Wrap up and pile on.Whether we’re talking about the actual improvements the Kentucky football defense needs to make in its tackling technique or the growing criticism of UK’s missed tackles through the first two weeks of the season, it’s all relevant.In wins over Louisville and Western Kentucky, the most glaring concern surrounding UK (2-0) is its inability to tackle consistently. The Wildcat defense has allowed an average of 188.5 yards in its first two games with a pair of explosive Akron runners headed to Commonwealth Stadium this week.”We’re not wrapping up,” head coach Joker Phillips said. “We’re hitting way too high. Guys are carrying us for extra yardage.”In the 63-28 rout of Western Kentucky, tailback Bobby Rainey scampered for 184 yards and two touchdowns. Enter Akron (0-2), which had a pair of running backs, Nate Burney and Alex Allen, each run for 100 yards last week.”They’ll be a big test for us,” Phillips said. “They know how to run the football.”Will the Cats learn how to stop it this weekend before opening up Southeastern Conference play?The first solution in solving the issue is identifying the problem. Phillips has pointed to over-pursuit and a lack of group tackling.”We can’t run under blocks,” Phillips said. “We run under a block on the perimeter and a guy goes 59 yards untouched. We can’t do that. (We have) got to force the ball back to the pursuit. We go around, under a block, he gets out. Those things can’t happen.”  When a UK defensive player is getting to the ball, too much watching is going on. Sophomore defensive end Collins Ukwu said he and his teammates need to break the mentality that one player is going to bring a player down.”It’s wrapping up and getting everybody to the football and not thinking one person is going to take this running back down or this quarterback,” Ukwu said. “Everybody should be there.”The solution is gang tackling.”Today’s backs are squatty (and) thick legged,” Phillips said. “It’s hard to get your arms around them sometimes.  We’ve got to gang tackle once we get them wrapped up.”Defensive coordinator Steve Brown stressed patience with his defense after Saturday’s game, pointing to the experience and leadership UK had to replace from last season. In order for Kentucky to make up for the losses of key players like Micah Johnson, Trevard Lindley and Sam Maxwell, leaders like defensive linemen Ricky Lumpkin and DeQuin Evans are going to have to step up.Unfortunately for UK, at least so far, the duo has combined for only three tackles. Phillips did not seem concerned about their lack of statistics at his weekly news conference Monday.”They’re not doing anything different,” Phillips said. “Defensive linemen do not make a lot of tackles.  Corey Peters had something like 56 tackles last year. Defensive linemen just don’t make a lot of tackles.”Phillips has been pleased with Lumpkin’s ability to fill gaps, but he would like to see more from Evans, a Kentucky defensive captain who has yet to register a tackle this year.”He’s not getting any more attention (by the offense),” Phillips said. “He’s doing his job. He’s doing his job by turning plays in when he needs to. He hasn’t been out of place.  He just hasn’t made as many plays.”The defense has played well in spurts. With the exception of a handful of big plays against Louisville, UK held the U of L offense in check for most of the day. In the second quarter against WKU, the Hilltoppers mustered just two yards of total offense. And, after holding Western Kentucky quarterback Kawaun Jakes to 95 passing yards Saturday, the Kentucky defense is holding opponents to an average of 112.0 yards per game, second in the SEC.”I thought we smothered them after the first series in the first half,” Phillips said. “As I went and looked at the game, they were going backwards, which is what you want your defense to do to an offensive team.”The key going forward, Phillips said, is gaining consistency, as the Cats have let up in the second half in both of its early season victories.”I think we’re playing dominant defense up until the second half,” Phillips said. “I think our kids relaxed. That cannot happen. … Those are the things that are discouraging that our guys are relaxing. That’s the thing we talked about at halftime:  Let’s show how mature this football team has become in a week. We let up. We didn’t keep the pressure on.”