3 Kentucky Football Units that have Excelled Through 3 Games

The Kentucky offensive line leads the way for Seth McGowan, via Crawford Ifland, Kentucky Sports Radio

This Kentucky football team is far from perfect. There is plenty of room to grow, especially for Brad White’s defense, but there are three specific areas where the Wildcats have excelled through three games that deserve some praise.

Kentucky Special Teams are Exceptional

Mark Stoops likes to joke that we only talk about special teams when something bad happens. So far, that collective unit has been outstanding.

The Kentucky special teams unit ranks No. 8 nationally in SP+. Punter Aidan Laros ranks in the Top 25, averaging 44.7 yards per attempt, and that includes a shank against Ole Miss. Eight of his 14 punts have been downed inside the 20-yard line, and he has at least one 54+ yard punt in every game this season.

A year ago, Kentucky lost hidden yards by failing to field punts. Ty Bryant has eliminated that issue, and against Eastern Michigan, he had a 25-yard return that gave the offense a short field.

Alex Raynor left big shoes to fill as the most accurate kicker in program history. Knock on wood, but Jacob Kauwe has shouldered that responsibility well. The redshirt freshman has made all six of his field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder that banked in against EMU. Known for his big leg, distance was not a factor at all on his only 50+ yard attempt. I’m excited to see that distance tested over the final three-quarters of the season.

Kentucky is Throwing the Ball to the Tight Ends

What a wild time to be alive. We’ve been begging for it for years and it’s finally happening. Josh Kattus leads the team in receptions (8) and yards (112), while Willie Rodriguez has chipped in with five receptions for 68 yards. Kentucky needs reliable pass-catchers and the tight ends are delivering.

The Big Blue Wall Might Be Back

Offensive line play has been an issue for years. Kentucky invested in rebuilding the Big Blue Wall this offseason. So far, the rate of return is pretty darn good.

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Kentucky has allowed only three sacks in three games, and all of those were in the Ole Miss game. Zach Calzada took two hits against Toledo, but Cutter Boley was kept clean in week three.

When Jager Burton moved back to center, some worried snapping issues would arise. That has not been the case, with one exception. Boley bobbled a snap under center near the goal line a week ago.

The run game has been exceptional. Kentucky ranks No. 26 nationally in EPA (17.54) when they run the ball, and has a 46.7% rushing success rate. The Wildcats have the fourth-best rushing attack in the SEC, and they average 5.11 yards per carry. Seth McGowan currently leads the SEC in rushing touchdowns with 6.

Kentucky tried to rebuild the offensive line through the portal for the 2024 season, and it was a spectacular failure. This isn’t a deep unit and there’s a lot of football still to be played, but so far, so good.