Can Chris Rodriguez fix UK football’s rushing struggles? Only if these issues are solved.

It would be easy to assume the return of star running back Chris Rodriguez for Kentucky football’s Oct. 1 game at Ole Miss would fix the Wildcats’ rushing issues.

Through three games, Kentucky ranks 122nd nationally in rushing yards per game (74.3), 126th in yards per carry (2.2) and 101st in rushing touchdowns (three). Those numbers represent a dramatic shift from a year ago when the Wildcats showed off the improved offensive balance Mark Stoops had called for by jump-starting a previously nonexistent passing game but still ranked 32nd nationally in rushing yards per game (199.5), 16th in yards per carry (5.2) and 32nd in rushing touchdowns (27).

Rodriguez, who is suspended for the first four games of the season, is one of the most effective rushers in program history.

He is the SEC’s top returning rusher after totaling 1,379 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. The McDonough, Georgia, native ranks sixth on UK’s career rushing yards list (2,740). He needs 1,134 yards to break Benny Snell’s UK career rushing record.

“I think we can throw the ball whenever we want, quite honestly,” offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello said after his team rushed for 103 yards against FCS Youngstown State. “For the most part, I think we can do that kind of stuff. We’ve got the receivers and the quarterback and the types of people to do it. I think the balance in the run game, that is our mission to get fixed. It has to get fixed, and we’ll get it fixed.”

So, how does Kentucky fix its rushing issues? Here are three areas to watch Saturday against Northern Illinois before Kentucky starts the meat of its SEC schedule at Ole Miss.

Don’t just blame the offensive line

No one in the Kentucky locker room would argue the Wildcats’ rebuilt offensive line has performed to its normal lofty standard through the season’s first month, but every time there is a negative rushing play the blame does not necessarily fall at the line’s feet.

“There’s one play with a missed assignment (from a receiver),” Kentucky Coach Mark Stoops said. “It goes for negative-4 yards and everybody is going to say it was on the offensive line. We have it all sealed up if we do what we’re supposed to do.

“It’s probably a 20-yard gain instead of a 4-yard loss. That’s not on the offensive line, that’s on a wide receiver completely whiffing.”

Scangarello said three of Kentucky’s negative rushing plays against Youngstown State could be attributed to wide receiver blocking errors. Stoops also said the tight ends have not been “as strong at the point of attack as they can be as well.”

“It starts with just getting our targets right,” quarterback Will Levis said. “It’s receivers even on run plays giving their hardest and making those touchdown-saving blocks because they never know when it’s going to be the block that matters. It’s me having good footwork, carrying out my fakes, which I can do a better job at.”

Protect Will Levis

While other positions share some of the blame with the offensive line, the statistical dip in rushing production goes hand in hand with the pass protection issues.

A year ago, Levis recorded a negative rushing total in just one of 13 games. He’s already done that twice in three games this season and has rushed for a net minus-27 yards on the season.

Kentucky ranks 124th of 131 teams in the country in sacks allowed (11), and Scangarello has elected to cut most of the designed quarterback run plays from the game plan in favor of protecting Levis’s body.

“The guy could run for 1,000 yards if we wanted him to, but I don’t want to break the man,” Scangarello said earlier this season. “He’s too valuable and he’s a pro-style quarterback and he can do a lot of things. We’re going to be gentle with him. That’s just not my background and what I want to do with a guy like Will.”

Players other than Levis are averaging 3.9 yards per carry on the season. That number is still well short of Rodriguez’s 6.6 yards-per-carry average in his career, but the rushing numbers would at least be more respectable without the sack totals included.

“I think it’s pretty obvious that we haven’t played to our standard,” junior center Eli Cox said. “Everybody else has told us that too, so just the thing is it’s all correctable. It’s a young (offensive line) we have that’s still trying to gel. I think the more game reps we have and the better focused practice we have, this group is going to excel.”

The running backs have to do their part

Senior Kavosiey Smoke, who has served as the starter at running back in Rodriguez’s absence, has actually been a net positive so far.

“I really value the way he’s playing,” Scangarello said. “He’s run tough. He’s played at this level, so we’ve counted on him. With four backs not in the rotation, it affects things. So, he’s had to step up, and he’s done a great job.”

Smoke is averaging 4.6 yards per carry on the season. That’s down from 5.1 yards per carry last year, but Smoke did score the first touchdown by a Kentucky running back this season against Youngstown State.

The problem with Kentucky’s running backs is they have rarely provided the big play. Yes, some of the problem is a lack of holes to run through, but at some point individual talent has to take over.

The fact that running backs Ramon Jefferson and JuTahn McClain, projected to serve as Smoke’s primary backups, have been sidelined by injuries has not helped matters either.

Kentucky is one of just 15 teams in the country with one or zero rushing plays of at least 20 yards. The Wildcats’ only run of that distance this season was from Levis, not a running back.

“Nothing is going to be perfect, so then the playmakers have got to make it up for you,” Scangarello said. “Sometimes you’ve got to run over a guy, and sometimes you’ve got to make someone miss and take care of the ball. If we do those things, we’ll be fine and the run game will be great.”

If there’s an area you can feel confident Rodriguez will fix, that is it.

Next game

Northern Illinois at No. 8 Kentucky

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

TV: ESPN2

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Records: Kentucky 3-0, Northern Illinois 1-2

Series: First meeting

This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 10:15 AM.

Jon Hale

Lexington Herald-Leader

(859) 414-6776

Jon Hale is the University of Kentucky football beat writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader. He joined the Herald-Leader in 2022 but has covered UK athletics for more than 10 years. Hale was named the 2021 Kentucky Sportswriter of the Year. Support my work with a digital subscription