It appears that Terry Wilson’s season has come to an end. Kentucky’s junior quarterback was carted off the field after a horsecollar tackle last night, and a camera caught Wildcats HC Mark Stoops telling Eastern Michigan EC Chris Creighton that Wilson had suffered a season-ending injury.
"I had to get him a few snaps, my guy is out for the year."
Our cameras caught Coach Stoops saying this after the game. Looks like it may be Sawyer Smith's team. pic.twitter.com/D3e6ZMHyax
— Charlie Walter (@CharlieWalterTV) September 8, 2019
Kentucky has yet to release an official statement concerning Wilson, but Stoops’ words don’t bode well for the quarterback’s health. The horsecollar tackle looked pretty bad when it happened, and Wilson had to be carried to the sidelines.
Dangerous horse collar tackle against Terry Wilson. pic.twitter.com/Vsf8T4URJk
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) September 8, 2019
Once on the sidelines, he was helped to a cart and taken to the locker room for tests. Kentucky fans gave their starting quarterback a heartwarming sendoff though, letting him know that he was in their collective thoughts.
Crowd chanting Terry Wilson's name as he's carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/egXmDisN3r
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) September 8, 2019
Sawyer Smith came in and finished the game for the Wildcats, and he is likely to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. Smith completed five of nine passes for 76 yards and two touchdowns in Kentucky’s 38-17 win over Eastern Michigan.
Fortunately for the Wildcats, Smith has starting experience. The junior quarterback transferred in from Troy this offseason, and he spent most of 2018 as the Trojans’ starter. Smith completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 1,669 yards and tossed 14 touchdowns against six interceptions last season. However, he lost the starting quarterback job to Kaleb Barker and headed to Lexington as a result.
Wilson was in his second year as Kentucky’s starting quarterback. He completed over 67 percent of his passes for 1,889 yards and threw 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season. Wilson added over 500 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in leading Kentucky to a 10-3 season that included a bowl win against Penn State. It was the Wildcats’ first 10-win season since 1977.
Kentucky kicks off its SEC slate next week with a home game against Florida. The Gators had won an SEC record 31 straight games against the Wildcats before Kentucky finally broke the streak last season.
H/T CBS Sports and College Football Talk
