Kentucky football has 'Boom' Williams back

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Kentucky football team's offensive coaches came off the practice field Tuesday evening encouraged by what they described as an energetic day's work. Freshman tailback Stanley "Boom" Williams had a lot to do with that.

He was back breaking big plays after being sidelined for the Wildcats' last game against No. 1 Mississippi State thanks to a concussion he suffered the week before at LSU. Offensive coordinator Neal Brown on Tuesday finally specified Williams' previously unnamed head injury but said, barring a setback this week, "he'll play" Saturday at Missouri.

Everyone involved is excited about Kentucky (5-3, 2-3 SEC) getting back its leader in all-purpose yards and one of the best breakaway threats in the country.

"It gives them a big lift. You saw what his lack of presence did to us last week," running backs coach Chad Scott said. "Just seeing those guys rally around him today, seeing him go out and make plays today, it's like it gives those other guys confidence. He was back there doing things that are just Boom being Boom."

Williams has only played in six games this season but has 222 yards rushing, 90 receiving and 240 returning kickoffs. He averages 7.4 per carry, 11.2 per reception and 30 per return, and he has scored three touchdowns. The UK freshman and Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, a Heisman candidate, are the only players in the country with a reception of 25-plus yards, a run of 50-plus and a kick return of 75-plus.

"It helps us" getting Williams back, Brown said. "He's a guy that we can get in space. I think he's eager to get back on the field. I don't think he played his best game against LSU — he realizes that — and he'll add a spark to us for sure."

The Cats' running game certainly needs it. While there are four talented tailbacks, all former four-star recruits who've rushed for at least 200 yards this season, the ground game has bogged down in some big games. Not counting dual-threat quarterback Patrick Towles, UK has rushed for a combined 141 yards — on just 2.7 yards per carry — in its three losses.

"Getting Boom back opens up the playbook more, spreads out a defense more, because Boom is more of a scat and a swing and a spacey type of guy," said fellow freshman Mikel Horton, a 230-pound bruiser of a back the coaching staff has vowed to give more carries even after a fumble last. "We need that to open up the run game. Boom is a factor in our running back group because he's the type of guy who can go out and catch the ball outside the hashes and make people miss, which makes the defense spread out.

"That's going to help our inside game — for me, Braylon (Heard) and Jojo (Kemp) — be even better."

Towles, who would be Kentucky's leading rusher if sacks weren't counted against his total, is perhaps happiest of all to have Williams back. The QB had 17 true rushes against Mississippi State and will welcome some help.

"It's huge. Huge," Towles said. "He's quick. Y'all saw against Florida what kind of burst he has, so it'll be great getting him back."

But Williams won't be the salvation of the Cats' rushing attack, which has been feast or famine this season. They've averaged 204.8 yards on the ground in five wins.

"If you can run the ball, you kind of break a defense's will," offensive lineman Ramsey Meyers said. "They realize it's about to be a fight the whole game. So if you can establish that early, it's a very important thing.

Brown knows he has a role in setting that tone and not letting his Air Raid offense get overly pass happy.

"I've got to give them more opportunities," the coordinator said, noting that tailbacks only carried it nine times last week. "That's on me. When we get those opportunities, I think we've got to run through some tackles. And we've got to hold onto the ball. On those nine carries, two of them we're on the ground.

"So I think it's two-fold. I've got to give them more carries to get them in the flow. I think running back is a lot like a guy that shoots a lot in basketball. You can't just go out there and give a shooter a couple shots. You've got to get him open, and we've got to do the same thing. We've got to feed the running backs and get them in a rhythm."

Then it's up to the guy with the ball tucked in his arm, and that's why the Cats are happy Boom is back.

Kyle Tucker can be reached at (502) 582-4361. Follow him on Twitter @KyleTucker_CJ.