After Georgia’s offense gashed his unit for another lopsided loss, Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White stood at the podium and delivered a familiar, tired message.
“We all signed up for this, and we’ve got to find a way to dig ourselves out,” White said. “All we can do is go back to work. It sounds really cliché, but I don’t know what else you can say.”
For a fanbase that has watched the defense crumble, the frustration is boiling over. They know exactly what else he could say: how about an explanation for why his defense can no longer execute the most basic fundamentals of the game?
A systemic failure to tackle
The most glaring issue is the defense’s inability to tackle. For three consecutive games after the season opener, Kentucky’s defense missed 14 tackles. This is not an anomaly; it’s a trend. It points to a systemic failure in coaching, practice, and player development. For a program built by Mark Stoops on the promise of physical, sound defense, this unit has lost its identity. It is no longer able to hold teams down and allow the offense to be slow and plodding. They must open it up, and yet they can't.
The play that summed it all up
The problems go beyond just tackling. One play against Georgia highlighted the schematic issues perfectly. On a critical third down, cornerback JQ Hardaway lined up a full 10 yards off the line of scrimmage, conceding an easy pitch-and-catch for a first down. There was zero resistance, gifting Georgia a fresh set of downs through bafflingly soft coverage. The Cats would go on to be steamrolled by Georgia.
"Grit" Is no longer enough
White compounded the frustration by praising his players for their "grit" and for not pointing fingers at each other. While admirable, that message now falls on deaf ears. Fans have watched this team win just one SEC game in the last two seasons. Patience has run out.
Excuses don’t win games in the SEC, and clichés don’t make tackles. Right now, Brad White and Mark Stoops sound like broken records, and with every repeated excuse, the trust of the fanbase erodes a little more.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion