Kentucky Receivers Must "Stay the Course" During Pass Game Struggles

by:Nick Roush•09/18/24•

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For most observers, the Kentucky offense clearly took a step in the right direction against Georgia. The wide receivers may not share the same sentiment.

After all, passing game struggles are not new to this program and the stats from the first three games of this season do not paint a pretty picture. Kentucky ranks last in the SEC in passing yards (327) and yards per attempt (5.2). Those stats are a bit skewed by the abbreviated opener against Southern Miss, but Jaxson Dart has exceeded Kentucky’s season-long output in each of his first three games.

It would be easy for the Kentucky wide receivers to get discouraged. Mark Stoops and Bush Hamdan are doing everything they can to keep the playmakers locked in.

“It is not easy for those wideouts right now,” Stoops said on Monday. “There are times when they are open and busting their tail and running as fast as they can, time and time again, and not getting the protection or can’t get it to them. That happens in football. You just have to stay the course, you don’t know when that one opportunity will present itself.”

For the receivers to have success, the quarterback must have time to throw. Kentucky ranks last nationally in pass-blocking efficiency. It takes a team effort to get the ball down the field, which is why the chemistry between the pass-catchers and the quarterback isn’t quite there yet.

“These guys are playing together for the third game ever together. As you guys know, if you play well, the chemistry’s really good. You don’t play well, it’s a work in progress,” said the Kentucky offensive coordinator.

“I think those guys are taking a step in the right direction. I think the pass game, just like the run game, it’s an 11-man job. We’ve all got to be in it together from a play-calling standpoint to protection, getting the ball out. We just gotta keep taking the next step there.”

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How Opponents are Taking Away Big Plays for Kentucky

Brock Vandagriff attempted 28 passes on 37 dropbacks against Georgia. On those nine other plays, the quarterback either scrambled or was sacked. Most of those calls were to take shots down the field.

There are a couple of reasons why the deep shots weren’t there. The pass protection often didn’t hold, but if it did, guys were typically covered. That’s because the Georgia secondary is talented and they play a scheme that primarily focuses on eliminating big plays by dropping multiple players deep into coverage.

“It be hard, but that’s a part of football. Do whatever you do because if they’re playing a certain type of coverage, something else is open,” said Barion Brown. “Being a team player, if we see something working, why get away from it?

Last season Ja’Mori Maclin caught 11 passes of 30+ yards, tied for 12th in the FBS. The veteran is well aware that patience will eventually pay off for the Kentucky wide receivers.

“It ain’t really that difficult for me mentally. When you’ve got a team that’s sitting over the top, you just gotta be able to hit those shorter passes and turn them into big plays until you get them to come down. Then you can hit those bigger plays and we need to make them,” he said on Tuesday.

“I usually keep my head in the game. I’m not a big emotional guy. Hopefully, that trickles down to the other guys to keep our heads up no matter what’s going on. If we have to run the ball to win, that’s what we’re going to have to do. Do whatever it takes to win.”

This may be the ideal spot for Kentucky to get right. The Ohio pass defense ranks No. 122 in success rate and No. 119 in EPA.