Five Takeaways From Kentucky's 22-19 Loss at Ole Miss: Play-Calling, Injuries and More
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No. 7 Kentucky felt defeat for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon, losing 22-19 to the No. 14 Ole Miss Rebels in Oxford.
Here are five takeaways from the Cats' gut-wrenching defeat:
Play-Calling leaves more to be desired
In multiple crucial situations, offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello strayed away from the "smart" play, if you will. In many short-yardage spots, Kentucky didn't hand the ball off to Chris Rodriguez, who, while he wasn't unstoppable, showed signs of his normal self in his debut. The senior running back was one of the only consistent pieces of UK's offense, yet he wasn't getting the football in the redzone very much. When he did, however, he punched in a tough 10-yard score. The first of two Will Levis fumbles should've never happened, as the QB kept it on a read option, when the ball should've been in the safe, sure hands of his RB. Scangarello seemed happy with how he got Rodriguez involved and how the offense ran in general, but some key spots may suggest that the wrong moves were made.
Ole Miss' passing game was surprising
All game-week long, you heard about the Rebels leaning on the rushing game, noting that as an area that will decide who wins the matchup. 213 Jaxson Dart passing yards and 100 Malik Heath receiving yards later, not so much. Quinshon Judkins and Zach Evns were effective on the ground, sure, but Dart consistently found 10-yard-plus completions across the middle of the field, quite a few of which were in third-and-long situations. Mark Stoops spoke about Ole Miss' deception on offense earlier this week...perhaps that played a factor in the consistent air attack, along with a tired and weakened UK defense.
Barion Brown, the enigma
Tayvion Robinson and Dane Key were kept quiet for the most part, totaling a combined six catches for 44 yards. There was no chance of silencing Barion Brown. The freshman has unlimited speed and is arguably the best weapon on the Wildcats' roster. Two catches for 81 yards and another 164 on kick returns is elite...while Saturday didn't fall in the favor of the Cats, Brown truly emerged as a potential All-American. He had two passes come off of his fingertips against the Rebels, but most WR's don't have a chance at some of the balls he almost makes plays on. His growth as a football player in Lexington is sure to be fun to watch.
The Wildcats are beat-up, and it showed
We've reached the part of the season where injuries can really start to pile up on you if you aren't careful. Kentucky has already lost a few important players for the season and has plenty of others dealing with minor dings and scratches. Toss in Ole Miss' up-tempo style, and it's not a recipe for success if your goal is to get off the field in a timely manner. Jacquez Jones leaving the game in his return to Oxford is heartbreaking, yes, but it more-so incapsulates that this Kentucky team could really use a bye-week right about now. Down two linebackers and a safety, this defense is in desperate need of some fringe players stepping up. On the offense, Will Levis' finger, for one, looked bad, but seemed to be fine post-game and shouldn't be a serious issue moving forward.
UK's mood seems to be a positive one
Post-game, Mark Stoops, Will Levis and Co. were obviously disappointed with the result, but the tone was far from somber. This team understands that there is much more to play for, and as good or bad as they felt they played today, they can take positives in still having a chance to come out on top in their last drive of the game. The goals that this group want to reach are still very much in play, and seven regular season games remain on the schedule, each of which will provide another opportunity to prove just that. The sky certainly isn't falling for the Wildcats.
For more on Kentucky's loss to the Rebels, click here.
Game Balls for the Wildcats
Post-game notes on the UK loss
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