South Carolina's Pass Rush vs. UK's Offensive Line: A Mediocre Matchup

We've all heard that old adage "the unstoppable force meets the immovable object."

Well, think about the total opposite of that phrase for a moment...because that's what we'll see on Saturday night when South Carolina's pass rush comes at Kentucky's offensive line.

South Carolina's pass rush = very stoppable.

Kentucky's offensive line = very moveable.

Take this stat from 247Sports' Brad Crawford:

According to the advanced analytics, South Carolina has blitzed more than any Power Five team in CFB this season, but ranks No. 126 in sacks with 4. (h/t @chris_hummer)
— Brad Crawford (@BCrawford247) October 4, 2022

That's an impressively bad number of sacks for a team who brings the house more than pretty much everybody.

But, take a wild guess at which quarterback in the SEC has been sacked the most through five games this season?

If you guessed Kentucky's Will Levis...of course you're correct. He's been brought down behind the line of scrimmage 19 times in 20 quarters of football.

So what's going to give on Saturday? Or maybe what's going to give less?

The Wildcats' O-line issues have become well documented this season. From "gelling" as a unit and finding continuity, to adjusting to playing under new O-line coach Zach Yenser and just about everything in-between, there's been some "reasoning" for why the Big Blue Wall hasn't been its normal self this season.

UK offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello encapsulated what the Cats' pass protection has been like through five games—not great, getting a little better, but now where it needs to be:

"It's something that has been a problem since the first game, it's gotten better at times but it has led to some issues," he said. "But overall, I do think we're improving in that area...you're not going to be perfect all the time, it is hard to pass protect in college football, but yeah, we do have to do a better job."

Some people, head coach Mark Stoops included, have come to the defense of the O-line, noting that not every play that goes for a loss of yardage is on the guys in the trenches.

While that may be true, stats are stats. Kentucky has allowed the most sacks in the SEC (19), while also rushing for the least amount of yards (434). In 172 carries, the Wildcats are averaging 2.52 yards-per-attempt.

Yes, the Cats were without Chris Rodriguez Jr for the first four games of the season, but it's hard for any RB to thrive when there's no holes to run through.

So, what goes into the issues that have persisted on the line?

"It's a combination of things," Scangarello said. "I feel like assignment wise, especially the last couple weeks, have been really on it. I feel like the most of the plays come when we've had, the four-man rush, twists and guys getting picked, or something happens. Part of that is getting better, growing together, part of that is we have to get better and work on our techniques and gain some confidence and part of that is we have to help with the scheme."

Starting right guard Tashawn Manning remains of the belief that these things take time. Struggles always come early, but eventually the unit turns the corner, meaning positive results tend to follow.

"I think it's just being comfortable and playing, we have a couple of guys who are inexperienced, but they're learning as we go along," Manning said. "So, as we go along these SEC games, they start to pick up the stuff that's starting to beat em' and that's when offensive linemen start getting better."

If there's ever a time to show improvement, it's against a front seven like South Carolina's.

The Gamecocks will enter Saturday's SEC East tilt with a 3-2 record, though those two blemishes come at the hands of conference foes Arkansas and Georgia. Defense proved to be an issue in both contests, as the Razorbacks and Bulldogs combined for 92 points.

Even still, Scangarello sees potential in what Carolina is at least attempting to bring to the table:

"I think they're very sound, I think they have a clear identity in what they do...I appreciate teams that know their identity," he said. "I feel like they've played two really good SEC teams, but I feel like what they put on tape is really good football."

A sold-out Kroger Field will bear witness to a scintillating position group battle that could decide the outcome of the game. Both sides will see plenty of opportunity to finally assert some sort of dominance in their areas.

In all reality, the Gamecocks are likely going to blitz just as much, if not more than normal. Barring an extreme turnaround, Kentucky's line is likely going to bend a bit, allowing Levis to be brought down once or twice throughout 60 minutes of football.

If one side manages to take advantage of the other, however, a seismic shift will take place, swerving the game in favor of whomever is playing the role of big brother.

It's gut-check time for the Big Blue Wall.

Kentucky Football News

UK's Week Six Depth Chart Features No Changes

The Wildcats are "Banged Up" Entering the South Carolina Matchup

Barion Brown Named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week For Second Time

Kentucky vs. Mississippi State will kickoff at 7:30 p.m EST next weekend

Mark Stoops was thrilled with his team's fight in the loss at Ole Miss

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