Vicky Graff Photo
By TIM LETCHER, UK ATHLETICS
Through two games, the Kentucky offense has gotten off to a pair of slow starts. In UK’s season-opening win over Ball State, the Cats scored just three points in the first quarter. Then on Saturday, the Cats needed a late second quarter touchdown to avoid being shut out in the first 30 minutes against Eastern Kentucky.
The Cats found their rhythm in the second half. UK scored on four consecutive drives on their way to a 28-17 win. Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen is hoping that the Cats can find that kind of consistency on Saturday against Akron.
“Toward the end of the first half, you hit the explosive off the sudden change and you rattle off four straight scoring drives and we look like an operation,” Coen said. “So, how do we get to that point earlier in the game is the key.
“How do we get to a place of consistency, rhythm, quarterback is in a comfortable place, we’re protecting, we’re making plays so that, against some other teams, we don’t dig ourselves into too big of a hole that we can’t come back from it.”
Coen said that the Cats’ execution can come with one thing – consistency.
“You aren’t going to walk out and beat anybody when you don’t do anything consistently,” Coen said. “We go out, first drive of the game, third and one and we jump offsides. So, we’re punting on the first drive of the game. Those kinds of little things were a little bit of the theme in the first half.”
What were the specific things that caused the inconsistency? Coen has identified a couple of items.
“We had a couple of protection issues in communication specifically on third and fourth down situations that we cannot have,” Coen said. “The quarterback being on the same page with everybody – receivers, tight ends, running backs, (offensive) line – he has to completely own everything. And, I can be better. I can be better for these kids, I can be better for the staff. Just let these kids go play.”
