First Down Kentucky: Red Zone Blues

Kentucky has an excellent kicker. Alex Raynor has made a school-record 12 consecutive field goals. He’s a weapon with only one miss over the last two seasons. Unfortunately, he’s been used far too often this fall.

The Kentucky offense has made strides since the start of the season, but they are far from a finished product. One area of concern that must be addressed immediately is in the red zone. When scoring opportunities arise, especially against a team the caliber of Ole Miss, drives must finish with seven points, not three.

Kentucky has made 13 trips to the red zone. They’ve scored a dozen times, but only seven of those scores were touchdowns. The Wildcats’ 53.9% red zone touchdown-scoring rate is the lowest in the SEC and ranks No. 99 in the FBS. That’s not winning football.

Two Potential Solutions for Kentucky

Things get tight once you get inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. The Cats are struggling to find success in those narrow windows. How do create better opportunities?

1. Score on Explosive Plays — Instead of getting into the red zone, just score from 20+ yards away. The issue is creating those explosive plays. The Cats only 14 plays of 20+ yards, ranking in the bottom four of the SEC.

2. Lean on Chip Trayanum — We are still unsure if he will be able to go against Ole Miss. One thing we do know is that he’s a big, physical runner who excels in short-yardage situations. His ability to bully opponents can be the difference between kicking field goals and scoring touchdowns.

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board.

An Interesting Kentucky Football Social Media Post

He returned to practice on Monday, but Chip Trayanum was listed as doubtful on the initial injury report. Are the Cats trying to tell us something?

The Blueprint x @Chipperrz_ pic.twitter.com/N2jDRgc4OZ

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 26, 2024

Weaver Up for a Prestigious Honor

J.J. Weaver used his pain to overcome grief, and now he’s helping others. He shared his inspiring story earlier this week on The Paul Finebaum Show. He was selected to the Allstate Good Works Team and now he’s up for another honor.

The Kentucky EDGE is one of 52 nominees for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award. It’s given annually to the sport’s best players who exemplify leadership both on and off the field. One of only three three-time team captains in Kentucky history, he could join his former teammate, Josh Paschal, who won the award back in 2021.

See You at the Cat Walk in Oxford

This weekend will be my first trip to The Grove. Joined by Adam Luckett and Steven Peake, we’re hitting the road to Mississippi tomorrow afternoon and hope to see Kentucky and all over the place. We’ll be out and about Friday night. Don’t be shy. We’d also love to see you and the rest of Big Blue Nation at the Cat Walk. The team is expected to arrive around 8:45 am CST outside of Gate 19.

Hitting the road. pic.twitter.com/M5eLTYVa3G

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 26, 2024