Vibe Check: South Carolina Loss Shouldn't Redefine Belief in this Kentucky Football Team

Morale hasn’t been this low for Kentucky football fans in years. The 31-6 loss to South Carolina baffled Big Blue Nation and forced many to seriously reconsider expectations for the 2024 season.

As bad as that loss was — and let me be clear, that was about as bad as it gets — it should not significantly change what you thought about this team in the preseason.

So let’s revisit what we thought about this team just a few weeks ago and see how much it differs from what we’ve seen on the field.

Great Run Defense, But They Gotta Get Better on Third Down

Kentucky ranks third nationally in run defense success rate. Opponents are averaging 1.79 yards per carry. Georgia has one of the best offensive lines in college football, but will they be able to move Deone Walker and Co. to open rushing lanes? I’d bet on the Kentucky front seven holding strong.

The secondary showed us in the South Carolina game that they’re still far too prone to making big mistakes in critical third down situations. The raw numbers are significantly improved — Kentucky is ten points better than a year ago, getting off the field on 66% of third downs — but when the dam breaks, the floodwaters turn into points. LaNorris Sellers only completed 10 passes, but two of them were touchdowns to wide receivers who didn’t have a defender within 15 yards.

The Kentucky defense is who we thought they were. Capitalize on a few more sack opportunities, eliminate the busted coverages and that’s a recipe for success in the SEC.

Will Hamdan and Vandagriff be a Winning Combination at Kentucky?

The jury is still out on the new Kentucky play-caller and quarterback. That should be the case even if Kentucky defeated South Carolina. Making a grand pronouncement about either after 6.5 quarters is foolish, especially when Brock Vandagriff spent the night running for his life.

Got thoughts? Continue the conversation on KSBoard, the KSR Message Board.

The One Big Preseason Error: Offensive Line

I heard Mark Stoops talk all offseason about how they were going to get more physical on the offensive line. They did accomplish that to a degree in the running game against the Gamecocks, ripping off 180 non-sack rushing yards, but the preseason expectations of the offensive line are far short of reality. The floor is much lower than we expected and the Cats are dealing with injuries up front. Starting LG Jager Burton is out this week and it may be a while before he returns.

The good news? They played as bad as they possibly could against arguably the best pass rush they’ll face this season. Tennessee and Ole Miss have some dudes, but NFL Draft scouts are already willing to say they’d make Dylan Stewart a Top Five pick after his freshman season. We did not know Kentucky was capable of protecting the quarterback so poorly, but that will not be the norm for Vandagriff.

“One week doesn’t define us,” said offensive tackle Marques Cox.

It’s Harder to be a Fan than a Kentucky Football Player

Some might scoff at that statement, but it’s true. Kentucky fans feel helpless this week because there is almost nothing they can do to help the situation, aside from being present for Saturday night’s home game. When your team loses, all you can do is bitch about it online and grow weary by looking at the difficult schedule that lies ahead.

The way Kentucky football players and coaches handle a bad loss differs from the fans. They can take action. They’re pissed off by that performance and want to prove that they’re better than what they showed against South Carolina. There is still a lot of football to be played. One week may not define them, but it could for the right reasons if this team plays to its potential.