Mark Stoops doubled down Monday, insisting he didn’t “regret” the overtime play calls that handed the ball twice to running back Dante Dowdell at the goal line in Kentucky's crushing 16-13 loss to Texas. But the numbers, and basic football logic, tell a different, frustrating story.
The numbers don't lie
Dowdell’s season stat line is dangerously deceptive. On paper, 274 yards on 67 carries looks respectable. But remove his single 79-yard touchdown run against Group of Five opponent Toledo in Week 1, and the harsh reality emerges: against everyone else, Dowdell has managed just 195 yards on 66 carries. That’s a paltry 2.95 yards per rush.
Worse yet, in five straight games against Power Five competition, he hasn't cracked 30 yards rushing once. Against Texas, he finished with 27 yards on 11 carries (2.5 YPC). In SEC play, he's averaging a sluggish 2.6 yards per carry.
That’s not a feature back; that’s a flashing warning light on the dashboard. Yet he still gets more and more opportunities.
Stubbornness over strategy?
Yet, with the game on the line in overtime, needing just two yards for a potential victory, Kentucky inexplicably gave Dowdell the ball on back-to-back plays straight up the gut. Both were stuffed. Stoops defended the calls, saying the team was “inches short.” But those inches are precisely what separate programs that win from those that consistently almost do. Right now, Kentucky lives on the wrong side of that inch, partly due to baffling personnel decisions.
Texas' strength is right up the middle, and they were handling that part of the run game all night. It was on the edges and cutbacks that they could find some room. A jet sweep wasn't needed but a qb boot especially on 4th after going right up the middle and seeing Texas sell out could have won it. Instead they called the same play again, and the same result happened.
Ignoring the alternative?
Meanwhile, Jason Patterson, whom Stoops has praised as “steady” and “hard-working,” remains largely a spectator in crucial moments. Patterson is averaging 4.9 yards per carry overall this season (103 yards on 21 carries) and a respectable 3.0 yards per carry in limited SEC action. His quickness and vision have flashed, offering a different dimension than Dowdell’s power approach that clearly isn't working with this offensive line and playcalling.
Kentucky desperately needs juice in its run game, especially in short-yardage. They need unpredictability. They need a back who can turn two yards into five, not one who consistently turns potential gains into minimal ones. Dowdell runs hard; no one questions his effort. But the production simply isn't there against quality opponents with this line. The longer Kentucky’s coaching staff stubbornly insists he is the answer in critical moments, the more they’ll keep tripping over their own predictable play-calling.
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