3 Plays: Kentucky's third phase makes big impact

A top priority for the Kentucky football program was to fix special teams. The Wildcats had an assortment of issues in the third phase last season. That led to Mark Stoops making some big staff changes. Jay Boulware was hired to run the special teams, and quality control assistant Mike Priefer Jr. was added to assist the kickers.

The new approach in Lexington made a big splash in Week 1. Kentucky’s third phase made important plays in multiple areas and it allowed the Wildcats to pull away in the second half.

KSR’s three plays are going to take a closer look at the plays that made the biggest difference on Saturday.

Alex Raynor puts points on the board

The kicking game was a huge issue for Kentucky last season. Against Vanderbilt and Ole Miss, the Cats had productive first quarter drives end with missed field goals. Those misses loomed large in both three-point losses.

Jay Boulware added Georgia Southern transfer Alex Raynor to the roster to be his first placekicker at Kentucky. The redshirt senior entered Saturday having made 45 of 59 field goal attempts in his career. The Georgia native has a strong accuracy reputation, and that showed up at Kroger Field.

Raynor finished the game 3-for-3 on field goals, but his first make from 41 yards salvaged a drive and allowed Kentucky to cash in with points early in the football game.

Raynor made the kick with relative ease and set the table for a big third phase performance. Kentucky’s field goal operation looks much improved and will make a big difference when scoring opportunities arrive.

Barion Brown makes a house call

In his true freshman season, Barion Brown quickly made a name for himself on special teams. The former top-100 recruit out of Nashville is flat-out dangerous with the ball in his hands. After Ball State cut the lead to a two-possession game with under a minute left in the third quarter, Brown made his first big play of the season.

Thanks to some excellent blocking, the Red Sea parted, and Brown was off to the races in the third quarter.

🏎️💨 @BarionBrown to the 🏡

📺 – @SECNetwork: https://t.co/3aG0GGb6M5 pic.twitter.com/QryBUP1RiL

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) September 2, 2023

The sophomore now has two touchdowns in 18 career returns. Opposing teams will now have to be very careful with how they approach kickoffs. That could give Kentucky a significant advantage in the hidden yardage battle if direction kicking is how teams counterpunch.

Brown is a difference-maker in the return game.

Kentucky returns the favor

Kentucky had multiple field goals, extra point tries, and punts blocked last season. Those special teams gaffes were nearly a weekly occurrence in 2022. The Wildcats returned the favor to begin 2023.

After bowing up and forcing a long field goal try with a 37-14 lead in the fourth quarter, Octavious Oxendine got a paw on a low long drive kick to make yet another big play in the kicking game on Saturday.

Kentucky made big plays in the third phase. We only have one data point, but it’s hard to not realize that the Wildcats have made huge strides on special teams.