Kentucky Vs. Missouri: After Action Review 

An After Action Review, or AAR for short, is a militaristic manner to evaluate a mission or action. KSR utilizes a similar method to break down Kentucky’s 38-21 loss to the Missouri Tigers.  

B.L.U.F. (Bottom-Line-Up-Front)  

Kentucky dropped to 5-2 (2-2 SEC) after self-inflicted errors contributed to another disappointing showing and an unacceptable 38-21 loss to Missouri.   

SITUATION 

Missouri and Kentucky both entered the contest with a 5-1 record and fighting for second place in the SEC East. The game took place at Kroger Field in Lexington at night.

OFFENSE 

Kentucky stormed out of the gate with two creatively scripted drives that produced Red Zone touchdowns. The Wildcats’ first possession was a thing of beauty. UK marched 65 yards off nine plays and used 4:46 of clock which culminated in a seven-yard Ray Davis touchdown reception from Devin Leary. The next drive was equally as efficacious after Kentucky trudged 63 yards on nine snaps before Leary bolted into the end zone from 13 yards out. Two offensive possessions that ended with Red Zone touchdowns. Then, it happened.  

If you’ve ever listened to the KSR Pregame Show or viewed the KSR Football Podcast, then you would have listened to or seen me rant about first-down vertical shots and the play’s lack of positivity. Up 14-0, UK called such a play on its own 26-yard line. As per the norm, the snap resulted in an incompletion after Leary overthrew Barion Brown. The ‘Cats sat at 2^nd and 10. Reality was it could have been 2^nd and infinity. A three-and-out followed. Mizzou won.  

Following that series, the Wildcat offense produced three three-and-outs, one five-and-out, and a fumble. Some could argue that offensive momentum shifted on that first down call in the game’s third possession. That some would be me. Down 14-0, Missouri was on the proverbial mat. The ‘Cats reached down and politely helped the wobbly visitors up. Ball game.  

Kentucky didn’t score again until the 3:39 mark in the third quarter when Anthony Brown-Stephens grabbed a four-yard touchdown reception from Leary. But true to form in 2023, the offense fell apart after the third quarter score. A plethora of clunker possessions resulted in two three-and-outs, an interception, and a turnover on downs.  

The Kentucky offense has not been very good as of late. But, as you can see above, it has enjoyed moments of efficiency that only lead to frustration from this writer and the majority of the Big Blue Nation. Dropped passes, errant throws, and penalties continue to plague Liam Coen Part II. There are so many issues that I don’t see an easy fix. This team went from monsters in the first two possessions to, well, I don’t know what for the vast majority of the rest of the football game. Frustrating.  

In all, UK produced just 299 yards of total offense including a mere 120 through the air. Mizzou had given up 353 per outing prior to its trip to Lexington. Saturday night wasn’t all bad. Ray Davis is playing at an All-American level. The senior racked up 128 rushing yards off 20 carries. His 6.4 yards per attempt was winning football. But, UK seemed to go away from the valued runner. This was highlighted by the offense’s six possessions following Missouri’s fake punt for a touchdown. The Cats managed a lowly nine yards in six possessions following the Tigers’ third-phase score.  

Leary continued to struggle. I will say this after playing the same position for the same team many decades ago. A quarterback’s confidence in completing passes takes a serious hit when pass catchers continue to drop a high volume of catchable throws. I’m not quite sure I can remember a UK squad with this much talent that has struggled at the receiver and quarterback positions at the same time. Thus, the complete passing game has been an abstract failure for three consecutive weeks. Truth is, it’s not been good since the opener.  

Let’s get into goals vs. results on this exasperating Sunday afternoon. Remember, in KSR’s modified AAR format, goals are evaluated in a “Go” or “No-Go” manner.  

Rush for 200+ Yards
RESULT: NO-GO  

UK rushed for 179 yards. This is somewhat deceiving given Leary’s lost yardage and UK’s lack of commitment to the run game after early success. Penalties also contributed to this grade.  

Ray Davis is a Dude. Next Saturday is an off day. The running back had 20 carries. This felt like a Chris Rodriguez Jr. or a Benny Snell opportunity to extend that number of rushing attempts north of 30 in order to win the game. Didn’t happen.  

Win the Turnover Margin
RESULT: NO-GO  

Kentucky entered the contest with a +3 turnover margin compared to Missouri’s -1. The Cats turned the football over three times, Mizzou had one.  

Pitch and Catch

This category has been a touchy subject within the “X” sphere on social media. I offer the “Chicken and Egg Theory” when evaluating this portion of the Kentucky offense.  

What is the cause of UK’s pass game struggles? Is it the abundance of errant throws?  Are misses a result of a lack of quarterback and wide receiver confidence due to a high level of drops? Are called routes an issue? Back to the confidence, how many explosive pass plays have been called back because of a hold?  

Heck, it really doesn’t matter anymore. The reality is that UK can’t, or hasn’t shown the recent ability, to pitch and catch on a consistent basis. Saturday night was simply more of the same outside of the opening two series.  

The ‘Cats completed 52% of its passes for 120 yards. UK had two touchdown passes and two interceptions. When Kentucky needed to move the chains through the air, failures outnumbered successes. There are many reasons for this deficiency. Tune into Monday’s KSR Football Podcast for a deeper discussion on this matter. It’s now time to give the defense a dose.  

DEFENSE 

Final game statistics indicate that the Kentucky defense did its collective job on Saturday night. Reality differs. The ‘Cats did a number on Missouri’s stars. Quarterback Brady Cook experienced his lowest production of the season after throwing for 167 yards. He’d averaged 310 prior to Saturday night. Cook’s completion percentage against UK was 65%. His number against SEC competition was 75.  

The nation’s top receiver, Luther Burden III, was averaging 132 yards per outing and had registered 54 receptions through six games. The super-sophomore recorded two catches for 15 yards against the ‘Cats. He was hobbled by an apparent injury, but still. Running back Cody Schrader was the SEC’s third-leading rusher before facing UK after posting nearly 100 yards per game and a 6.1 YPC average. He ran for 71 and produced just 3.6 yards per attempt.  

If you’d told me these numbers prior to kickoff, I would have guessed that the ‘Cats would have won the game in a route. That wasn’t the case.  

Penalties extended Mizzou’s drives that led to touchdowns. The Tigers were greatly assisted by turnovers and porous punting. Eli Drinkwitz’s team started three offensive possessions in Kentucky territory. Mizzou’s average starting field position was on their own 40. Adam Luckett said during the postgame recap that the visitors had one touchdown drive of over 60 yards. Can’t win games when your heels are dug into your own territory for the majority of the contest.  

Deone Walker was great. The super-sophomore produced four tackles for loss, one QB sack, and a hurry. Northern Illinois transfer Daveren Rayner was the team’s leading tackler after taking the place of the injured Trevin Wallace. He registered 10 tackles, one TFL, and one QBH. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston intercepted his fifth pass of the season.  

But — and there’s always a but with this team — Kentucky was torched in the second and fourth quarters to the tune of 35-0. Yes, you read that right. The Tigers scored 35 points in those periods. The Mizzou defense pitched shutouts in those same quarters as well. The rest was history — another L.  

This team and defense are not answering the bell when faced with any sort of adversity. Runs, as in scoring spurts, explode like a campfire when lighter fluid is applied. Points are scored in bunches against Brad White’s unit. This especially applies in the Middle 8. Uncalled-for personal fouls extend drives that lead to touchdowns. Kentucky is playing uncharacteristic football, defense included. The Wildcats defense has been viewed as a disciplined unit that out-physicals opponents. Neither have surfaced on a consistent basis in the past eight quarters of game action.  

Again, the numbers. In all, UK held Mizzou to 143 fewer total yards than their season average. Field position gets an assist in this category. The Tigers averaged 147 rushing yards and 320 passing yards prior to Saturday. UK held their foes to 118 on the ground and 206 through the air. Brady Cook and company converted 43% on third down, won the turnover battle, and allowed just one QB sack. Let’s get into goals vs. results.  

Disrupt Number 3
RESULT: GO  

I still think Luther Burden III is the best receiver in the SEC. It’s really not close. But, UK held the All-American to just two receptions for 15 yards. The sophomore did not score a touchdown and wasn’t a factor in the final outcome. In theory, Mizzou didn’t need Burden III to win the game. The ‘Cats gave assists in that matter with a 60-minute, self-inflicted error fest.  

Get after Cook
RESULT: NO-GO  

The objective was four QB sacks. I set that high for a reason. UK recorded one by Deone Walker. The ‘Cats did produce five QB hurries but failed to get Cook to the ground.  

Slow the Run
RESULT: NO-GO 

The goal here was 110. That was a low goal. Missouri ran for 118. I hate to keep going back to this and I’ll get into it again in the special teams category, but field position didn’t exactly demand Missouri to have a high amount of yards. However, UK limited running back Cody Schrader to 3.6 YPC which was a success, if that even matters.  

SPECIAL TEAMS 

Early season results garnered third-phase praise for the ‘Cats. Much like the other two phases of the game, blame can be equally dispersed for Saturday night’s clunker amongst all three. 

Missouri scored a touchdown on a fake punt when the game was close to being a route by the ‘Cats. I mean, the ball was on UK’s 39-yard line. I don’t know about you, but I automatically was thinking a fake was impending. Anyway, that result gave the visitors momentum and quieted a loud home crowd. It was never the same after that score which was preceded by the first down vertical shot that led to a three and out by UK.

Something has to give with the punt team. I wrote about my concerns last Sunday, but other matters seemed to be more pressing. Not anymore. It’s officially an issue. Missouri’s average starting field position was their own 40. Three drives started inside Kentucky’s territory. A 36-yard punt average was one of many game-killers on the night. 

Kentucky blocked a field goal. That was a positive, so it wasn’t a complete third-phase disaster. Let’s get into it if we must.  

Kick the Ball
RESULT: NO-GO  

36-yard punt average. Ball game.  

OUTCOME  

For context purposes, I’m starting this category with quotes. First up is Mark Stoops, “The lack of discipline is really something that’s standing out and bothering me.” Penalties killed the ‘Cats on Saturday. 14 for 122 yards.  

I met Deone Walker a few weeks ago. I’m a huge fan, both on and off the field. The kid is a star and mature beyond his age. The defensive lineman had four TFLs and a QB sack vs. Missouri. He did his job. Walker added, “We gotta learn to play with passion, but not emotion.” Unnecessary personal fouls are game-killers. The ‘Cats need to stop the post-play shenanigans. Enough is enough.   

I began to dread this Sunday writing session as soon as Leary’s pass sailed over Barion Brown’s head on 1^st down in the night’s third possession. I felt the game was over following that three and out. Call me simple, call me whatever, but that’s how I felt. Kentucky had Missouri on the ropes. They then unwisely threw a from-the-hip hook vertical shot instead of continuing to jab with Ray Davis handoffs. Missouri’s fake punt put the nail in the coffin when the game was 14-7 good guys. I don’t enjoy this by the way. I actually hate writing anything remotely negative about my beloved Wildcats. But, I have to be real.  

I think I’m finally getting an understanding of this team, especially over the course of the past two weeks. It is immature, not very tough, lacks discipline, and folds when it needs to stand. I don’t choose those words or terms lightly. I greatly respect and even love the players, staff, and coaches within the Joe Craft Football Training Center. I’m sure they’re all equally as frustrated as you and I. But, the past two games have been disturbing and must be addressed.  

Game killers to follow:

14 penalties for 122 yards. Three turnovers. 36-yards per punt. Porous field position. Allowed third-phase touchdown. Nearly 10 three-and-outs. Drops and errant throws.  

The scary part is that Kentucky’s inexcusable performance against Missouri followed last Saturday’s inexcusable performance against Georgia. No matter how you dissect the result, Kentucky is playing losing football. That hurts me to type those words. A dangerous slippery slope started in Athens. The ‘Cats continued that slide at Kroger Field on Saturday.  

UK has produced back-to-back clunkers. The most concerning aspect is that the issues are not necessarily structural. The ‘Cats are losing their minds at times. This turned into opponent scoring runs. This was seen in the opening period against UGA and the 2nd and 4th periods vs. Missouri. During these stretches, the offense and special teams have also pitched in with ineffective play. The result has been two losses by an average score of 45-18. Disturbing.  

2023 has been a year of opposites. Many, myself included, thought the receivers and quarterback would be the strength of this team. It has not been. I doubted cornerbacks and felt that the safety grouping would be the strength of the defense. Results have seen that flip. I felt that UK had mature leaders that would enforce on-field discipline. Nope. Again, I could continue, but why add on to a program that is getting slammed by public opinion?

There may be too much for this team to fix in 2023. I’m not saying the season is over by any stretch of the imagination. But, the door is slowly shutting and the doorknob is slicked down with bacon grease.  

The bye week came at a perfect time. For most teams, a week off means seven days of physical healing and extra treatment to fix bruises and strains.  For this year’s team, perhaps a week of between-the-ears rehabilitation may be more pressing.  

Kentucky is 5-2.