Kentucky Offensive Stats are all over the place

Statistics do not paint a complete, clear picture of what a team is or isn’t. In the case of the Kentucky offense, one thing is clear: inconsistency reigns supreme.

The Good

Will Levis is the epicenter of hot takes. Outsiders in the college football national media simply can’t comprehend the NFL hype for a Kentucky quarterback that is not throwing for 400 yards and four touchdowns a game. Despite his mistakes, Levis is posting eye-opening numbers through the first five weeks of the season.

• QB Rating: 174.92, No. 9 FBS, No. 2 SEC
• Yards per Attempt: 10.0, No. 7 FBS, No. 2 SEC
• Passing Yards: 1,405, No. 21 FBS, No. 3 SEC
• Passes of 40+ Yards: 8, No. 2 in FBS & SEC
• Passes of 50+ Yards: 5, No. 2 in FBS & SEC

Will Levis has been incredibly productive, and he’s spreading the ball to multiple targets. Tayvion Robinson is second in the SEC in receiving with 365 yards, while Barion Brown and Dane Key also rank in the Top 20 in the conference, combining to catch eight touchdowns this fall.

The Bad

Will Levis’ success has come at a cost. The Kentucky offense has been explosive, both positively and negatively, handicapping the Kentucky rushing attack.

• Sacks Allowed: 19, No. 127 FBS, No. 14 SEC
• Tackles for Loss Allowed: 34, No. 110 FBS, No. 13 SEC
• Rushing Yards per Game: 86.8, No. 124 FBS, No. 14 SEC
• Rushing Yards per Carry: 2.52, No. 129 FBS, No. 14 SEC

Levis’ explosiveness and efficiency has bailed them out on third and longs. The Wildcats still rank in the top 30 nationally on third down conversations. The story of the season is in the red zone. Kentucky had three scoring opportunities on its final three drives at Ole Miss and came away with zero points.

• Red Zone Scoring: 77.27%, No. 93 FBS, No. 13 SEC
• Red Zone Touchdowns: 54.55%, No. 97, No. 14 SEC

What Does This Mean for the Kentucky Offense

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? The latter attributes Kentucky’s Top 25 ranking in the AP Poll to an outstanding defense and an offense that can only score on big plays. An optimist sees flashes of greatness from the Kentucky offense. In 2021, Liam Coen did not discover the right recipe with Will Levis until week six. If the Wildcats mitigate back-breaking mistakes, Rich Scangarello’s offense has all of the right pieces to be successful this fall.