Kentucky's Offense: A Look Back at 2022 and What's Ahead

235 days. 5,620 hours. The Cats won’t take the field for a real game until September 2 when Mark Stoops’ team takes on Ball State at Kroger Field.

Oh yeah, how have you been? It’s been a while. My KSR role somewhat changes during the offseason when I focus more on the business side of the brand and less time on the keyboard. Nick Roush and Adam Luckett are crushing football coverage and we appreciate you reading along. I will continue to write from time to time and do an occasional podcast or two. Let’s get started, shall we? 

A Look Back

Before we get to the road ahead and the positives from 2022, we have to take a hard look at some ugly numbers. Any way you try to dissect the season, the rationalization comes back to the Kentucky offense being disappointing. Hopes were high entering the fall. Will Levis surfaced as one of the NFL Draft’s darlings. Chris Rodriguez Jr. was on pace to break Benny Snell’s records and is an all-timer.

Levis battled injuries and spent far too much time dodging opposing pass rushers. He flashed at times. His talent is tremendous and undeniable, but he never really found his groove under Scangarello. In Levis’ defense, the signal caller was sacked 46 times. Forty-six. That ranks last in the SEC. That’s a pattern as you’ll read later. Rodriguez Jr. missed the first four games of the season due to a suspension and still came close to passing Snell. Both are Wildcat legends but didn’t live up to preseason billings due to circumstances out of their control. 

The BBN realized early on in 2022 that all NFL play callers are not the same. Rich Scangarello’s system sputtered and was a clunky mess. The slowest operation in college football failed to produce the important stuff, you know, like yards and points. 

The Cats finished 14^th or last in the SEC after averaging a lowly 20.4 points per outing. Kentucky also brought up the rear in the conference by accumulating 324.7 total yards per game. Both numbers were significant drop-offs from the Liam Coen-led operation from 2021. We’ll get back to him in a minute. 

The Big Blue Wall was reconstructed and struggled mightily early on. This mostly applied to the tackle position. Lineup adjustments were made which included Kenneth Horsey kicking out to the edge. Horsey battled but was out of position. His return for a super-senior year is a tremendous gain for Stoops. A late-season push brought on some positivity. This included the play of guard Jager Burton, tackle Jeremy Flax, and center Eli Cox. However, it just felt and looked different than past dominant groups. Kentucky is known for the big fellas up front and a smashing run game. That failed to surface in 2022. UK ran for 116 rush yards per contest. That number ranked an unfamiliar 13^th in the league. 

Now to the brightest side of things. Youthful pass catchers were plentiful in Lexington. Difference-making WRs Dane Key and Barion Brown brought on a fresh and exciting look. Both are true number-one options and will be fun to watch going forward. As good as that duo was, 2022 almost felt like both could have been much more influential. This was obvious on third downs; Kentucky gained just 90 first downs and was 34% on the money downs. 34% was, you guessed it, last in the SEC. Freshmen tight ends Jordan Dingle and Josh Kattus catapulted up the two-deep. Combined, the foursome racked up 114 catches, 1,492 yards, and 13 touchdowns. 

Where Do We Go from Here? 

The answer came via the Portal for players and play-caller. Kentucky landed a prized quarterback in Devin Leary. The former North Carolina State signal caller threw 35 touchdowns in his last full, healthy season. The Cats also grabbed Vanderbilt RB Ray Davis. The 1,000-yard rusher from Vanderbilt lit up Kentucky during Vandy’s upset win. Left tackle was a concern. That question was answered by signing 6’6, 310-pound lineman Marques Cox from Northern Illinois. Alabama lineman Tanner Bowles also fills a key need on the interior. In all, Stoops filled vital deficiencies via the Portal for the second consecutive year. 

Liam Coen’s return finally official

On Tuesday afternoon, the news that Liam Coen is returning to Kentucky finally became official. The former LA Rams coordinator comes back to Lexington after a year away in the pro league. Coen is a proven, SEC play-caller that combines innovation and physicality. He also proved to be an impactful recruiter. All traits that are coveted by Mark Stoops. Will the Leary-Coen combination produce a similar, fruitful marriage like the Levis-Coen connection? We’ll see, but I tend to say yes. Coen brings excitement or “Juice” as Mark Stoops says, back to the offense. 

What Does All This Mean? 

The statistical drop-off from Liam Coen to Rich Scangarello was staggeringly noticeable. From 2021 to 2022, Kentucky scored 12 fewer points and 99 fewer yards. The Cats’ Red Zone touchdown percentage dropped from 72.2% to 53.19%. Third-down conversions fell from 50.67% to 34%. This post isn’t to bash Scangarello or the 2022 offensive Wildcats. However, it has to be noted where Kentucky was during the Coen year and where this offense can be upon his return. Like I said earlier, Liam Coen brings juice back to the offense and program.