Chad Ochocinco Johnson has thoughts on Kentucky's playcalling after attending Texas game

Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson knows a thing or two about football, having played 11 seasons in the NFL. He had a front-row seat to Kentucky’s overtime loss to Texas, and even though he was all-in on the Cats, vowing to storm the field if they won, he couldn’t help but criticize the offense afterward, specifically Bush Hamdan’s playcalling.

Late Saturday night, Ochocinco went live with Shannon Sharpe and Johnny Manziel on “Nightcap” on YouTube to recap the day’s games. When they got to Kentucky vs. No. 21 Texas, he took the floor to talk about his experience in Lexington. He came to town to visit his daughter, Cha’iel Johnson, a sophomore on the track team, and asked Mitch Barnhart, who was the athletic director at Oregon State while Johnson was on the Beavers’ football team, and Rock Oliver, Johnson’s strength and conditioning coach with the Cincinnati Bengals, to put him in the student section instead of the suite so he could get the full experience.

“So they put me down there, and watching the game, for me, Kentucky, as many yards as they did have, Johnny, they couldn’t score. They couldn’t put themselves in position to get field goals.

“If you’re not going to score, and defense was playing well enough to where you should have won this game, this is the game that you should have won. This is the game that you should have won. You should have had more opportunities to do some of the things that Texas couldn’t.”

Kentucky outgained Texas 395 yards to 179, totaled 26 first downs to the Longhorns’ 8, and doubled the time of possession (39:23 to 20:37). Still, the Cats lost. Kentucky’s offense looked better than it has all season, but it didn’t show up on the scoreboard, which is what matters most. As an outsider, Johnson noted how conservative the playcalling was, even with a monumental upset on the line.

“Today looked much better than what people thought it would have been because there was a chance. UK had a chance to win this game. They just couldn’t put the ball in position to score. Maybe if you can’t get a touchdown, get three [points]. They could barely get past the 50. Barely.

“And to me, I just kept seeing, they kept running the same play. Draw, draw, draw. I’m like, it’s the same thing over and over. No plays downfield. I saw a few dig routes and a few flat routes but there was really no creativity to the offense.

“Obviously, you are playing against a very good Texas team, so I kind of understand, you don’t want to put your young quarterback in harm’s way, and make sure your decision making is good and you don’t want to put too much on the plate, but a game like this? Man, you throw everything you’ve got, plus the kitchen sink.”

“Draw, draw, draw … it’s the same thing over and over” – @ochocinco

Ocho went on @NightcapShow_ with Shannon Sharpe & Johnny Football to discuss his experience at Kroger Field Saturday Night

He was very confused and upset with the offensive play calling 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Uz7hOlsbBX

— Blue Chips Media (@BlueChipsBBN) October 20, 2025

“They’re chanting, ‘Fire Stoops, Fire Stoops'”

Johnson also got a first-hand look at the fanbase’s fatigue with Mark Stoops. Texas’ field goal to win it in overtime was salt in the wound. Kentucky’s last win vs. a Power Four opponent at home was September 30, 2023, over 750 days ago. Johnson said he came into the game giving Stoops the benefit of the doubt, but after witnessing the loss firsthand, kind of gets it.

“To me, offensively — in a sense, I’m trying not to say anything too bad at Mr. Stoops because they had the whole crowd, I’m not sure what’s going on, it’s my first time being at a game, but everybody, they’re chanting, ‘Fire Stoops. Fire Stoops.’ I’m like, *******. What did he do wrong? But then I watch how they play offensively, and what they were doing, where at times, they couldn’t get it past midfield.”

That led to a lengthy debate about Stoops, with Shannon Sharpe arguing that Stoops has done a great job with what he’s been given at Kentucky, traditionally a place where no one succeeds, and Johnny Manziel, a Texas A&M legend, mentioning the backlash when it looked like the Aggies were going to hire Stoops in 2023.

“Look, we, at one point in time through our coaching search after Jimbo [Fisher], tried to hire Mark Stoops and College Station almost burnt to the ground. So, I don’t know what it is about him or what people think about him.

“I respect him. I played against him. He was at OU whenever I was playing against him. I think he’s a good coach. I think he’s doing the most with what he has at Kentucky and that’s what you have to give him credit for. But today, in this setting, in this game, this is one you’ve got to go reach out and grab and find a way to win.”

Can’t argue with that. Check out the entire segment below.