johnstown 47, Johnstown Northridge 41

Mason 54, Cin. Colerain 32

Newark 56, Ashville Teays Valley 42

Oak Harbor 52, Millbury Lake 31

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Ohio Deaf 50, Ky. School for the Deaf, Ky. 9

Pemberville Eastwood 65, Rossford 35

Pickerington North 41, New Albany 33

Springboro 66, Centerville 33

Stryker 54, Montpelier 20

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W. Chester Lakota W. 76, Fairfield 24

Wauseon 55, Swanton 13

Western Reserve Academy 65, Lawrenceville School, N.J. 33

Westerville Cent. 57, Grove City Cent. Crossing 20

Worthington Christian 57, Tree of Life 16

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Zanesville 58, Newark Licking Valley 40



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Ohio State students hone academic, business skills through study abroad programs

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Ohio State students hone academic, business skills through study abroad programs


Students across various majors at The Ohio State University recently gathered at the Fisher College of Business to discuss how study abroad opportunities have helped them hone skills that will benefit their studies and chosen career paths.

Fisher’s Office of Global Business and its Office of Advancement hosted the inaugural Global Experience Luncheon. The event was held at the Blackwell Inn on the Columbus campus.

The luncheon brought together alumni who have donated to study abroad programs with students who have participated in them, said Dominic DiCamillo, senior director of the Office of Global Business.

“We were excited to partner with Advancement for the first time to facilitate this type of personal connection. The families that have created these endowments, oftentimes, they hoped it would have some sort of positive impact,” he said. “This is the first time for them to hear firsthand from the students who recently participated.”

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Xin Lin, a third-year finance student, shared her experiences studying abroad in Hamburg, Germany, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. While in Germany in summer 2024, Lin completed the Fisher Freshman Global Lab with Professor Michael Knemeyer and studied at the Kühne Logistics University.

During Lin’s semester in Germany, her cohort toured the facilities of several international companies, including the Mercedes-Benz auto manufacturer, Seven Senders logistics enterprise, and Jack Wolfskin outdoor apparel.

“This was my first time being in Europe,” she said. “It was a really eye-opening experience and taught me to be curious about exploring other cultures, which is why I made the decision to study abroad in Chiang Mai, Thailand.”

This past summer in Chiang Mai, Lin completed the competitive Fisher Global Consulting: Nonprofit program, which is funded by an endowment established by Chris Connor, a 1978 Ohio State alumnus, and his wife, Sara. The participating students, called Connor Scholars, gain firsthand insights into the cultures and business practices of countries in developing regions worldwide.

“We were there for two weeks working on the sustainability and the marketing for the local elephant foundation, as well as to support the villagers,” she said. “And my team and I, we worked on the sustainability curriculum for the local school.”

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Lin said participating in study abroad programs sharpened her decision-making and problem-solving skills.

“Leveraging these experiences has strengthened my understanding of international business and macroeconomics,” she said. “Most importantly, it is the growth mindset and the endless learning that these experiences have taught me, and I’m really excited to be carrying these values into my future career and my academic journey.”

Jacob Brodson, a fourth-year marketing major, said participating in the Fisher Global Marketing Lab in Taiwan this past summer was “a transformational, life-changing trip.”

Jacob Brodson (center) said he met more than 25 Ohio State alumni in Taiwan.“If you can go to someplace that’s so fundamentally different from what we experience here on a day-to-day basis, you should absolutely take the opportunity to,” he said. “And Taiwan is that opportunity.”

Brodson said studying marketing and visiting 10 companies in Taiwan gave him a broader perspective on business practices in different countries.

“We went to TSMC, which is the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. That’s the 10th largest company in the world that you probably have never heard of, but they make all the phone and computer chips that are in your cellphones,” he said. “It was an unbelievable experience to see that.”

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Brodson and his classmates also toured a Kenda Tire facility.

“They actually do a lot of marketing at Ohio State sporting events because their U.S. headquarters is out in Reynoldsburg,” Brodson said. “We got to see their entire manufacturing plant in Taiwan.”

Brodson said he was pleasantly surprised to discover a Buckeye community overseas. He met more than 25 Ohio State alumni throughout Taiwan.

“We are halfway across the world and yet the most beautiful thing is that there are still reminders of home. We’re halfway across the country and there are still Buckeyes there,” he said. “That is one of the coolest things – seeing the Ohio State alumni and the fact that this Buckeye tradition transcends countries.”

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Northeast Ohio Weather: High wind, very warm, showers, and storms today

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Northeast Ohio Weather: High wind, very warm, showers, and storms today


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A powerful cold front will be tracking through today.

A second system impacts the area tomorrow.

It is very warm and very windy today. High temperatures forecast to be above 60 degrees in many towns before the cold front blows through.

Temperatures tumble through the 50s and into the 40s later this afternoon.

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We have showers and a few thunderstorms in the area. The risk of rain will end behind the front. A south wind shifts west and could gust over 45 mph at times today.

Colder and much less wind tonight with a mostly cloudy sky. Early morning temperatures tomorrow will be in the 30s.

The system tomorrow will track across the Great Lakes and will be centered north of us Saturday night.

Moisture gets drawn up from the south. Showers develop by afternoon.

The rain isn’t expected to be heavy with less than .25″ in the forecast. High temperatures make it into the 40s.

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Colder Saturday night and blustery. Southwest winds could gust to around 30 mph at times.

A window is there Sunday for snow showers and lake-effect.

It’ll be very windy on Sunday. West winds could gust over 45 mph at times. Afternoon temperatures around 30 degrees.



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