Game report: Kentucky 35, Missouri 21

First quarter

The key: Kentucky junior running back Stanley “Boom” Williams gashed Mizzou’s makeshift defense for a 60-yard touchdown, the only first-quarter points. He left the game after a fumble on the next drive with a shoulder injury.

Second quarter

The key: Sophomore quarterback Drew Lock freelanced to stay alive as the pocket collapsed, then lobbed a gorgeous ball down the visiting sideline for a 27-yard touchdown to freshman wide receiver Dimetrios Mason. It was Mason’s first career score.

Third quarter

The key: Missouri trailed 21-7 at halftime but mounted a nice opening drive after receiving the second-half kickoff. Freshman kicker Tucker McCann blew a 24-yard field goal after the drive stalled, killing the Tigers’ momentum.

Fourth quarter

The key: Freshman running back Benny Snell Jr. opened the fourth quarter with an 18-yard touchdown, part of a 582-yard effort for Kentucky’s offense. Mizzou has allowed 500-plus yards in a program-record four consecutive games.

Offense

D-

Missouri’s first six drives all resulted in punts against a Kentucky defense that was giving up more than 32 points per game. Freshman Dimetrios Mason’s two-touchdown performance spares the offense from a failing grade.

Defense

F

Missouri gave up 377 yards rushing. That’s unacceptable. First-year head coach Barry Odom seemed to take control of that side of the ball, but it didn’t make much difference. Blame the absence of Michael Scherer, Terry Beckner Jr., John Gibson and Donavin Newsom if you want, but that wasn’t anywhere near SEC quality.

Special teams

D

Sophomore Corey Fatony was a touchback machine, freshman kicker Tucker McCann blew a 24-yard field goal and senior returner Chris Black averaged minus-5 yards on his first two returns. Redshirt freshman Johnathon Johnson’s 63-yard fourth quarter return set up a touchdown.

Coaching

F

The offense was ineffective, the defense remains a trainwreck and the substitution patterns are indecipherable. Burning a redshirt possibility for sophomore defensive end Nate Howard, who had knee surgery in the spring, for a handful of plays was curious as was the usage of junior safety Thomas Wilson.

Player of the game: Freshman running back Benny Snell Jr. carried the workload for Kentucky’s dominant offense with 38 carries for 192 yards and two touchdowns.

Reason to hope: There are four games left in the season and the last SEC win for Missouri came against South Carolina. Oh, and men’s basketball plays its first official exhibition next week?

Reason to mope: Missouri has lost 10 games in conference and appears to be regressing rapidly in addition to massive personnel attrition due to injuries.

Looking ahead: Missouri will try to snap a seven-game losing skid in true road games at 3 p.m. Saturday against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Game report: Kentucky 35, Missouri 21."