3 things Kentucky football must do to get the train back on the tracks
What does the Kentucky football program need to do this season to get back on track?
Kentucky sits at 5-2 with 5 games remaining on the schedule. After the ugly victories — considering the competition — against Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, and Akron, the Wildcats got their first SEC victory against Vanderbilt and followed that up with their most impressive win of the season against the Florida Gators.
Since that win against Florida, Kentucky was dominated by the Georgia Bulldogs and lost to a Missouri team that the Wildcats dominated for most of the first half.
Kentucky’s win against Florida was certainly their best showing of the season and it may be the one game so far this year they can look to and use as a map to get the train back on track for the rest of the season. Here are three things the Wildcats must do to get the train and the tracks and keep it there.
1. Reduce the Penalties
According to cfbstats.com, Kentucky ranks last in the SEC in penalty yards a game with 68.4 and 13th in penalties a game with 7.7.
Self-imposed mistakes aren’t a trademark of Mark Stoop’s football teams at Kentucky, for comparison Kentucky was first in penalty yards per game during the 2022 season with 39.5 and 3rd in penalties per game with 5.7.
Several of these penalties have been personal fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct that occur after a play has ended, like the 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Zion Childress against Missouri, that moved the ball from the UK 32 to the 17 and led to a Missouri field goal. Kentucky must reduce the penalties and play more disciplined football to get this team back on track.
2. Don’t let up
This Wildcats team starts fast! Kentucky has outscored opponents112-75 during the first half of football games this season, it led 14-0 against Missouri at the end of the 1st quarter, before Missouri put up 17 points in the second quarter.
Georgia is the only team Kentucky failed to score more than a touchdown on in the first half this year. Kentucky must improve at making in-game adjustments to keep the momentum in their favor after halftime for the remainder of the season.
3. Offensive Balance
Ray Davis is a stud, the second-leading rusher in the SEC, but this offense lacks a passing game at the moment there is no balance. According to cfbstats.com, Kentucky ranks last in completion percentage per game with 54.1%, and 13th in yds/game with 196.7, as well as being in the bottom 4 in attempts, completions, and yards.
Kentucky averages 26.7 rush attempts a game while averaging 28 pass attempts, you couldn’t ask for a more balanced offensive attack than that but, there the percentage of incomplete passes is far too high.
The Wildcats must increase the percentage of completed passes. If teams don’t perceive Kentucky’s passing game as a threat and look at the offense as one-dimensional, they will start zeroing in more on Ray Davis, you’ll see the secondary start cheating up and the running game will die. Kentucky has to improve its passing game to improve this season.
Overall, I believe, the frustration from many fans this season stems from this being one of the most talented Kentucky football teams many of us have ever seen, and seeing silly mistakes cost them games. This year can still be a magical one for Kentucky, they have some cleaning up to do.
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