Playmaker-Heavy Kentucky Offense Awaiting Louisville Defense
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Over the last few seasons, the defensive scouting report for Louisville in their annual rivalry matchup against Kentucky has been relatively straightforward: they run the ball, they run it again, and run some more.
This isn't to say this was an ineffective approach by the Wildcats, as they had a pair of 1,000 yard rushers in 2016, and ran for a school-record 517 yards against the Cardinals in the 2019 iteration of the Battle for the Governor's Cup.
But after a 2020 campaign that saw them go 5-6 while sporting the worst offense in the SEC, head coach Mark Stoops decided to make a change. Offensive coordinator Eddie Gran was canned, and Los Angeles Rams wide receivers/quarterbacks coach Liam Coen was hired in his place.
Couple that hire with the addition of impact transfers, and Kentucky's offense looks a lot different than it has in years past. While they still have a healthy dose of the run, the emergence of a passing game has created a multi-faceted attack for the 'Cats.
"Anytime you got a running game, as well as a play-action passing game they have this, as lethal as it is, that gives you problems," Louisville defensive coordinator Bryan Brown said. "If you sit down, you're trying to stop the run - boom! Over the top. If you're trying to play pass - boom! They hand it off."
Since being named the starting quarterback in the preseason, Penn State transfer Will Levis has elevated the offense. His ability to launch the deep ball and extend plays thanks to his mobility has allowed him to complete 65.8 percent of his throws for 2,444 yards and 23 touchdowns, while also running for 397 yards and five touchdowns.
But the real star of the show is wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson. The transfer from Nebraska is a menace with the ball in his hands, as he is a master in space and as a deep threat. He has amassed 1,067 receiving yards - the 16th-most in FBS - as well as seven receiving touchdowns.
“Number one, you better know where (Robinson) is at," head coach Scott Satterfield said. "He's a dynamic player, he's very fast, he's one of the most explosive guys in the country this year, so you have to understand where he's at because he will beat you."
As impactful as their passing attack has been this season, Kentucky's bread-and-butter is still the ground game. Feature back Chris Rodriguez to rush for seven touchdowns and 1,117 yards - which is 12th in FBS - running behind an offensive line which was named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.
"They're just big guys, and they move really well," Brown said of UK's O-line. "When you have big human beings that move well, can pass protect as well as run block, and be as physical as they are, they present some problems for every defensive line that they go against."
Even fifth year wideout Josh Ali is having a career year in the new offense, hauling in 553 yards and three scores of his own. Running back handcuff to Rodriguez, Kavosiey Smoke, also has 395 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.3 per carry.
But with the amount of explosive playmakers the Wildcats possess, they're far from perfect. Levis has thrown 12 interceptions, and the Kentucky running backs - mainly Rodriguez - have fumbled 10 times. The 22 lost turnovers are tied for the third-most in the country, which limits Kentucky's total offense to 51st in the nation at 423.8 yards per game.
Kentucky sets nearly everything in their offense up through the run, which can open up play-action deep shots. With Louisville's surging run defense in the latter half of the season, they have a blueprint to stymy this offense even more. It will just come down to execution.
"I think everybody's understanding the scheme of the defense a little bit better, and we're tackling a lot better," Brown said. "Getting some guys in here that love the game, for sure, and then are playing it the right way."
(Photo of Wan'Dale Robinson: Matt Stone - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
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