Rapid Reaction: What we learned from South Alabama 21, Kentucky 45

South Alabama showed a lot of fight against a tough Kentucky team, but it was ultimately not enough to pull off the upset. It was a close one for three quarters, South Alabama even holding a 21-14 lead late in the second quarter. Things got out of hand in the second half, South Alabama unable to stop the assault from the Wildcats' stable of running backs.

Hollins held his own in a hostile environment

Jared Hollins, making his second career start in front of 61,127 at Kroger Field against a Kentucky team that downed a top-10 opponent in Texas A&M last week, performed admirably. He completed 23-of-43 passes for 266 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Jaguar run game could not get going with the team managing only 88 rushing yards. The defense stumbled against Kentucky's running backs, allowing 390 rushing yards with three different backs topping 100 — CJ Baxter (149), Jason Patterson (137) and Jovantae Barnes (100). Even though the pass rush only got home twice, the defense did restrict the Wildcats to 177 yards through the air. The teams broke even on turnovers with Hollins throwing the team's first interceptions of the season and the defense picking up two fumble recoveries.

The second quarter was electric

Hollins came out with a strong performance, showing serious poise and awareness throughout the game. Even though he gave up the team's first turnovers of the season, it is hard to be upset with the day he had. The offense through the second quarter really clicked, with the offensive line on several occasions giving Hollins a full 3-5 business days to make his play. The playcalling was balanced and aggressive. The Jaguars showed their fangs with some deep shots. Unfortunately, that success was stymied in the second half.

A tale of two halves

This game was a tale of two halves. South Alabama went into halftime after a defensive stop that held Kentucky to a field goal following an interception deep in Jaguar territory. It seemed like South Alabama had a real shot at knocking out the Wildcats at home. But the first Kentucky drive of the second half set the tone decisively — four plays, 75 yards, all on the ground, capped by a Jason Patterson 15-yard touchdown run. The aggression did not let up on the Jags' side, but Kentucky's halftime adjustments kept the Jaguars shut out through the final two quarters. The first real chance South Alabama had to cut into the 10-point deficit fell short when a Davis Little 50-yard field goal attempt missed.

There is life in this team

It never feels good to lose, especially by more than 20 points. A moral victory in a loss is still an L in the loss column. But there is life in this team, and there is clear growth heading into conference play. South Alabama hosts ULM on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. CT for homecoming.