Mark Stoops says he has 'very little' impact on offensive play-calling

The 2022 football season has been a rocky year for the Kentucky offensive operation. Under first-year offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello, the Cats have struggled in multiple areas.

The Wildcats are averaging just 13.5 points per game since the bye week and haven’t scored more than three offensive touchdowns against a power conference foe in eight games this season. Scangarello’s unit is woeful at finishing drives ranking No. 98 in red zone touchdown percentage (54.8%) as Kentucky has taken big steps back in success rate and havoc rate allowed.

In the offseason, Kentucky will need to reassess the offensive operation in Lexington. Is a pro-style attack that moves slower than anyone else in college football really what will allow this program to continue with forward growth? Mark Stoops admitted last week that he may have to look at some big-picture items with the offense in the offseason.

However, there is a prevailing thought, with some, that Stoops is heavily involved in the offensive operation. While the head coach is certainly involved, Stoops made it clear that this is Scangarello’s show to run on Monday.

“Very little,” Stoops said when asked about his involvement in the play-calling operation. “People think I’m a defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator, and special teams coach. I’m the head coach. I’m responsible for the structure of it all. Ultimately, it’s on my shoulders to make sure it’s right.”

“Little to none other than as we meet in the office and discuss previous games and things that are going good, things that are going bad. There’s only so long with any area. If things aren’t right, that’s where I’ll draw a line in the sand and say ‘that’s enough of that’.”

It’s clear that Stoops wants to play a specific style of football in Lexington. The defensive head coach wants a ball control offense that can shrink games and protect his defense. This style has made Kentucky a great underdog team that is 13-3-1 against the spread with eight outright wins in its last 17 games. However, things can look very bad when that offense is not efficient. This style also opens your team up to some close games against inferior competition. Playing in the mud was a big reason why the Cats lost at home to Vanderbilt as a three-possession favorite.

Kentucky has not had good offensive efficiency this season and that has shown up big-time in the red zone. It has also shown up in complementary football as the Cats have had some poorly timed three-and-out possessions that have hurt the team in the field position battle.

You cannot tell the story of Kentucky’s team without discussing the issues with the offensive line. The Wildcats have been awful in pass protection for most of the season, and dependable Chris Rodriguez Jr. is posting career-worst numbers in success rate (44.4%) and stuff rate (19.9%) as there has not been much movement created at the point of attack by the line.

Is Scangarello the right person to call plays for Kentucky after the season? That is the million-dollar question. But the real question might be if this current offensive style is Kentucky’s best bet moving forward.

There is a long rebuild awaiting this offensive line as it’s highly unlikely this group is competing for the Joe Moore Award anytime shortly. Without a dominant front, can Kentucky be what they need to be to move the chains and finish drives with efficiency in this pro-style approach that plays with condensed formations and uses heavy sets on a high volume of snaps?

Stoops lets his offensive coordinators do what they do on gamedays, but the head coach might need to tinker with the overall offensive philosophy.

A critical offseason for the Kentucky football program is right around the corner. The Cats must figure out what they want to be and what gives them the best chance to win on offense before doing anything else.