For four quarters, Hunter was a human hurricane at his right defensive end spot. He swatted passes at the line of scrimmage, knifed into the backfield to drop Wildcat ball carriers for losses and generally made life miserable for left tackle Darrian Miller.
He knocked down three passes at the line of scrimmage, single-handedly eliminating Kentucky slant patterns and screens. After awhile, the Wildcats simply stopped running plays to his side. Even then, the speedy Hunter would run down unsuspecting Wildcat ballcarriers from behind. And when he wasn't making the play himself, he was creating opportunities for teammates by disrupting UK's blocking schemes.
It all made for a long Louisiana Saturday night for Miller, who was left alone to try to block Hunter one-on-one.
Hunter's final stats: six tackles; two tackles for losses; three pass break-ups; and two quarterback hurries. And his numbers were even more impressive when you consider he rotated liberally throughout the game with backup end Tashawn Bower.
Hunter's biggest play, however, did not come as a pass rusher. It came in the unlikely role of run stuffer. With Kentucky trailing just 17-3 lead in the second quarter and facing a fourth-and-2 at the Tigers' 29-yard line, Hunter knifed into the Kentucky backfield and hammered JoJo Kemp for a 2-yard loss.
Hunter's hit literally was a game-changer. Kentucky never threatened again. In fact, the Wildcats mustered just one first down on their ensuing five possessions as LSU steadily, inexorably pulled away.
"I thought that was the turning the point," Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said. "Things broke open from there."
