‘We’re Close’: UK Working for Offensive Breakout
Mark Stoops understands the way fans felt leaving Kroger Field.
The result of the game was a 24-20 win over Eastern Michigan, but Kentucky sputtered offensively for much of the 60 minutes. That left a bit of an uninspired feeling last Saturday evening even though UK had moved to 4-1 (1-1 Southeastern Conference).
“You feel frustrated because offense is what everybody looks at,” Stoops said.
UK managed a season-low 228 yards on offense in the game, but found a way to win anyway. The Wildcats found a way because they had the better of the action in other facets.
“There’s three phases last time I checked and I thought again after watching the film that we played very good on defense and very good on special teams,” Stoops said.
That’s been the case for much of the season for UK’s defense and special teams. Kentucky ranks third nationally in rushing defense, trailing only perennial powerhouses Michigan and Alabama, in allowing 74.0 yards per game while forcing 11 turnovers, tied for 14th in the country.
Special teams excellence is harder to quantify with traditional statistics, but UK has indeed been excellent. With special teams coordinator Dean Hood leading the way, the Cats are eighth nationally according to ESPN’s Football Power Index in special teams efficiency.
This isn’t to say that UK’s offense hasn’t had its moments, but there are things to work on entering Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. matchup with Missouri.
“Offensively we’ll get it fixed, but you’re right, there’s no panic button,” Stoops said. “You just look at the things and get them fixed. Some are easy. Some are difficult.”
There are two things that stand out above all others, particularly after that EMU game.
“Need to be more physical, No. 1. No. 2, the execution part at times was good, we moved the ball, and at other times it wasn’t,” offensive coordinator Eddie Gran said. “They know that. They saw it. Had some great video of stuff we did at practice and what we didn’t do in the game. They understand that, and really it comes down to just being physical.”
The good news is Gran has seen UK play with the kind of physicality he’s demanding before.
“I thought we were really physical in the second half of the South Carolina game, and I thought we were physical in the Florida game,” Gran said. “I really did. You go against teams like that, and there’s going to be some good, bad and ugly always and there just wasn’t so many ugly.”
It’s that fact that makes Gran confident a breakout is forthcoming. He’s hoping Saturday is the time it happens.
“There’s no panic,” Gran said. “We’re close. We were close at this time last year and it all came together and so I’m excited about their response this week.”
Also working in UK’s favor is that one of the Cats’ best offensive efforts of a season ago came against this same Missouri team. In that game, Kentucky ran for 377 yards en route to a 35-21 road victory.
This season, the Tigers are 1-3 (0-2 SEC) and off to a start reminiscent of UK’s rough one a season ago. For that reason, the Cats are expecting a Missouri team ready to put it all on the line after its bye week.
“In situations like that, they’re going to rally and I guarantee you they’re going to play their rear end off,” Gran said. “We’re going to have to play a really good football game for us to do what we need to do. And again, it’s cliché and you guys don’t want to hear it, but this is about us on offense. Being physical, executing and doing our job. That’s what we have to do.”
UK’s mentality on defense will be much the same, though the Cats on that side of the ball have a unique challenge to cope with in facing Missouri.
“They’re certainly faster tempo wise,” defensive coordinator Matt House said. “They like to go fast. At times we’ve had them snap the ball at 31, 32 seconds when we do our report on the snap counts. A lot of the same run plays that we’ve seen, same pass plays. Just a different tempo.”
Along with that tempo, Stoops sees quality personnel.
“Their quarterback, (Drew) Lock, is as good as there is,” Stoops said. “It seems like we’ve been seeing a slew of good quarterbacks lately. He’s another one. He can make all the throws. And I think they have great speed at wide receiver. They have a young talented back, a sophomore back (Damarea Crockett). Both of their backs are very, very good. So they’re capable of breaking out at any time.”
Josh Allen and his fellow defenders will be working to prevent that breakout. Allen is tied for seventh nationally and tied for second in the SEC with 5.5 sacks, but Mizzou has allowed just four sacks on the season with Lock getting rid of the ball quickly.
“I just gotta get back there,” Allen said. “My mindset’s just to get back there. I don’t care who we play. If they’re running quick, I just gotta be quicker.”
If he does, UK’s defense could carry the Cats to victory again. If he doesn’t, maybe the offense will need to step up. Either the way, the goal is another victory, no matter how it feels or looks.
“There’s gonna be games when we’re going to have to outscore people, and heck, just look at the week before (against Florida),” Stoops said. “It should’ve been enough and defensively we didn’t get the stop. So we’re in this together. We know that in that building we’re all in this together.”
