Kentucky vs. Akron: 3 Things 2 Watch 4

Kentucky was far from perfect in week two against EKU. The Wildcats get one final chance to clean up and execute before SEC play begins next week at Vanderbilt. Here’s what you need to keep your eye on Joe Moorhead brings the Akron Zips to Lexington for the first night game of the year at Kroger Field.

Kickoff: 7:30 pm EST
TV: ESPNU
Line: Kentucky -26, Total 48.5

1. Run the Damn Ball

Kentucky got Devin Leary from the transfer portal to let the ball fly down the field to its talented young wide receivers. It’s great to see the quarterback spin it, but it’s taken the super senior time to warm up the oven and get cooking. In the first halves of the first two games, more than 65% of the plays called by Liam Coen have been passes and Leary has only completed 22-of-45 attempts (48.8%).

How do you give the quarterback more time to get into a rhythm? Go to the ground. Ray Davis is averaging 7.7 yards per carry. The explosive running attack can keep Kentucky ahead of the chains and open up the play-action passing game, a strength of Leary’s game. The slow starts have been painful to watch for the BBN. Going to the ground is the best solution to the first half problem by adding more balance to the Kentucky offense.

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2. Get Kentucky Tight Ends Involved

The heralded group of young Kentucky wide receivers have brought fireworks through two weeks. The big play pop has been there, but the consistency has not. The Wildcats have dropped more than 14% of Leary’s passes, more than any other SEC team. They aren’t his only pass-catching options.

Kentucky tight ends have caught two passes in two weeks. Not great Bob.

This was supposed to be a team that targeted tight ends early and often, but they haven’t run enough plays to get the big guys targets. Why will this week be different? Offensive tempo was a topic of conversation throughout the week. Kentucky isn’t going to run a no-huddle offense, but Coen does believe they can play faster by limiting subs, providing more opportunities for the tight ends to get into the flow of the offense.

“I think staying in one personnel grouping maybe a little bit longer (can help),” Coen said this week. “We’re constantly trying to get people involved and mix personnels on almost every play. But that also slows down the operation. We can play tempo without going no-huddle by just staying in a personnel grouping for more than a play at a time and letting the guys settle in, letting them play a little bit more within that personnel grouping. That will also allow us to get more comfortable and play with a little more tempo.”

3. Avoid the Akron Turnover Tire

The Akron Zips have coughed up the ball a lot. Through two weeks they’ve committed six turnovers. Only five college football teams have committed more turnovers than the Zips. However, they’ve generated plenty of takeaways too, using a scoop-and-score in the final minute of the fourth quarter to defeat Morgan State last week. They celebrate by rocking a Turnover Tire. Let’s keep that tire in the box this Saturday at Kroger Field.

MACTI🛞N pic.twitter.com/Vzv6tJ0WEV

— #MACtion (@MACSports) September 9, 2023

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