The Kentucky offense is moving the ball. So why does it matter how?
Over its eight most recent games, this season and last, Kentucky has gained more total yards than its opponent eight times.
In UK’s last six football games, the Wildcats have averaged 479.2 total yards and 37.3 points per game.
During those same six contests, Kentucky has rushed for more than 330 yards five times, more than 400 yards four times and more than 500 yards once.
Given those numbers, it is kind of amazing how much carping one hears about the UK offense.
Part of that, of course, is the fact that UK is off to a disappointing 0-2 start in the coronavirus-delayed 2020 season.
But a lot of the complaining is because Kentucky’s current stretch of bountiful offensive production has been fueled by a ground-reliant attack heavy on read-option plays.
Ever since those heady days when Hal Mumme brought the Air Raid to Lexington and unleashed Tim Couch in 1997, a substantial segment of the UK fan base equates successful, exciting offense with pass-happy approaches.
When new Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, the Mumme-era Kentucky assistant, brings his version of the Air Raid to Kroger Field Saturday night to face off with Mark Stoops and troops, some pining UK backers will see the offensive system for which they still yearn.
Which is fine.
Some people prefer strawberry ice cream to butter pecan.
Some like science fiction movies more than comedies.
And some prefer pass-heavy offenses to ground-oriented attacks.
All are matters of personal taste.
However, there’s no factual underpinning to claims that Kentucky is not putting an effective offense on the field.
Since quarterback injuries forced UK offensive coordinator Eddie Gran to shift wide receiver Lynn Bowden to QB before last season’s sixth game, Kentucky has played 10 times.
The UK offense has outgained its foe in nine of those contests.
With Bowden becoming an increasingly effective read-option quarterback, Kentucky’s rushing totals in its final four games of last year were 401 (at Vanderbilt), 462 (Tennessee at Martin), 517 (Louisville) and 331 (Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl).
With Bowden gone to the NFL, a big question for UK entering 2020 was how much — if any — of Kentucky’s late-season running prowess from last year would carry over?
Well, the Wildcats fell behind in their 2020 season opener at Auburn and had to rely more on the pass (239 yards through the air) than the rush (145).
However, in last week’s crushing 42-41 overtime loss to Mississippi, UK went back to some of the same run game with quarterback Terry Wilson it had used with Bowden the year before.
Against a subpar Ole Miss defense and behind Kentucky’s stout, veteran offensive line, UK’s read-option attack was still ruthlessly effective.
The Cats had three different rushers, Christopher Rodriguez (133 yards), Wilson (129) and A.J. Rose (117) go over 100 yards rushing en route to 408 yards on the ground as a team.
A struggling defensive secondary and errant place-kicking ultimately negated UK’s offensive prowess.
It wasn’t the Kentucky offense that lost that game.
Yet even Stoops seemed defensive about the fact Kentucky ran the ball 56 times while attempting only 18 passes vs. Mississippi.
“We could have thrown it for more (yards),” Stoops said Monday on his weekly Zoom news conference. “We were having success in the run game, we had to stay with it. When you rush for 408, you have to be an idiot to deviate from that.”
The Kentucky coach was asked if he fretted that UK becoming known for a ground-hugging offense could undermine recruiting.
“If you’re asking me big picture, yes, I want to be better and I want to be more efficient throwing the football, absolutely,” Stoops said. “I think that’s a fair question and I think we’ve worked hard at it. But again, I think you know I’m going to be judged on wins and losses. And so, you have to give our program the best opportunity to win games.”
I hear some UK fans say running the ball repeatedly is boring.
Well, running the ball ineffectively repeatedly is boring.
Gashing teams consistently in the run game is pretty darned entertaining.
Using creative formations to yield advantageous run-game matchups — which Gran proved adept at doing last year down the stretch — is also fun to watch.
Now, in a perfect world — or in Nick Saban’s — a team’s offense reaches mastery of both land and air.
As proficient as Kentucky has become running the ball, imagine the harm UK could inflict if it got a play-action passing game going?
With Wilson — who completed 14 of 18 passes with two clear drops vs. Ole Miss — back at the controls, maybe that will develop for the Cats.
Still, even allowing for matters of personal preference in what style of offense one likes watching, the bottom line question in terms of UK offensive effectiveness seems simple:
What difference does it make how Kentucky moves the ball as long as Kentucky moves the ball?
