Wildcats in wild triumph

PENN State quarterback Trace McSorley looks for a receiver against Kentucky during the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game on Tuesday in Florida. AP

ORLANDO, Florida — Winning 10 games, beating Penn State on New Year’s Day and finishing in the Top 20 is no small deal for the Kentucky Wildcats.

So, when Mark Stoops took a seat on the podium flanked by linebacker Josh Allen and running back Benny Snell Jr. after Tuesday’s 27-24 victory in the Citrus Bowl, the coach understandably was beyond excited.

“It was extremely important to this team, to all of us, to come home with some hardware, to come home with a trophy,” Stoops said.

Snell ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns to become Kentucky’s career rushing leader and helped the 16th-ranked Wildcats end their best season in more than four decades on a winning note.

“There’s no question that these guys changed the culture,” Stoops said. “They’ve done so much and meant so much to this team and this program that it was very important to finish, to collect the trophy, win 10 games and win a game on New Year’s Day. Believe me, we had a great belief that we didn’t have to do anything special (to win), just be us.”

Snell scored on runs of 2 and 12 yards in the second half, then carried for a couple of crucial first downs to help Kentucky (10-3) run out the clock after Penn State’s Trace McSorley trimmed a 27-7 deficit to three points despite playing with a foot injury.

McSorley threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions’ career passing and wins leader also rushed for a team-high 75 yards and one TD.