Opponent Breakdown: Kentucky Wildcats Offense

Mark Stoops is coaching for his job for what seems like the fifth straight year, but his team has shown up for him lately when things seemed to be at their worst. The Cats showed fight against a Tennessee team that punched them in the mouth before going on a three-game winning streak to put themselves in position to get to a bowl game. The difference in the team in those games was the play of the offense. The group has found a way to make some big plays while leaning on the run.

Quarterback is always a key position for any team, and the success over the last month for the Cats has started there. Cutter Boley didn’t begin the season as the starter, but he has shown why he can be the face of the program going forward. Boley has put up some record numbers, starting with the game against the Vols, and the staff has started to let him play with some freedom as the year goes on. The guy that Louisville faced last year seems to be long gone, but it will be interesting to see how he handles the moment with so much on the line for the Cats.

Boley has shown a solid ability to run the ball, which poses a problem for the Cards. Kevin Jennings was able to extend plays with his legs last week, as well as execute designed run plays. It has stood out to me when watching film that Boley has a clear mindset to push the ball down the field. He will look for deep shots, and he will extend plays with the intention of creating a big play.

The running game has always been a staple of Stoops’ offenses, and the staff went out to replenish a backfield that has had some losses. Donte Dowdell and Seth McGowan have been revelations for the offense all year, but they have been much more effective lately, with Boley being a real threat in the passing game. This offense goes as the run game goes, but the balance of the offensive output over the last handful of games is a big part of the improved play of the offense.

Both running backs have good size, with McGowan being the quicker of the two, as well as being the primary back. McGowan is a well-rounded player with good speed and a tough running style that allows him to get extra yardage on runs. Dowdell is a big back in the mold of T.J. Harden, who gashed the Cards last weekend for SMU. Either of these guys getting into the second level on a regular basis would be a problem for UofL. The Cards have struggled with tackling in the back half of the season, and these two guys will make you tackle on every carry.

The weak spot of the offense is at wide receiver. The Cats don’t have a lot of consistent options outside of Kendrick Law, who is not a player that I would consider a number one guy. Law does have sprinter speed, which he has been able to show off at times, so the Cards will have to account for him on screens and other short routes. He can take a short pass and turn it into a touchdown.

The other receivers are a bit of a crapshoot when it comes to production. Hardley Gilmore has 21 catches on the season, and Josh Kattus at tight end has been a consistent option during his career. The wildcard players at this spot are Jamari Maclin, who is a deep threat from a speed standpoint, and DJ Miller, who has shown some promise as a true freshman. The Cards can’t allow Boley to spread the ball around, as the lack of options has been a real issue for the Cats.

There were a lot of jokes this offseason about UK’s offensive line being so bad that it made Brock Vandagriff quit football, but those issues seem to have been addressed. The Cats have an offensive line that ranks at a respectable level in the PFF blocking rankings, and the offense tends to have more issues outside of the line as opposed to because of the line. The staff went out and brought in some players through the portal who have done a good job of stabilizing their line. For weeks, Louisville has had an advantage up front, but they have failed to take advantage of it. This is a solid group, and it would be nice to see the Cards get over the hump and be the better group.