How Kentucky Defense Plans on Snapping Out of Three Game Skid

Kentucky is in the middle of a three-game losing streak, one where the Wildcats’ opponents have scored 30+ points in each game. What was once rare in the Brad White era has seemingly become commonplace. Are the defensive struggles a Kentucky problem, or a byproduct of facing good offenses?

We do not know the answer now, but we should on Saturday.

To snap out of the funk, Brad White is telling his defense to clean their slate and approach success one play at a time.

“It’s about getting up, putting one foot in front of the other, staying confident and playing ball,” the Kentucky defensive coordinator said Tuesday. “It’s not just going to happen. It just doesn’t. You’re not going to jump to a couple more wins just like that. It starts with one. You don’t get two wins before you get one. You don’t get two three-and-outs before you get the first one. We just have to get back to playing it drive by drive. Don’t think about anything else but that drive.”

Subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel for press conferences, interviews, original shows, fan features, and exclusive content.

Familiar Key to Success for Kentucky Defense

The defense has the ideal opponent to get right. Mississippi State has the worst scoring offense in the SEC (25.1 points per game) and ranks 113th in success rate. They’ll most likely roll out backup quarterback Mike Wright in favor of the injured Will Rogers.

Kentucky may have been pressing against superior offensive units. This week J.J. Weaver said he’s focused on bringing joy back to the game by cutting up a little more with his teammates. If they can relax, the Cats can play freely in the open field.

“Just take it day by day. I told the defense just finish strong. You know, whatever happens happens. Do your job at the end of the day and play fast and play physical. Everything else will take place, just playing fast playing physical, taking it day by day, game by game,” said Weaver.

“We just got to get the little chip, the burden off of our shoulders,” added safety Ty Bryant, “just be able to go in, play fast, have fun. I feel like the fun aspect since we’ve been losing has been lacking a little bit and I just feel like if we just get back to having fun and just playing the game we all love, we’re gonna be fine.”

To make big picture fixes, the Cats have to do the little things the right way. White believes the Kentucky defense still has plenty of good football left to show if they erase the big mistakes and stack together positive plays.

“There are positives to build on and that’s what we have to continue to do drive by drive, and then quarter by quarter, half by half. Then hopefully it turns into a full game and then we can talk about this next week to see if we can make one game into two,” said White. “But it starts with one drive.”