Gavin Wimsatt was 'ready to roll,' but 'definitely some things I can do better'

Mark Stoops and Bush Hamdan both confirmed after Kentucky’s loss to Auburn that the plan all along was to give Gavin Wimsatt extended reps running the offense to see what the Wildcats had in the Rutgers transfer. It came later than anticipated — the Wildcats were playing well when he was supposed to take over in the third series — but after halftime, the staff was finally ready to make the move.

“(We) just wanted to get a good look at Gavin and see if he can help us move the ball,” Stoops said.

“We’ve always thought his combination of size and speed and athleticism, wanted to see if that was going to provide a spark for us. We’re at that point right now where we felt we needed to do something,” Hamdan added.

A spark, he was not. Wimsatt would finish with just 34 yards on 3-10 passing with a pick while adding just 23 yards on nine carries — 15 of those coming on a single rush. The 10 points Kentucky would put on the board with Brock Vandagriff under center in the first quarter would be the team’s only points all night in the 24-10 loss.

How would Wimsatt say he played after taking things over in the second half?

“I would say there are definitely some things I can do better, operating and whatnot,” said the former four-star, who was the least accurate starting quarterback at the Division I level a year ago at 47.8 percent on 289 attempts. “I just have to go into film and really see. But, yeah.”

The closest the Wimsatt-led offense came to scoring was on yet another failed red zone opportunity, a third straight game the Wildcats have come away with zero points after getting the ball inside the five-yard line. Kentucky had a 1st & Goal at the Auburn 3 and finished with an interception on 4th down at the 2 — one yard in four plays.

“It’s very frustrating, especially when you get to the two-yard line and don’t get in, you don’t score the ball,” Wimsatt said. “It’s very tough, especially in the situation we were in. But we’ve just got to learn from it and get better. … It’s tough to say right now (why it’s happening). I’d say we just have to watch film after this and really evaluate ourselves and what we think we can fix.”

The backup quarterback knew what was coming going into the game, confirming the staff’s plan of extended reps. No last-second surprises throwing Wimsatt off — he was ready to play when his number was called, the coaches telling him it was his time to shine during the halftime break.

To his credit, Vandagriff was there to support his replacement’s efforts to go out there and win the football game. It just didn’t happen.

“It was part of the plan. At halftime, we went in and they just said they were going to go with me,” Wimsatt said. “I was ready to roll. Brock is great guy, selfless and he’s for whatever’s best for the team. And me, as well — whether that’s coming in or going out.”

How frustrating is it to be in Kentucky’s position, now 3-5 on the year and 1-5 in the SEC with the wheels seemingly falling off from the outside looking in?

“It’s pretty high, I would say, for everybody,” he added. “As competitors, you hate to lose, but it’s part of the game. How do we get better? We’re going to watch film and come back Monday, really discuss what we can get better at, see what we did wrong, be ready for next week.”

Are the Wildcats past the point of no return? Wimsatt wouldn’t go that far. It’s frustrating and the locker room temperature is hot, but not necessarily boiling over.

All eyes are on next Saturday, hoping for a feel-good turnaround with the top-10 Tennessee Volunteers coming to town.

“I wouldn’t say it feels like it’s spiraling out of control,” he said. “I think it’s just a tough situation, you don’t want to get another loss. Like I said, it’s part of the game, so you just have to get back to work, get better, try to get it done next Saturday.”

Certainly better than Big Blue Nation feels about the season outlook moving forward.