Kentucky will struggle until complementary football returns

Mark Stoops believes that Kentucky has its best chance to win football games by playing a certain way. The Cats are not a heavy blitz team on defense and will never be a hurry-up, no-huddle team on offense. But you don’t have to be either to win games on Saturdays.

In Lexington, Stoops has teamed a ball-control offense with a bend-but-don’t-break defense, and it has led to a lot of wins. However, these two units must work in unison with each other. That disappeared in the 24-10 loss to South Carolina. All-SEC tailback Chris Rodriguez Jr. did not get enough touches in the second half but some of that was due to circumstance.

“You’ll probably know the answer to this if you know me — plays. They had the ball and we didn’t,” Stoops said when asked about Rodriguez’s usage. “I think we had nine plays without a penalty, he ran it four times. And then the game’s out of touch after that. We utilized him how we needed to in the first half. We were using him and getting that five yards, six yards. I think it’s plays and team.”

The Cats only got two possessions in the third quarter and got too pass-happy on their first possession out of the half. Down 17-7 to start the fourth quarter, three runs from Rodriguez got the offense over the 50, but a false start penalty put the offense behind the chains, and the drive ultimately ended with a punt. Kentucky would then go three-and-out on its next possession after a first-down run from Rodriguez served as a solid drive starter.

From there, Kentucky would then fall into a 17-point hole and would be in dropback pass mode. The Cats will need some better play-calling moving forward, but complementary football is a two-way street.

“It’s both,” Stoops said about the need for complementary football and increased pace on offense. “They had two long drives in the third quarter. Very disappointing with the things that happened in the first half to tie it at 7-7 and playing very good defense to that point, to come out and give up a long drive for a touchdown to start doesn’t help things at all. Yes, it’s back to not being very good complementary football. Us not getting first downs and getting negative yardage plays.

With some game control coming out of halftime, Kentucky lost its grip on the game when the defense couldn’t get off the field to begin the third quarter. Then gave up another score on the following possession. In the blink of an eye, the Cats were down 10 and lost their chance to win a football game with a backup quarterback running the show.

Kentucky has a lot of issues right now and that has many wondering if some things need to change on offense. The Cats entered last week as the slowest-playing offense in college football, and that style of play is not producing enough points. Could we see UK use tempo? Probably not, but the offense could certainly play a little faster.

“All things are a fair criticism and need to look at,” Stoops said about the offense’s pace of play. “When you’re behind it’s very noticeable. That’s part of the thing with a pro system that the verbiage, the time with the new quarterback, the operation takes some time.”

After six games, Kentucky is doing a poor job of playing complementary football. The special teams have been a disaster, and the offense has not held up its end of the bargain. Against South Carolina, the defense took a step back and that led to some ugly football after halftime.

For Kentucky to get back in the winner’s circle, that complementary football element must return quickly. The Wildcats are going to find themselves in difficult situations without it.