Kentucky Vs. Vanderbilt: After Action Review 

An After Action Review, or AAR, is a militaristic tool that’s utilized to evaluate an event, action or mission. KSR uses a similar format to measure Kentucky’s success when compared to pregame goals. The following are findings from the Wildcats’ 45-28 victory over Vanderbilt.   

B.L.U.F (Bottom Line Up-Front) 

Kentucky went on the road to beat Vanderbilt 45-28. The ‘Cats are now 4-0 on the season and 1-0 against SEC competition.  

SITUATION 

Kentucky entered the contest with a 3-0 record after defeating Ball State (44-14), EKU (28-17), and Akron (35-3). Vanderbilt was 2-2 prior to Saturday’s contest. Saturday marked UK’s first conference and road game of the 2023 season.  

OFFENSE 

Head coach Mark Stoops said with a rare postgame smile, “I’m not exactly ecstatic about it.” That was the head coach’s response when pressed on offensive inefficiencies. He went on to say, “Can’t I enjoy it for five minutes?”  

Stoops has always connected with the fan base. The head coach tells it like it is and relates to the BBN’s frustrations that are a result of his boom-or-bust offense in 2023. He finished this segment of his press conference by adding, “I’m 4-0 and have been pissed off at every press conference.” Stoops’ words matched the majority — myself included — of the BBN’s reaction to Saturday’s win. Yet Kentucky went on the road and defeated an SEC opponent by 17 points. This has been an odd year.  

Boom or bust is an accurate description for Liam Coen’s offense through four contests. That applied on Saturday. Kentucky manufactured six rushing plays that exceeded 10+ yards, three of which went past 20. Quarterback Devin Leary recorded four pass completions that surpassed the 15+ yard mark with three that went past 20. This team can explode, that has been proven. This offense can change the scoreboard on any given play. This makes for nervous and exhilarating Saturdays.  

UK got off to a smoking hot start by putting up 21 first-quarter points. Fan frustrations with the offense in the first three games of the season appeared to be debunked or solved based on the early output. Unfortunately, that didn’t last. Penalties, dropped passes, inaccurate throws, and an overall lack of urgency led to a late-half surge by the home team.

You can often hear me or Adam Luckett discuss the “Middle Eight.” This term refers to the last minutes of the second quarter and the first moments of the third. Vandy won this portion of the game by scoring 10 second-quarter points and three in the third. The ‘Cats started off with a bang, but Vanderbilt departed the field for the tented locker room with momentum. The opportunity for an easy win was still there, but a collective sigh could be felt from Franklin to Ashland.   

Saturday’s third quarter was one of the least aesthetic offensive periods of the season. Drops seem to be a weekly topic and resurfaced in Nashville. The same can be said about penalties. Add in a turnover and an awkward quarterback trip by the center, and the sum was a textbook example of the wheels falling off the proverbial wagon.  

However, this offense can explode. Barion Brown registered four receptions for 105 yards and a score. The Nashville product averaged over 26 yards per catch. Ray Davis had a 38-yard run. JuTahn McClain pitched in a 36-yard sprint to the end zone and averaged 11 yards per attempt. Dane Key’s 22-yard touchdown catch was a thing of beauty. Boom or bust. We’ll get to that in a minute.  

Offenses can be measured by many parameters. For the intent and purposes of this AAR, we’ll take a look at two: Explosion and execution. The ‘Cats can explode but are vastly inconsistent on a down-by-down basis in terms of execution.  

First downs were not friendly to Liam Coen’s unit and provided many aggravating moments for all things blue and white. UK struck out on far too many first-down plays. The result was nearly 10 2^nd and 10+ downs. Normally this would indicate that an offense surrendered a high number of tackles for loss and or quarterback sacks. That wasn’t the case. VU had just three TFLs and one sack. Runs were stuffed at the line of scrimmage and Coen frequently went to the pass on first down. Many throwing attempts fell incomplete. This is baffling. The UK playcaller was excellent on first-down efficiency in 2021.  

Regardless, the ‘Cats are 4-0. Issues that plagued the offense in Week 1 continue to be a hindrance going into Week 5. I presumed this would not be the case. I was wrong. I’m also convinced that this is an execution and focus matter after watching Saturday’s first quarter, which was nearly flawless. It’s there. Somewhere. But, sustainment based on prosperity has certainly not been proven to this point in the season. However, explosive plays have saved the day in all four games thus far.  

The offense that Coen put on display in the first quarter was impressive in terms of personnel being utilized in a surgical X and O manner. Yet, the Wildcats’ offense sputtered when it needed to roar in the second and third quarters. The inability to put Vanderbilt away when the Commodores were wobbly presented a great deal of frustration for the head coach, this writer, and the loyal fan base. Here are the pregame goals vs. results.  

Mature and Clock-In
RESULT: NO-GO 

Kentucky scored 31 offensive points on Saturday. The defense pitched in 31% of the Wildcats’ total points. I see that as complementary football. That was a positive. But, this team, or offense particularly, couldn’t thrive from prosperity. A near offensive meltdown occurred following a three-touchdown advantage. The numbers support this claim. Here are the results of UK’s offensive drives once the score was 21-0:  

• Punt (3 and out) 
• Field Goal (had the football first and goal) 
• Punt (3 and out) 
• Punt (3 and out) 
• Interception 

Not good. The Vanderbilt defense ranked last in the SEC in scoring. It was without key personnel that were either lost due to injury or ejection. Still, the ‘Cats failed to put the hammer down and finish its opponent. Vanderbilt was coming off a tough loss on a road game on the West Coast and appeared ready to throw in the towel. However, the ‘Cats offered the home team a helping hand that all but secured momentum for the home underdogs. Fortunately, UK got the win. The vastly blue crowd also factored in. A normal SEC road environment won’t be as forgiving as that embarrassing construction zone was on Saturday.  

Pitch and Catch (67% Completion Percentage)
RESULT: NO-GO 

Devin Leary finished the game by going 15-29. The result was a 52% completion percentage. Drops, throwaways, and tipped passes didn’t help. Accuracy problems also continued. The passing game has Dudes that can explode. But, it lacks situational execution and consistency. Without a down-by-down run game and a back such as Benny Snell or Chris Rodriguez Jr., this could present major problems going forward.  

52% was disappointing. Vanderbilt star safety De’Rickey Wright did not participate in the game. Clark Lea’s team captain safety, Jaylen Mahoney, was ejected on Kentucky’s second offensive possession of the game. Other defensive backs missed the contest as well. UK took advantage of the situation in the first quarter. That didn’t last. 

DEFENSE 

Coordinator Brad White dialed up some pretty exotic blitzes and rolled coverages. The combination of scheme and leverage appeared to overwhelm quarterback AJ Swann. The strong-armed signal-caller went 16-40 for 189 yards before leaving the game in the fourth quarter. He also threw three interceptions. Swann showed life by leading his team to 13 points in the Middle Eight.  

The Kentucky secondary played its best game of the season. Vandy entered the contest with two receivers in the top 10 in the SEC. Another averaged 30 yards per catch. The Commodores had lived off the big play and wanted to get vertical against the ‘Cats. UK had other plans. Swann’s yards per attempt was 4.7 and he completed just 40% of his passes. Excellent.  

Vanderbilt sported one of the top trio of receivers in the SEC prior to Saturday. All-conference pass catcher Will Sheppard is considered by some to be the top WR in the league. He finished the game with just two receptions for 31 yards. Jayden McGowen was in the conference’s Top 10 as well. He failed to catch a pass against Kentucky. London Humphreys was averaging over 30 yards per grab and had scored three touchdowns in four games. The Wildcats limited the explosive playmaker to three catches for 33 yards and zero scores. That’s nearly 19 fewer YPC than his season mark.  

Preseason concerns surrounded the cornerback position. Andru Phillips and Maxwell Hairston have vastly exceeded expectations and have played at a high level. Hairston was excellent against Vandy and became the first Wildcat to record two pick-6s in a game. Phillips was imposing against both the run and pass. I said on the KSR Pregame Show that the safeties needed to play their best game of the season. That group was a predicted team strength in the offseason. They answered the call. The “Passes Defended” statistical category hadn’t been great thus far. Not on Saturday. UK was listed with seven. Again, excellent.  

The Wildcats constantly pressured the Vanderbilt quarterback. While only recording one QB sack, interior rush led to hurries. Pressure was constant. This frustrated the opponent. Deone Walker has significant influence on the game even if his numbers don’t reflect high production.  

He and his fellow defensive linemen were problems for the banged-up VU offensive line. Same can be said about inside linebacker Trevin Wallace. But, UK has yet to consistently harass opposing quarterbacks from the Edge. This is becoming somewhat of a concern. The following is a breakdown of UK’s 11 QB sacks by position for the season:  

• ILB: 3.5 
• Edge: 2 
• DL: 5.5  

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the UK defense. The Middle Eight was won by Vanderbilt. Clark Lea’s team scored 10 points in the closing minutes of the first half and three in the opening of the second. Penalties aided that fact. But, much like their counterparts, the defense needs to finish opponents when they’re on the ropes. Overall, Saturday was a defensive win. White’s unit produced 31% of Kentucky’s scoring total. Let’s get into the goals vs. results.  

Pack a Lunch (4 Quarterback Sacks)
RESULT: NO-GO 

This did not happen. But, the ‘Cats consistently harassed Vanderbilt’s quarterbacks. The pressure was mainly from the defensive line and interior linebackers. This led to a low completion percentage and three interceptions including two pick-6s.

Paint the Corners (No More Than 10-Yards Per Catch)
RESULT: NO-GO  

The result was a no-go. But, this category is somewhat deceiving. A late-game garbage drive aided VU’s cause. Seven defended passes, 40% completion percentage, and three INTs including two pick-6s against that receiving corps have to be considered a successful afternoon by any standards.  

SPECIAL TEAMS 

There were no postgame discussions about the third phase. That means that UK did its job on special teams.  

Go Win the Game
RESULT: N/A 

The third phase didn’t have to go win a game. The defense more that did its part to help a sputtering offense. Road conference games are normally won based on special teams and the turnover margin. Not great, not bad. That’s an improvement from the 2022 season.  

OUTCOME  

This has been an extremely odd season. Supposed weaknesses are now strengths. Select preseason strengths are not weaknesses, but have failed to meet expectations. Still, Kentucky won an SEC road game by 17. Mark Stoops’ words are still ringing in my ears, “I’m 4-0 and have been pissed off at every press conference.” That has to be a tough world to live in as a head coach. Wins must be celebrated, especially road conference victories.  

Who is this Kentucky team? Heck, I’m no expert; but I have no clue. Devin Leary was considered by some as the nation’s top transfer quarterback. He was also one of the most accurate QB’s in the ACC prior to transferring to Kentucky. He is completing 59% of his passes. But, it’s not all his fault. There is blame to throw around.  

Kentucky’s vaunted receiving corps that garnered a great deal of preseason hype has dropped the ball at times. The deep and talented TE group that gave us all high hopes hasn’t been frequently targeted and has produced a combined 10 receptions for 175 yards and one score. The running game has exploded but failed to be a down-to-down threat. The offensive line has protected the passer better than a year ago, but has failed to move the pile for the ground game.  

This scenario also applies to the defense. Cornerback was the presumed weakness. Andru Phillips and Maxwell Hairston have excelled through four games. The third phase also gets a piece of this. The unknown status at the kicker position was uneasy in the offseason and fall camp. Alex Raynor has been perfect on the season. There are exceptions. Deone Walker was expected to star and he has. Trevin Wallace has lived up to my lofty goal of being the highest-graded signee of the Stoops era.  

The good news is that Kentucky has yet to play its best football for four quarters in a game. The bad news is that Kentucky has yet to play its best football for four quarters in a game. Can it do so? We’ll see. I hope so. I believe in Stoops, Coen, and White. Competition gets ratcheted up a notch when the Florida Gators come calling on Saturday.  

I do not have a solid grasp on this team. The 2023 Wildcats continue to baffle me. Numbers don’t meet the eyes. Eyes don’t meet the numbers. Up is down, down is up. This thing could go in several different ways. But, through all the frustrations, this team can explode in all three phases. That must be seen as encouraging.  

There are individual players that have flashed on offense. Some may describe it as wow-worthy. There have been stretches when the offense was nearly perfect as an 11-man collective. Yet, there’s been moments like the second and third quarters in Nashville. I honestly feel sorry for Mark Stoops. Nothing worries or bothers a coach more than inconsistency. The good part of the Wildcats’ struggles is that even in the bad, effort and want-to have been there. Thus, improvements can be made. Encouraging. The team’s effort must be applauded. Regardless of how sharp or not the result has been, the ‘Cats play hard.  

I’ll close with this. I feel silly writing this article. How can I complain or have issues with this football team? Here are the cold hard facts. Kentucky is averaging 38 points per game while giving up just 15.5. I’m confused and frustrated by this year’s ‘Cats like many of you that are reading this article. But, UK’s margin of victory is 22.5 points per game. A 22.5 point winning margin and an undefeated record have led Stoops, you, me, and those in between to echo the head coach’s sentiments, “I’m (We’re) 4-0 and I’ve been pissed off at every press conference.”  

The Cats are 4-0, 1-0 in the SEC, and play Florida on Saturday.