Ho-Hum Offense and Bulk of Miscues Leave Kentucky's 31-0 Win Over Youngstown State Feeling Subpar
While the No. 9 Kentucky Wildcats remained undefeated with a 31-0 shutout over Youngstown State on Saturday afternoon, there wasn't an overly exciting feeling surrounding the win in Lexington.
Kentucky turned the ball over three times to the Penguins to go along with four fumbles and 10 penalties in what was a sputtering, stop-start performance that left offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello with a sour taste in his mouth:
"Honestly, I was disappointed with the way we came out today, i'm disappointed in myself as a football coach, i'm disappointed in the offensive staff, i'm disappointed in the players. We talked about taking things on the right way, being detailed, I just didn't think it was good enough today at all," Scangarello said. "The pre-snap penalties are completely unacceptable...turning it over...lack of regard for the ball will not be a problem here as along as I'm a coach."
The Wildcats gained 100 net-rushing yards for the first time this season, chugging for 103 on 36 attempts, in what's still a sub-par 2.9 yards-per-play average. Kavosiey Smoke led the way with 18 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown, his first of the season.
Wide receiver duo Dane Key and Tayvion Robinson lit up the stat sheet once again, as they combined for 12 catches and 156 yards, 90 of which came from Key. The freshman also notched another touchdown, and has now scored in all three of his games as a Wildcat.
"(Key's) a really good, good player," head coach Mark Stoops said. "He's getting better. We've had a lot of confidence in him, told you that way back to last spring. He just handles himself very well, and he's been consistent. So he's got to stay that way."
Quarterback Will Levis' box score looks the part, as he completed 27 of 35 passes for 377 yards and a pair of scores, but two interceptions and a lack of rhythm say otherwise.
"Good at times, bad at times, just inconsistent," Levis said after the win. "We know where we can get better at, we showed flashes again of what we're capable of, but just not good enough."
Luckily for Levis and the offense, the defense was solid as steel on Saturday.
Defensive coordinator Brad White's group allowed just nine first downs, most of which came in garbage time with backup defenders in the game. Kentucky's defense held an opponent scoreless for the first time since 2009, a true tip of the cap to the toughness and wherewithal that White has instilled on his side of the football.
"If you can keep them off the scoreboard, that's a good day," White said. "Really proud of the guys, they were locked in from the beginning, but we've gotta move onto the next one."
Youngstown State was 0-10 on third-down conversions, which is the first time UK has accomplished that feat since holding Georgia to 0-of-10 in 2005. Freshman Alex Afari led the defense with five tackles and has become a true force in the secondary.
"I think he's sort of asserted himself well, obviously," White said of Afari after the game. "You can see that we've got trust in him to play snaps, he's done a great job. he's adapted to the defense and he needs to continue to progress because we're gonna lean on him."
From once Cincinnati native to the other, junior corner back Carrington Valentine provided another dominant showing, breaking up two passes and recording his first career interception, snatching a catch from the hands of UK transfer Bryce Oliver.
The linebacker core continued to dominate, though it lost a key member early on, as J.J. Weaver left the game in the first quarter with what looked to be a left arm injury. Stoops had no update on Weaver's status, though he doesn't expect the injury to cause him to miss any significant time.
Stoops put a bow on Saturday's performance as he always does, acknowledging the good and the bad, but keeping the ship steady and moving it onward to next week:
"I felt like it was one of those games where we did some really good things in certain phases and obviously some things that continue to creep up and get a little bit aggravating...things to to work on," Stoops said. "Again, no panic button here. Things we truly believe we will get fixed. We've been through this before."
The Wildcats will welcome the Northern Illinois Huskies to Lexington next Saturday as they look to improve to 4-0 on the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. EST.
