Kentucky passing game could have favorable matchup versus Southern Miss

Much of the talk during the offseason surrounding the Kentucky football program has been about making strides in the running game. The Wildcats are hoping that an experienced offensive line along with tempo and a QB run element will give this offense more efficiency.

But balance is still needed.

With the return of Barion Brown and Dane Key, along with the addition of North Texas transfer Ja’Mori Maclin, Kentucky has clear explosive play potential in the passing game. First-time starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff now must prove he can get these playmakers the football.

Kentucky’s passing game has a chance to put up some big numbers in Week 1.

Southern Miss has made a change at defensive coordinator with Clay Bignell moving over from FCS Eastern Illinois. That move was made because the Golden Eagles could not stop anyone in 2023. The passing defense numbers were very, very bad.

• Yards Per Pass: 8.9 (No. 131 overall)
• Success Rate: 45.5% (No. 116 overall)
• EPA/play: 0.09 (No. 98 overall)
• 20+ yard pass plays allowed: 49 (No. 118 overall)

The Golden Eagles forced their fair share of incompletions with opposing offenses posting a 58.2 percent completion rate, but when those passes were caught, they were keeping offenses ahead of the chains and generating chunk gains at a high clip. Southern Miss is hoping a coaching change pays off, but there is also heavy personnel turnover.

Southern Miss returns only one player (cornerback Michael Caraway, Jr.) who played more than 300 snaps last season in the secondary. That creates an opportunity for big plays for an experienced Kentucky wide receiver unit.

There has been a lot of talk about the running game, but do not be surprised if offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan airs it out early with big results in Week 1 at Kroger Field.

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