Kentucky has improved its defensive reputation as a program under Mark Stoops but Saturday night's loss to Tennessee was a low point for performance on that side of the ball.
Really, the issue has stretched back several games, at least to the loss to Georgia and through the Mississippi State contest as well.
Here are some of the numbers that illustrate UK's recent struggles.
212.46 ... The QB rating for the last three quarterbacks to play against Kentucky. UGA's Stetson Bennett, MSU's Will Rogers, and UT's Hendon Hooker were a combined 65/79 for 910 yards, eight touchdowns, and no picks.
36/39 ... You know this number by now. Will Rogers' completion percentage against Kentucky set a single game SEC record.
21.1 ... Yards per completion last night for UT's Hendon Hooker. He only attempted 20 passes but finished with 316 yards and four touchdowns with a QBR of 273.7.
That was the highest QB rating in any game for Hooker in his college career.
16 ... The number of passing plays of 20+ yards for Kentucky's opponents over its last three games. In the previous six games Kentucky only allowed eight such plays. So there have been twice as many 20+ yard passes allowed in half the number of games.
7.82 ... Yards per play allowed the last three games. UGA, MSU, and UT ran a combined 168 plays for 1,315 yards. That amount of yardage allowed over three games is understandable given the quality of the offenses they're facing, but the number of plays that created those yards is what is really shocking. That comes out to 7.82 yards per play allowed.
For the sake of comparison, Arkansas State is currently last in the country allowing 7.73 yards per play. So Kentucky's defense has been giving up more yards per play the last three weeks than the team that it last in the country in yards per play allowed has given up on the season.
3 ... Three straight games of opponents scoring 30+ points against Kentucky. Georgia 30, Mississippi State 31, Tennessee 45. Those scores would have been much higher if those teams had been able to run more plays.
2 ... Kentucky gave up two passing plays of 70+ yards in the first quarter against the Volunteers. Before that, Kentucky hadn't given up a pass play of 70+ yards all season. In fact, the 'Cats didn't give up a single 70+ yard pass play all of last season as well. Kentucky gave up two 70+ yard passing plays the last five seasons and two in last night's first quarter.
Also, I won't bore you with the individual player grades, but the commentary was interesting...
It was one of the worst defensive performances in the history of Kentucky's football program when you consider the rate at which Tennessee was racing up and down the field with almost no opposition for most of the game. Some players had rougher nights than others and the grades and snap counts show some of what was happening.
Ajian had a couple of missed tackles on touchdowns and struggled in coverage. There were a lot of players who were simply beat in coverage or missed tackles to allow those big plays.
Really, the issue has stretched back several games, at least to the loss to Georgia and through the Mississippi State contest as well.
Here are some of the numbers that illustrate UK's recent struggles.
212.46 ... The QB rating for the last three quarterbacks to play against Kentucky. UGA's Stetson Bennett, MSU's Will Rogers, and UT's Hendon Hooker were a combined 65/79 for 910 yards, eight touchdowns, and no picks.
36/39 ... You know this number by now. Will Rogers' completion percentage against Kentucky set a single game SEC record.
21.1 ... Yards per completion last night for UT's Hendon Hooker. He only attempted 20 passes but finished with 316 yards and four touchdowns with a QBR of 273.7.
That was the highest QB rating in any game for Hooker in his college career.
16 ... The number of passing plays of 20+ yards for Kentucky's opponents over its last three games. In the previous six games Kentucky only allowed eight such plays. So there have been twice as many 20+ yard passes allowed in half the number of games.
7.82 ... Yards per play allowed the last three games. UGA, MSU, and UT ran a combined 168 plays for 1,315 yards. That amount of yardage allowed over three games is understandable given the quality of the offenses they're facing, but the number of plays that created those yards is what is really shocking. That comes out to 7.82 yards per play allowed.
For the sake of comparison, Arkansas State is currently last in the country allowing 7.73 yards per play. So Kentucky's defense has been giving up more yards per play the last three weeks than the team that it last in the country in yards per play allowed has given up on the season.
3 ... Three straight games of opponents scoring 30+ points against Kentucky. Georgia 30, Mississippi State 31, Tennessee 45. Those scores would have been much higher if those teams had been able to run more plays.
2 ... Kentucky gave up two passing plays of 70+ yards in the first quarter against the Volunteers. Before that, Kentucky hadn't given up a pass play of 70+ yards all season. In fact, the 'Cats didn't give up a single 70+ yard pass play all of last season as well. Kentucky gave up two 70+ yard passing plays the last five seasons and two in last night's first quarter.
Also, I won't bore you with the individual player grades, but the commentary was interesting...
It was one of the worst defensive performances in the history of Kentucky's football program when you consider the rate at which Tennessee was racing up and down the field with almost no opposition for most of the game. Some players had rougher nights than others and the grades and snap counts show some of what was happening.
Ajian had a couple of missed tackles on touchdowns and struggled in coverage. There were a lot of players who were simply beat in coverage or missed tackles to allow those big plays.
