Kentucky Defense Preparing for Pavia, Vanderbilt
The Kentucky defense has found its footing late in the season. The Cats have allowed 10 or fewer points in the last three games, which has helped to produce a three-game winning streak.
Following Wednesday’s practice, defensive coordinator Brad White talked about his unit’s work ethic and how it is paying off late in the season.
“I like how they practice, I like how they prep, I like how they care about each other,” White said. “That’s a big deal for me. How you go about your business is going to show up on Saturday and you can feel it during the week.”
White likes the makeup of his group and how they continue to play for each other.
“We talk about the word character and then competitive toughness,” White said. “It’s what I think these guys have. You get to the end of the season and guys are having to grind through bumps and bruises but instead of dwelling on it or feeling sorry for themselves they look to the guy next to them and say, man, I’ve got to do it for him.”
This weekend, White and the UK defense face a big challenge in Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. The Commodores are 8-2 this season, largely due to Pavia and the Vandy offense. White knows that the UK defense will need to do their best to contain Pavia.
“It adds an extra dimension, as soon as you get a mobile quarterback and someone as mobile as he is,” White said. “He’s built sturdy. It’s not just that he’s athletic, but he’s hard to tackle and he’ll try to run you over.”
So how do the Cats go about trying to stop Pavia?
“He presents all kinds of issues that you have to now account for and you have to rush smart,” White said. “There’s that fine line between rush and rush smart and still having to pass rush with some pace and aggression. He’s going to make some plays. What you have to do is try to limit some of the major ones.”
The Cats have played their best as the season has progressed and White likes how they continue to prepare and play for each other. This weekend, Kentucky will face yet another challenge in Pavia and the Vanderbilt offense. The Cats will look to contain Pavia and continue their late-season surge.
