Bush Hamdan Knows UK Must Play a Different Way to Win

Bush Hamdan (Vicky Graff Photo)

Kentucky offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said Tuesday what many UK fans have been thinking — or saying — since midway of last season.

“I think this biggest thing from my end here in two years is we gotta play a different way to win football games. That I do know,” Hamdan said after Tuesday’s practice. “We’ve gotta put ourselves in position to take risks when we need to take risks and be smart when we need to play smart. It’s figuring out that balance that’s critical.

“We’ve gotta be a little bit unconventional and keep our team in better position to go win football games.”

Kentucky fans only have to hope that is right because UK’s offense has been anemic overall the last two years under Hamdan in SEC games. It has basically been a two-touchdown limit for the Cats against SEC defenses and that’s not going to win very often.

Hamdan didn’t want to say he needed to take more risks with his play calling. Instead, he prefers to use the word different.

“The more risks you take right now for us, that’s been costly for us in a lot of situations,” the UK offensive coordinator said. “I know everybody wants to sit around and throw it around and do that and all those things, but right now, you look at the games in the SEC that we’ve been in, that we’ve had a chance — Ole Miss particularly last year, Georgia last year — it was a very methodical approach if you will. Hold on to the football. Keep us in the game.”

Kentucky did not secure the football in a 35-13 loss at South Carolina last week when the Gamecocks had two defensive scores to take control of the game. That negated two scoring drives led by UK’s running attack on Kentucky’s first two possessions at South Carolina. Of course, that was it for the offense.

“I think a positive, starting fast. We had an opportunity to put the second touchdown in there,” Hamdan said about what UK did well last week. “What did we not do well? Obviously, a lot of things. The third down turnovers, the interception we had on the glanced ball, we really didn’t recover from that.”

Hamdan hopes redshirt freshman quarterback will “take the positives and learn from the negatives” of his play at South Carolina in his first SEC road start.

“I told him it wasn’t perfect but I thought he competed, he showed toughness. I don’t think he’s scared at all and that’s what I’ve learned in two years here. You better be confident at that position,” Hamdan said.

Hamdan won’t deny that UK wants to run the ball behind Seth McGowan but also cannot be one dimensional.

“We’ve got to be balanced, we’ve got to create some things on the outside, score points. And frankly, we can’t be in passing situations and expect to be the drop back team. We’ve got to get the formula of what’s going to give us the best chance to win this game this week. We’ve got to throw and catch better, that’s pretty obvious,” Hamdan said.

“I think we’ve improved at the offensive line position, as long as we avoid obvious passing situations. From a run game standpoint, I think we can be a physical, downhill running attack. We’ve got to find ways to just find easy, cheap yards in the pass game. That’s what we’re looking to do, get the ball out of his hands and really pick our spots to try to throw downfield.”