[GJEM]

Memphis, TN- It was really a game of missed opportunities for the Kentucky Wildcats a problem which has crippled this Wildcats team throughout the 2009 season.

Kentucky was forced to settle for a season high 5 Lones Seiber field goals. The senior impact kicker really became the Wildcats savior in their 23-21 victory over Southern Miss in the 2009 AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Seiber’s most dramatic Field Goal of the night came as the final seconds ticked off the clock and the Wildcats helpless to stop it due to not having any timeouts left. As the clock ticked under 15 seconds the Wildcats were still not set for the game winning field goal attempt but with just 8 seconds left the Wildcats got the play off and Lones Seiber banged through the hurried yet accurate 31-yard field goal that gave Coach Mitchell his first bowl win of his Kentucky tenure.

Kentucky’s defense never seemed to find the adjustment to stop Southern Miss’s half back screen as Martevious Young found Damion Fletcher 5 times for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns.

“I’ve never seen our defense get shredded like that off the same play over and over again,” said Coach Mitchell. “I kept waiting for our defense to make the adjustment and stop it since Southern Miss seemed to run on just about every pass play but they just never could, either they were that good at running it or we were just that bad at defending it. Then again I don’t blame Southern Miss for running it over and over it’s their job to execute and our job to stop it and well…we couldn’t, so why not torch us with it.”

Southern Miss’s senior linebacker Gerald McRath played out of his mind accounting for 20 tackles on the night and 1 tackle for a loss. Said Kentucky halfback Alfonso Smith, “I swear he was in on every single tackle, I really got tired of seeing him coming after me whether we were running up the middle or to the outside he always seemed to be there.”

Senior tailback Alfonso Smith continued to impress as Kentucky’s starting running back as he gained 178 yards on 31 carries and 1 touchdown. “I wish we had him next year,” said Coach Mitchell. “He really added a new dimension to our offense that we didn’t have before and it’s just a shame he was hurt at the beginning of the year or maybe we would’ve won another game or two. Don’t get me wrong I like Derrick Locke and I’ll think he’ll be able to step his game up next year but Smith just has that “it” factor when he’s in the game, like you know at anytime he could make a game changing play and it’s really comforting to have that type of player on the field for you.”

Coach Mitchell and the entire Kentucky Wildcats family really needed this bowl win to help solidify their choice in hiring Garrett Mitchell as Kentucky’s head football coach prior to the 2008 season which didn’t end so well as the Cats finished 5-7. So for the time being that hot Garrett Mitchell was seating in just a little bit cooler.