Kentucky vs. Missouri After Action Review

An After Action Review, or AAR for short, is a military process used to analyze what happened, why it happened, and how it can be done better. Thanks to our friends at the Kentucky Army National Guard, KSR applies that concept to analyze how the Wildcats fared against its most recent opponent. Here is the breakdown of pregame goals pared against results vs. the Missouri Tigers.

KENTUCKY OFFENSE

The “New Kentucky” reverted back to old Kentucky ways by controlling the Tigers on the ground. The Kentucky offense line smacked Mizzou in the mouth and maintained dominance for four quarters. UK ran the football 52 times for 340 yards. It also scored four touchdowns on the ground. Missouri’s intent was to force the issue across the line of scrimmage. That didn’t happen. The Cats made the Tigers pay for stacking the box on its way to score 35 points. Kentucky continued to be turnover prone after losing a critical Rodriguez Jr. fumble in the end zone and a Will Levis tipped pass that resulted in an interception. Coordinator Liam Coen displayed the aptitude to stick with the run after the ‘Cats gashed Mizzou for 6.5 yards per carry. Chris Rodriguez Jr. was forceful after rushing for 206 yards on 27 carries.

Quarterback Will Levis didn’t have eye-popping passing numbers. But, the Wildcat signal caller dialed up explosive plays at critical junctures of the football game. His willingness to physically run the football in order to extend drives was yet another manner in which the quarterback has won over the hearts and minds of the Big Blue Nation, as well as his teammates. Wan’Dale Robinson was spectacular. His three carries for 73-yards displayed a characteristic of Coen’s scheme that UK didn’t show against ULM. Robinson also led the Cats with five catches for 101 yards. Here are pregame goals for the Wildcat offense:

Stay Balanced-The goal here was to maintain a 55/45 run-to-pass ratio. Coen’s rushing attack was potent and the coordinator stuck with the hot hand of Chris Rodriguez Jr. UK executed 52 carries compared to 18 attempted passes. The 74.2/25.7 run-pass ratio proved to be a winning combination.

Protect Will Levis-Missouri entered Saturday night’s matchup leading the nation in QB sacks after recording nine against Central Michigan. The goal was to allow three or fewer sacks. Kentucky achieved this objective after giving up two. Will Levis was key by escaping traffic in the pocket. UK’s offensive line is considered one of the best in the SEC. It played up to that reputation on Saturday.

Explode-UK’s offense under Liam Coen is explosive by nature. The optimal pregame goal was for the Cats to manufacture 14 plays of 10+ yards and 2-3 of 30+. Kentucky checked this box with 17 scrimmage plays that exceeded 10+ and three that went further than 30. Chris Rodriguez Jr. had a carry for 31 yards. Wan’Dale Robinson’s first rushing attempt went for 64. The big-play receiver also registered a 49-yard reception.

KENTUCKY DEFENSE

Missouri is an aggravating offense led by an accurate quarterback, a dynamic running back, and a sophisticated play-caller who is highly efficient in moving the chains. Quarterback Connor Bazelak is one of the better signal-callers in the SEC. He proved why on Saturday night. Bazelak completed 34 passes for 294 yards and threw for four touchdowns. He also converted key third-down attempts on the ground. Kentucky held running back Tyler Badie to 61 rush yards which proved to be a momentous factor in UK’s win. But, Mizzou’s ability to extend drives led to 76 offensive plays in which it averaged 5.2 yards per play. The Cats managed key stops throughout the game. A Jacquez Jones interception to start the second half was valuable after the Tigers went to the locker room with momentum following a late, first-half touchdown. Jones played his best game as a Wildcat after registering five tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception. Let’s compare pregame goals with final statistics:

Don’t Let Badie Beat You-The Mizzou running back managed 243 scrimmage yards in its opener. The objective was to hold the dynamic playmaker to 120 or fewer total yards. UK did not accomplish this goal. Badie was limited to 61 rushing yards but led the Tigers with ten catches for 88 yards for a total of 149. UK did not tackle well in space. This especially applied when Badie had the football in his hands. He’s a special talent, but Kentucky’s flat-area defense was insufficient at times.

Stop the Chains-Mizzou killed the ‘Cats a year ago after converting 10/20 on 3^rd down and 4/5 on fourth. Getting to 3^rd and manageable is a trait of the Tiger offense. The goal was to limit Missouri to 50% on all 3^rd and 4^th down conversion attempts. UK failed to meet this objective. The Tigers converted 9/15 on 3^rd down and was 0/1 on fourth. While 56.2% on money downs is good, that number exceeded the 50% threshold.

Force Turnovers-The Cats registered one interception and did not have a forced fumble on Saturday night. With a goal of two, this objective was not met. Last season’s total of 22 turnovers led the SEC. Expecting the same production for a second consecutive season is unrealistic. However, with a pass rush that registered just one QB sack and three tackles for loss, UK needs to become more forceful in producing turnovers. The Wildcat’s current turnover margin sits a -4 for the season. But, turnover opportunities will surface.

SPECIAL TEAMS

No Game-Changing Errors-This goal was vaguely worded, not accomplished, and could have cost the Wildcats the game. There was a quote from my article that outlined what the Cats must do to beat Mizzou that read,

“Kicker Matt Ruffolo nailed his only field goal attempt and was perfect on PATs. The UK kicker will need to be reliable as the game could potentially tighten in the fourth quarter and be decided by three-point attempts.”

Kentucky had the opportunity to ice the game with a 37-yard field goal up seven with two minutes remaining in the contest. The result was a blocked kick which gave the Tigers an opportunity for a late score to push the contest into overtime. Critical, critical special team’s error.

What Does All This Mean?

Saturday night was the best-case scenario for Mark Stoops. Let’s be honest here. UK was the more talented team on Saturday night. It should have beaten Missouri. But, this was a precarious game for the ‘Cats who have big-picture goals in the SEC East. Kentucky secured the victory after not playing its best football. The UK head coach has plenty of film to “motivate” his 2-0 team going into a week that features an FCS opponent prior to making the trip to South Carolina.

The Liam Coen hire is paying mass dividends. The UK coordinator is playing chess with a veteran group that understands the benefit of operating in an offense that provides an X and O advantage. However, turnovers continue to plague this unit. The Rodriguez Jr. fumble in the end zone prevented the ‘Cats from going to the locker room at halftime with a potential 28-7 lead. Instead, the Cats were forced to claw their way to a hard-fought 35-28 victory.

Brad White’s defense was not at its best. But, it manufactured critical stops and produced a key turnover after Mizzou had gained momentum with a late, second-quarter score. UK is razor-thin at cornerback. This is a major concern going forward. The pass rush wasn’t effective for most of the game. However, JJ Weaver is a playmaker with explosive tendencies. He recorded two of UK’s three tackles for loss and its only QB sack. Mizzou is a good offense that’s known to aggravate opposing defenses. It did that on Saturday night.

The third phase can’t afford to be a unit that leads to game-changing moments in a football game. A blocked field goal with two minutes remaining in the game gave the Tigers a chance to push the contest into overtime. Side note, IF the Tigers had scored, I think Drinkwitz would have gone for two and the win. The Cats avoided a catastrophe in the contest’s final minutes.

In all, UK won an SEC game against a good opponent and didn’t particularly look great doing so. Mark Stoops will use this film as a teaching moment going forward. There are going to be games on the schedule that UK has to finish with a late lead. Teachable moments following a conference victory are coaching gold. UK is 2-0 and 1-0 in conference play with an FCS opponent coming to Kroger Field next Saturday.

The MVP of the game was the Big Blue Nation. Kroger Field atmosphere was electric and extremely loud. Respect.

A message from the Kentucky Army National Guard, The Kentucky Army National Guard is YOUR Kentucky home team. The Soldiers of the Kentucky National Guard are your friends, neighbors, coworkers and classmates. We are from each county in Kentucky and we stand together to support our fellow Kentuckians in times of natural disaster and civil unrest. We also serve our nation at the direction of the president should the need for national defense arise. Soldiers in the Kentucky Army National Guard are able to take advantage of opportunities in education with trade skill training, student loan repayment and up to $60,000 in tuition assistance to state public universities while serving part time. Do you think you have what it takes to be a member of our team? For more information about joining the Kentucky Army National Guard, Text “KYGUARD” to 95577. Live Here, Serve Here, Kentucky Army National Guard.