Situational football was point of emphasis for Kentucky in offseason

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On3 image — (Photo: Dr. Michael Huang/KSR)

The margins are thin in college football. When you play a style of ball like Kentucky where possessions are limited, that becomes even more true. That means you are going to find yourself in a lot of close games. Winning in situations becomes critical.

In the 24-point victory over Miami (Ohio), Kentucky used a blistering 17-0 run in the Middle Eight to turn a tie game at the end of the second quarter into a blowout in the blink of an eye. The Cats took advantage of the double-dip possession opportunity after Miami (Ohio) decided to take the ball after winning the coin toss.

Will Levis told KSR that situational football was a big focal point for the program in the offseason.

“We actually put a lot of emphasis this year on both two-minute and Middle Eight — the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. We had a little two-minute drive to get us three points before the half, and we were planning on scoring on offense to make it a 10-point swing, but Barion [Brown] handled it for us,” said Levis. “For that to happen and the turnover and then we get another touchdown, it was a huge momentum switch in the game.”

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It certainly helps out when you get some help from the kicking game in the Middle 8. Brown’s 100-yard kickoff was the the biggest play of the night but Kentucky also got a strong punt return from Tayvion Robinson, a 50-yard field goal from Matt Ruffolo, and a blocked punt from J.J. Weaver. The third phase is another situational aspect of football that can help teams win games. Kentucky dominated the field position battle (average start at own 36) as Kentucky’s special teams made a statement on Saturday.

That could make a huge difference in the game on Saturday with Florida after the Gators won the Middle Eight against Utah but were hammered in the field position battle with a minus-14 disadvantage.

Both Kentucky and Florida have some ball control tendencies on offense and that means advantages must be earned in the margins. Whoever can win the Middle 8 situation on Saturday should have a heavy advantage. Another big special teams play from the Cats could go a long way.