Larry Warford named Lineman of the Week

It’s no surprise that Kentucky’s offense was thundering in Saturday’s 47-14 win over Kent State with beasts like senior Larry Warford on the offensive line. The Cats 47 points and 539 total yards of offense were the biggest numbers they’ve put up in a couple years, and Warford played a big role in their constant advance. He’s been named the SEC’s Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week alongside A.J. Hawkins of Ole Miss.

Warford may be accustomed to SEC honors, but most of his Wildcat teammates are not. And anytime a Kentucky player is recognized in the best football conference in the world, it’s an important step forward. Offensive lineman don’t get the glory and the buzz currently surrounding quarterback Max Smith. But without the line, there would be no quarterback left, merely a blue smear on the field. Warford’s numbers for Saturday’s game came out to 91.7% with 8 knockdowns and no sacks allowed.

Many though, myself included, that Kentucky’s offensive line was going to be too weak to compete outside of Warford and Matt Smith. The opposite has been true so far, with Kentucky’s offense rolling and the defense stumbling. Warford’s weekly honor wasn’t a surprising result nor an unusual award for him individually, but it’s an important one for the offensive line as a whole. If they continue to improve and work cohesively as a unit, the Cats’ offensive potential is limitless.

The pieces are starting to come together when the ball’s in hand, and it’s all coming together behind guys like Larry Warford.