First Down Kentucky: Defense looks to rebound against Auburn

Defensive coordinator Brad White said that Kentucky (3-4, 1-4) didn’t feel like they played their best defensive game against Vanderbilt last week. The Wildcats again failed to play to their standard against Florida. Kentucky allowed Florida’s passing game to average 18.6 yards per attempt and the offense to roll up 8.1 yards per play.

At the Joe Craft Football Training Facility, Kentucky’s defense is disappointed and will be looking to respond when Auburn (2-5, 0-4) rolls into Lexington this weekend.

“Some things we knew happened on the field that were disappointing and sort of not characteristic of who we are. It’s not in our DNA. We need to rebound and get that fixed. It’s a big challenge not just to fix the mistakes but to play with the edge and intensity but intelligence that we’ve come accustomed to here,” White explained. “I think everybody was sort of stung by that performance, and we’ve gotta rebound.”

“We’ve all owned our parts. But it’s not just about owning it. It’s about fixing it.”

Will Kentucky get those problems fixed? We will find out soon. KSR’s First Down Kentucky is recapping what we learned during White’s press conference on Wednesday. It’s clear that UK has been hit with some legitimate adversity and must get off the mat quickly.

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No magic formula

Many fans typically scoff at the “get back to work” answers from Mark Stoops during press conferences, but it is what is needed for the Kentucky defense. The Wildcats made numerous mistakes in the loss to Florida, but there is no magic potion to get things fixed.

Kentucky’s culture and team unity need to shine through heading into Week 9.

“There’s no magic formula. There really isn’t. So much relies on team chemistry and bond. Guys rallying around each other,” White said. “Not pointing fingers. Taking ownership.”

Kentucky is reeling after consecutive conference losses, and the season is slowly slipping away. The Wildcats are also sitting on a six-game SEC home losing streak that desperately needs to end. A lot is on the line against Auburn. There is a chance this season will get significantly worse if Kentucky cannot find some wins. However, the program is optimistic about what is ahead.

“Really looking forward to seeing the guys rally,” said White.

Limiting explosives

Part of the reason the loss to Florida was such a shock was because Kentucky has been so good at limiting chunk plays under Brad White. That is typically what Kentucky wants to take away first on defense.

In the 20-17 win over Ole Miss, Kentucky won their fair share of one-on-one battles on vertical passes. That allowed the defense to create stops. The opposite happened against Florida. Auburn’s offense is similar to both.

Hugh Freeze‘s attack wants to run the football, but the entire scheme is based on hitting on chunk plays in the vertical passing game.

“They really rely on big plays. They run the ball well, and then they rely on big plays. I think they have the most completions over 40 yards in the country,” White said. “They’ve got big-time talent on the outside with those receivers.”

If the Kentucky secondary could win more battles on Saturday it should lead to fewer scoring opportunities and could make it difficult for Auburn to put points on the board.