Photo by UK Athletics
Photo by UK Athletics
The Kentucky football team went through every kind of hardship in 2020. Two days into the New Year the Wildcats closed the season with a hard-fought TaxSlayer Gator Bowl win. In a year where feel-good moments were few and far-between, a victory over a Top 25 team in a Florida bowl game was the happy ending Kentucky needed.
“It feels great,” said senior running back AJ Rose. “I mean, it’s unfortunate that the season’s over, but it feels good to end on that win, how we did, getting that bowl win for this community and for the school. It’s been a long year, a tough year with most of these COVID restrictions and everything that’s going around, but I feel like we managed it and we did a great job keeping players safe and keeping everyone that was around us safe.”
Every team dealt with COVID restrictions. The Wildcats experienced so much more emotional angst. They watched a medical emergency force their teammate, Chris Oats, into a wheelchair. Months later their offensive line coach, the Great American John Schlarman, lost his battle with cancer. Not a day went by without either on the their mind.
“It was really emotional because everybody knows it’s been a pretty rough season for us. We’ve had our ups and downs, Chris [Oats], Coach Schlarman, everything, so it’s definitely something for the younger guys to keep going basically moving forward,” said linebacker Jamin Davis.
“John was definitely looking down on us. Coach Schlar definitely inspired us all,” said Rose. “It was a great way to end, if this was my last game. I’m definitely blessed to be here and participate in this bowl game again. My first bowl game (was) here, we lost, but it was a different outcome this time. (The) offensive line did a great job today. They was moving people all around all day. Give credit to all five of those guys.”
With the help of the Big Blue Wall, Rose had one of the best games of his career. The fifth-year senior from Cleveland rushed for 148 yards on 12 attempts to earn Gator Bowl MVP honors. An imperfect career, his ups and downs weren’t so different than this team’s, ultimately ending with the highest of highs.
“It was really big and I was really happy for him,” said head coach Mark Stoops. “I’m really proud of A.J. Just like a lot of our players, if you’re around here for four years, for five years, you’re going to go through some ups and some downs. He certainly has, but he’s been there. He’s been consistent, he has a wonderful family and he was the MVP of the game this afternoon. (I’m) just really happy for him, really proud of him. He’s been here for a long time and he’s helped us win a lot of games. Again, you’re going to get criticism, you’re going to get people coming at you and talking about other people, but he just kind of always stuck to himself and worried about his game and his self, and happy that he went out that way.”
The season has come to an end. The future will look much different with Liam Coen running the show as the Wildcats’ offensive coordinator. Before they turn the page and start the next chapter of the Mark Stoops era, Kentucky’s head coach was relieved and pleased to put a proper bow on the end of 2020.
“We’re going to say goodbye to 2020 today. It’s on to the future,” Stoops said. “I really greatly appreciate the win, but also very excited about the future of Kentucky football. We’ll address that when I get back in January. I need a few days off.”
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January 03, 2021 at 07:00AM
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Kentucky's Emotional Football Season gets a Much-Needed Happy Ending - kentuckysportsradio.com
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