Saturday's NCR Finals action gives us Kentucky looking for a repeat and Bowling Green trying to get back to the heights they hit in 2018.
Kentucky has been the #1 team in the SCRC all season and there didn't seem to be much doubt about that ... until the conference final.
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Limping somewhat out of their 8-7 win over Clemson, Kentucky exploded for 106 points in their first two NCR playoff games. Scoring 39 against UMass was most impressive given how the Minutemen were allowing about eight points per game. And early-on it looked like UMass might do it again, as they scored 10 points early and held Kentucky to just a penalty goal. But two Wildcat tries, one an interception thanks to Johnny Dardis and one from Abelardo Reza, made it 15-10 at halftime. With a lead going into halftime the Wildcats regathered their confidence and raced in four tries in the second half.
Head Coach Sam Enari called it a "C to C-minus performance. We were never scared of losing but I was very annoyed in the first half."
The second-half surge was thanks in part to a strong lineout and just a rise in intensity. Blaine Donlon, Joe Keough, Mike Punzalan, and Luke Keough scored the tries. Jack Phillips kicked nine points.
It was enough, but Enari said there needs to be a better showing for the final.
