Former head coach Mark Stoops always tried to downplay Week 1, saying, "There have been games we’ve had in here where we exploded in the first half and didn’t finish, and guys let their emotions get out of control, and things of that nature.” Kentucky beat Toledo by just one score in the opening game last season, leading to a terribly underwhelming season that saw Stoops go.
Now, bring in a brand new head coach, over 40 added players, and a completely different system on both sides of the ball, and CBS is buying into the hype that Kentucky may be in trouble against Youngstown State. Is this a nightmare?
Cody Nagle wrote that it would be a massive "buzzkill" if Youngstown State came in and ruined the Kentucky party in Week 1, but he also believes there is a real possibility of it actually happening. Nagle noted the Penguins return quarterback Beau Brungard, who won the Walter Payton Award, which is pretty much the FCS Heisman. Brungard threw for 3,234 yards and 26 touchdowns while rushing for 1,468 yards and 27 more scores on the ground.
Nagle closed out by reaffirming that Kentucky will have the talent edge, but that Youngstown State has a quarterback who can make them really uncomfortable if he gets hot. As all Kentucky fans know, dual-threat QB's have been a thorn in Kentucky's side going back to Dak Prescott.
Kentucky has a painful history with dual-threat signal callers
When Prescott and Mississippi State played Kentucky back in 2014, he put up 88 yards and two scores on the ground, adding 216 more yards and another touchdown through the air.
Fast forward a few years, and Lamar Jackson absolutely ripped the Cats apart. The future NFL MVP was 15-21 for 216 yards, 2 scores, and rushed for 156 more in 2017, leading Louisville to a 44-17 win. Then, perhaps the most damaging. Jalen Milroe came into Kroger Field and put up video-game numbers. Alabama's quarterback had three passing and three rushing touchdowns, combining for 270 yards on the day and only seven total incompletions.
Can defensive coordinator Jay Bateman finally break that curse, even if it happens to be on a smaller scale?
Jay Bateman must contain Kentucky's weakness
The top priority for Bateman's defense is going to be limiting Brungard to being either a rusher or a passer, and not letting him get free for big plays as a result of doing both.
Bateman, who is coming to Lexington from Texas A&M, is famous for utilizing an aggressive style of defensive play-calling. Putting pressure on Brungard may be the key to limiting him.
Breakout plays give a team hope and allow them to stay in a game. If Kentucky can't solve the Brungard problem, then CBS and Nagle may have a point. The Will Stein honeymoon would be over before SEC play even began.
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