LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Devin Leary passed for four touchdowns, including two to Tayvion Robinson, as Kentucky scored four consecutive TDs to rally past and hold off Eastern Kentucky 28-17 on Saturday.
The Wildcats (2-0) entered as heavy favorites but spent much of an overcast day having to overcome their FCS neighbor. In fact, the Wildcats needed almost the entire first half just getting started offensively after having a blocked punt on the game’s opening possession and committing other mistakes including penalties, drops and turning it over on downs.
EKU turned that blocked punt from the 30 into a 7-0 lead as Parker McKinney dashed 14 yards for the touchdown.
Consecutive plays just before halftime changed Kentucky's momentum as Barion Brown returned a punt 36 yards to the EKU 24. Leary then found Robinson in the left corner of the end zone for the tying TD, and the Wildcats carried that rhythm well into the fourth quarter.
Robinson rallied the Wildcats again after Patrick Nation's 21-yard field goal put the Colonels up 10-7 coming out of the break. He caught a go-ahead 6-yard TD on the next drive, which followed his 25-yard reception and Brown's 26-yard reverse, then keyed Kentucky's next score with a 56-yard run, with a 15-yard horse-collar penalty tacked on.
Brown's 13-yard TD provided a 21-10 cushion that Kentucky needed as EKU closed within four on McKinney's 9-yard TD pass to Braedon Sloan. Davis' 24-yard TD catch-and-run with 8:08 remaining added insurance as the Wildcats improved to 6-0 against the Colonels.
Leary completed 23 of 37 for 243 yards as Kentucky outgained EKU (1-1) 414-311. Robinson caught five passes for 80, Brown added six for 51 and Davis rushed 12 times for 52 yards along with his TD catch.
McKinney completed 19 of 29 for 219 yards to surpass 10,000 career yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
Eastern Kentucky entered intent on pulling off an upset and seemed to keep Kentucky on its heels. The Colonels managed a TD off the blocked punt and stayed close in the second half but couldn't stop the Wildcats once they got going.
Kentucky couldn't get out of its own way on either side of the ball until late in the first half. Once the Wildcats broke through they couldn't be stopped as the speedy Robinson and Brown created big plays.
UP NEXT
Eastern Kentucky hosts Western Carolina on Saturday.
Kentucky hosts Akron on Saturday in its final nonleague game before opening Southeastern Conference play at Vanderbilt in two weeks.
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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
