Kentucky's defense needs help from the UK offense for the Cats to stay in the game against Georgia. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Mark Stoops never worried about how Kentucky’s offense would perform this season even when some things did not go well in preseason scrimmages because there is always a “give and take” between offense and defense then.
However, he knows there are problems now and have been for several weeks.
“We’re just not good enough to dominate and win one-sided. We have to play good as a team. To win, you have to be good as a team. We have to play good in all of our areas,” Stoops said.
Kentucky’s offense has been okay at best and was not even that in a 24-21 loss to Vanderbilt last week. That could spell disaster going into Saturday’s game with No. 1 Georgia, the defending national champion.
Stoops hired offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello just before spring practice started. He had little time after leaving the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers before he had to put UK’s offense in place.
“It was probably quick but that’s, again, there’s no excuses. He doesn’t want them, I don’t want them. But it was quick, the guy got here when I was supposed to be in spring ball. So, you really don’t have that off-season to piece things together,” Stoops said.
“It has been quick that way but he’s also adjusting, he is very bright and a very smart and good coach. He understands that there are issues going on and things and constantly looking at it.”
The two met for over four hours Sunday with all the offensive coaches after the Vandy loss.
What does he see when he watches the offense?
“I see some really good things and I see inconsistency. Then I also see things that we have to adjust quicker than we did. You know what I mean, with some of that, quit getting every headline that I’m throwing darts. We’re all in this together, it’s on me. But yeah, there are things we certainly could do better,” he said.
“If there are things that when it gets too much, I don’t want to say too complex, but you have to invest too much time, we don’t have that. We have to build on the things we have done that we can carry and the areas we’re not targeting things right and the things that are too complex we have to toss out.”
Stoops said running back Chris Rodriguez runs hard and that quarterback Will Levis is a “very good player”. The coach said the young receivers are talented.
“There are still some really good things but there are things we all understand. We understand that there are some areas that are unacceptable. When we are driving the football and get the ball in the red zone, and you have three opportunities (and) get six points. That’s not good, and those are things that yeah, we are driving it and moving it but you got to get it in,” he said.
“Some of that is a limitation on Will, again, no excuses, but Will being banged up and not having a quarterback run game, not being 100 percent, it doesn’t help when you’re in the red zone in particular.”
The one plus for UK Saturday is that it does not have to play at Georgia — but also remember both South Carolina and Vanderbilt have won in Lexington with teams nowhere as close to the talent level of Georgia.
“Instead of you going to their stadium with 100,000 plus going nuts … it will help my head on practice this week not having to hear that noise all week in practice, I guess. But to our players, it’s still a real challenge. Our approach really isn’t any different other than handling communication with the noise,” Stoops said.
