Kentucky Football’s Goals vs. Akron: It’s Time

I apologize for last week. I can equate my outlandish expectations and goals for the Cats against EKU with an all-you-can-eat buffet analogy. Sometimes when I visit an all-you-can-eat establishment, I tend to enter the restaurant hungry. That can be both good and bad. With eager eyes that outweigh my appetite, I fill my plate(s) with unconquerable portions. This results in uneaten food. That’s what happened with me vs. EKU. I will strive to not do that again.  

Akron is not a good football team. Coach Joe Moorhead, formerly the Mississippi State head coach, will bring his Zips to Kroger Field where the Wildcats won their opener by 30 before sluggishly slugging their way to a 28-14 victory over EKU. We could get into the opponent’s specific personnel situation, but there’s no point. Kentucky is the much better team with much better players. This game is all about Kentucky. In a way, the Cats will face themselves. A win is expected. But, will Mark Stoops’ team pass the aesthetic test prior to entering SEC play? Let’s get into it.  

OFFENSE 

Akron’s defensive goal will be to create havoc. That bold strategy can produce boom or bust results. UK needs more booms than busts. The good news is that the Cats finished the EKU game with a positive second half by scoring on three of four drives. The last series would have likely produced points. Mark Stoops ran the clock out instead of pushing for the end zone against the friendly foe and I don’t blame him.  

Kentucky is averaging 36 points per outing; but, it doesn’t feel like it. In fact, the Cats are averaging 7 yards per play, 5.3 yards per rush, and 270 pass yards per contest. The offensive line was a question mark entering the season after a down 2022. Numbers support improvement. UK is ranked third in the SEC after giving up just 7 tackles for loss. It is also listed second in the conference after allowing just two quarterback sacks. Both categories were awful a year ago.  

The issue, or problem, has been a lack of snaps which is the result of a two-fold difficulty. First is penalties. The Cats have been flagged 17 times for 121 yards. Many offenses have surfaced pre-snap and frequently on first down. Other infractions were on third-down conversion chances. There’s no way around it, unforced errors are an issue for this team. Effort penalties can be somewhat consumed. But not pre-snap lapses in judgment.  

The second contributor is third downs. The Kentucky offense is averaging 45% for the season which isn’t awful and ranked 8^th in the SEC. A 36.3% number vs. the Colonels a week ago is unacceptable. There was too much of a talent discrepancy. Conversely, the defense uncharacteristically ranks 14^th, or last, in the SEC after giving up 52% on the money down. All this adds up to a low number of offensive snaps per game (56 per contest). That number (56)  is last in the league and 127^th in the nation.  

The most important part of the Kentucky offense for Saturday is that Liam Coen will be on the sideline calling ball plays after experiencing a health scare. Sports are sports. Saturdays mean the world to many, but the reality is that a bunch of teenagers and men in their early twenties are playing a kid’s game in front of a large audience. Life is different and far more important. I’m just happy that Liam appears to be on the mend. Let’s get into goals.  

50% On Third Down

Let’s get back to basics here. Simple goal. Convert on at least half of third-down opportunities.  

Faster Start

A 20-3 first half vs. Ball State was a good start. 7-7 vs. EKU after the first and second quarters was not. Both contests featured a slow offensive performance prior to figuring things out in the third and fourth quarters. Quarterback Devin Leary’s second-half numbers vs. EKU were: 10/13, 198 yards, 3 TDs, 15.2 yards per attempt, 69.2% pass success, and 8 consecutive completions. Coen and Stoops need Leary to play in the first halves.

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DEFENSE  

Akron will feature up to three quarterbacks. Each has varying styles. The Zips also have a bunch of transfers who were brought in to make plays. But, reality states that Moorhead’s team lost to Temple 24-21 before topping Morgan State 24-21 at home a week ago. Akron is averaging 22.5 points and 275 total yards per game. That’s not great. A deeper dive shows the Wildcats’ opponent runs for 1.5 yards per carry and converts 30% on third down. Even with Moorhead’s creative play sheet, Akron has not exactly been an offensive juggernaut. Remember, it’s not personal, it’s personnel. In other words, Jimmies and Joes matter more than Xs and Os. That’s two football phrases I had to work into this article by the way.  

Kentucky has the personnel advantage in all three levels. But, the same could have been said vs. Ball State and EKU. It’s all about execution, juice, and communication for Brad White’s unit.  

The Cats are giving up a mind-blowing 52% on third down. This is an area that requires improvement. I said before the season that the 2023 defensive Cats could be better than the 2022 version that finished second behind Georgia, but the numbers may not reflect the situation. I was mainly referring to SEC competition, not against non-Power 5 foes. However, with White and Stoops overseeing the defense, my level of concern has yet to rise. So, let’s get into defensive goals.  

40% Or Lower On Third Down

This is not a lofty goal. Last year’s defense allowed a mere 33% on the money down. 40% is not asking for much against a MAC opponent that averages 30% on third down. Just show improvement, please.   

Defend Passes

“Passes Defended” statistical category that is formulated by adding pass breakups (PBU) and interceptions (INT). Currently, the Cats are ranked 14^th or last in the SEC in this category with 3 or 1.5 per game. For context purposes, Mississippi State leads the way with 14. Last year’s defense averaged over 4 per contest. Akron throws for 275 yards per contest and just 39 on the ground. Thus, the Zips will be pass-heavy on Saturday which could present plentiful opportunities for “Passes Defended.” The goal here is 4; just get back to last year’s average, please.  

SPECIAL TEAMS  

The Cumberland High School (which is no more) signal to run the same play was the coach pointing his index finger to his opposite palm. We did that quite a bit by the way. I’m sending that signal from Versailles to the Kentucky special teams for Saturday’s matchup.  

Kickoff specialist Chance Poore is a weapon. He’s a perfect 13/13 on kickoff to touchback ratio for the season. Punter Wilson Berry is averaging is averaging 50.1-yards per boot. Kicker Alex Raynor is 3/3 on FGs and 9/9 on PATs. Barion Brown has a kickoff return for a score and averaging 45.7 yards on KO returns and 23.5 on punts. Snaps and holds have been solid. A blocked punt is the only major third-phase error for the season. Goal is simple.  

Index Finger to Palm

See above.  

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?  

I’m finished with outlandish expectations and game goals. I’ve shifted my expectations that a win is a win. But, I’ve also been waiting for more from this team. My eccentric prognostications are mainly a derivative of a long and arduous offseason that is filled with talking and unrealistic ambitions. Remember the appetite is bigger than the plate analogy? Yeah, mirror time. That’s me.  

So, I just want to see a win. I would also like to feel better about the Wildcats prior to entering SEC play against Vanderbilt. There are no more excuses. Quarterback Devin Leary’s absence from game action since last October is no longer a reason for slow starts. The defense’s inability to get off the field can longer be blamed on new players at new spots. I wrote this earlier and it still applies today, “It’s time.”  

It’s time for Kentucky to play a complete and complementary game in all three phases. It’s time for UK’s stars to be stars for four quarters. It’s time to figure out what’s working or not before going forward against league competition. I’ll say it again, it’s time.

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