Football coaches usually hide behind clichés: “one game at a time,” “gotta execute,” “it starts up front.” Rarely do they say something so blunt it reveals the program’s biggest weakness.
Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan did just that. Boy did he ever.
“I think we’ve improved at the offensive line position, as long as we avoid obvious passing situations,” Hamdan said.
Why that’s a problem
That’s like saying your new boat is seaworthy, ready for the waves, as long as you leave it in the driveway. The offensive line’s most important job is protecting the quarterback when the defense knows a pass is coming. That is just basic offense. If you can’t do that, you aren’t improving and you won't win many football games.
The stats don’t lie
Through 2025, Kentucky’s offensive line has been a liability in non-play-action dropbacks as quarterbacks are consistently under siege. 13 sacks through 4 games, a little over 3 a game. While not terrible, 2 of those 4 have been against subpar competition.
Run blocking on 1st and 10 is fine. But winning football games requires converting 3rd-and-7 when the opponent brings heat. Kentucky just can not do that currently. In the 2 conference games they have played, they sit right around 35% conversion on 3rd downs. 3 out of 10 is not going to cut it in the SEC, especially when you are a team that wants to have 15 play drives.
Why Hamdan’s comment hurts
It admits weakness publicly, I mean every SEC defensive coordinator already knew the blueprint: force obvious passing downs with run blitz packages on first and second down. But to just come out and say, yeah we can't do drop back passing is astonishing.
It kills the confidence of your quarterbacks who read these quotes too. Trust in the line erodes when the OC waves a red flag.
And it also signals lack of development which as been a real issue for the offensive line since the passing of coach John Schlarman. True line improvement means thriving in difficult spots, not hiding from them.
The bigger picture
Kentucky can’t pretend this is progress. Until the offensive line holds up in the most pressure-packed situations, the entire offense will sputter. Hamdan’s honesty may be refreshing, but it’s also an admission that they just are not up to being a good football team.
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