Kentucky vs. South Carolina After Action Review

An After Action Review, or AAR for short, is a military process used to analyze what happened, why it happened, and how it can be done better. Thanks to our friends at the Kentucky Army National Guard, KSR applies that concept to analyze Kentucky football games. Here is the breakdown of the Wildcat’s 24-14 loss to South Carolina 

B.L.U.F. (Bottom Line Up Front)

South Carolina outcoached and outplayed Kentucky in an embarrassing 24-14 loss to the Gamecocks. 

OVERVIEW

Kentucky’s 24-14 loss to South Carolina was the worst loss in the modern-day Stoops era. The Wildcats entered the field flat and were later flattened by an average-at-best opponent at home. I have to credit South Carolina and Shane Beamer. I have made fun of the Gamecocks’ lofty rankings at SEC Media Days and that program in general. I was wrong. When I’m wrong, I admit it. I have more words, but I don’t want to waste your time. Let’s dive into goals vs. results. 

OFFENSE 

Star quarterback Will Levis watched the game from the sideline. So did starting tackle Jeremy Flax. Redshirt freshman Kaiya Sheron played well enough to win the football game. The rookie deserves credit for battling for four quarters in an extremely difficult circumstance. He was not aided by play calling or execution from teammates that surrounded the Somerset native. Sheron was not the reason UK lost the football game. 

Chris Rodriguez Jr. was rolling in the first half after posting a 16-carry, 97-yard performance. Unfathomably, coordinator Rich Scangarello gave the star running back six rushes that resulted in 29 yards in the third and fourth quarters. The ‘Cats surrendered six QB sacks. Carolina had recorded four in five games leading into Saturday’s matchup. UK got behind the chains by attempting passes on first down and east and west runs instead of rolling straight at the Gamecock defense. Ball game. Here are the goals vs. results. 

Run the Football: NO

The goal here was for 175 yards. The ‘Cats finished with 121. Six sacks and eight tackles for loss hurt this number significantly. UK was averaging 87 rushing yards per game leading up to the South Carolina game so I guess that can be considered as progress. 

Block: NO

Pass blocking remains to be a precarious proposition. Far too many one-on-one losses. Six sacks and eight tackles for loss equaled 299 total yards of offense against a defense that wasn’t near the top of the SEC. 

DEFENSE

If you really think about the 2022 season, the UK defense has been by far the best unit on the team. My fear was that after playing at such a high level, at some point in the season Brad White’s unit was due a bad quarter or half. That happened on Saturday. The ‘Cats dominated Carolina in the first half after limiting the visitors to 90 total yards. 

My fears came to fruition. South Carolina rolled up 266 total yards and 17 points in the third and fourth quarters. Inefficient tackling surfaced. Kentucky’s second-half defense was sloppy and uncharacteristic. Goals vs. results time. 

Get Carolina off the Field: NO

The objective for this category was less than 40% on third down. The Gamecocks’ conversion ratio was 43%. 

Get After Rattler: YES 

DeAndre Square and Tyrell Ajian each recorded a sack. The goal was two, so UK achieved this objective. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Ugh. Another poor third-phase outing occurred. Special teams had been a problem and continued to be so on Saturday. UK failed to flip field position after punting for a net 36 yards per boot. The Gamecocks also had key returns and owned the field position game. Hidden yards were plentiful. UK missed a field goal and had a punt blocked. Let’s see how. 

Snap, Hold, and Kick the Football Through the Goal Posts: NO 

UK missed another field goal. The snap appeared to be low, Matt Ruffolo had to delay his process and hooked the football left of the goal post. 

Be Alert: NO 

UK surrendered another explosive play. South Carolina blocked a punt. 

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN? 

Kentucky’s offense has been inefficient for six games now. With or without Will Levis, Scangarello’s side of the football has underwhelmed. The road was going to be rocky with Kaiya Sheron at quarterback, but the rookie played his guts out. Play calling, pre-snap penalties, critical dropped passes, and allowed QB sacks and TFLs doomed the ‘Cats. Seems to me that 24 running between the tackles was working. Those play calls decreased after Carolina went ahead 14-7 early in the third quarter. Panic set in, play calls reflected. The Wildcats got behind the chains on far too many occasions. 

The Wildcats have lost two games in a row that were incredibly winnable. An achievable 6-0 start is now a 4-2 record with Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Georgia on the horizon. This season took a southward turn when the Cats lost to an average at best South Carolina team at home. UK’s backs are against the proverbial wall. 

Mark Stoops looked as frustrated as I’ve ever seen him after the game. His team has played uncharacteristic football halfway through the 2022 season. The head coach will go back to work and try to fix his squad in a critical week. 

Somehow, someway, Rich Scangarello has to get this offense right. Struggles abound — the Wildcats have been inefficient in most categories. Injuries are a part of football. Losing Jeremy Flax really hurt this team against Carolina. Offensive line depth just isn’t where it needs to be. There are many theories as to why this is so. I’ve written about it if you’d like to go back and take a look. 

Two winnable games resulted in two heartbreaking and highly frustrating losses. It’s now or never for the ‘Cats with Mike Leach and that high-powered offense coming to town. We’ll see. 

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