Kentucky football: Can Big Blue Wall get patched before Ole Miss matchup?

There’s loads of excellent news for Kentucky soccer. The Wildcats transfer into October ranked seventh within the nation, the very best spot they’ve held since 1977. QB Will Levis is among the many nation’s high performers at his place, and he has a proficient group of go catchers. Kentucky’s protection has been pretty stout, retaining opponents uncomfortable for a lot of the first month of the season.

The unhealthy information? That may begin with the offensive line.

In recent times, Kentucky’s offensive line, dubbed the Huge Blue Wall, was one of many nation’s finest. Placing a number of gamers into the NFL (5 draft picks within the final 3 drafts), the offensive line helped Kentucky trip a tenacious floor assault and an opportunistic protection into the highest echelons of the game. Up to now 3 seasons, Kentucky averaged 5-plus yards per carry and didn’t permit greater than 25 sacks in a season.

This 12 months — admittedly whereas lacking working again Chris Rodriguez Jr., who returns subsequent week — UK is 123rd in speeding yardage (81.5 per sport), one hundred and twenty fifth in yards per carry (2.4) and 129th in sacks allowed (16). The Huge Blue Wall has been extra like a Huge Blue Sieve. Can UK repair it in a rush? And the way did it get right here?

Some adjustments within the group have been inevitable. In 2020, veteran offensive line coach John Schlarman was dying from most cancers because the season progressed. When Schlarman handed away midseason, Kentucky changed him with former South Carolina assistant Eric Wolford. Wolford was in Lexington for 1 season, and he left city in such a rush when Nick Saban referred to as that many veterans of the Kentucky soccer scene nonetheless bear greater than a contact of in poor health will for the not-particularly-popular Wolford. Kentucky employed Zach Yenser from the San Francisco 49ers for the 2022 marketing campaign. Nonetheless, going by means of 3 place coaches in 3 seasons has been a priority.

Kentucky hoped that LSU switch Dare Rosenthal, who was a plug-and-play starter final season, would stick round for a brilliant senior season. Rosenthal didn’t, getting into the NFL Draft, the place he went unselected. There was some flirtation with switch portal guys, like Vandy switch Tyler Steen, who Wolford as a substitute recruited for Alabama. However on the finish of the day, Kentucky needed to open the season changing each of its beginning tackles.

JUCO deal with Jeremy Flax, who performed sparingly in 2021, was handed 1 beginning job. Redshirt freshman David Wohlabaugh Jr. received the opening begin on the different deal with spot. The outcomes have been shaky sufficient that Kentucky moved guard Kenneth Horsey to deal with in Wohlabaugh’s spot. That has left the Wildcats principally enjoying transformed guard Eli Cox at middle, Auburn switch Tashawn Manning at guard and redshirt freshman Jager Burton on the different guard spot.

Within the long-term, 5-star recruit Kiyaunta Goodwin will doubtless step in at a deal with spot. However Goodwin, who performed at 3 completely different excessive faculties and completed his highschool profession towards less-than-impressive competitors in Indiana, remains to be very uncooked. Cox had been excellent within the inside line at guard in 2021, however he has had some struggles after transferring to middle. Kentucky has shuffled in a couple of different reserves, however it hasn’t discovered a strong beginning 5.

Getting Rodriguez again ought to assist the offensive line. In contrast to the speedsters who’ve performed in his absence, Rodriguez is a bodily again, the sort of man who falls ahead for the additional yard or 2 and drives the pile for an additional yard or 2. Kentucky has some excellent tight ends and has utilized them often as super-sized go targets. However go safety is perhaps higher served by retaining these guys in to assist decide up go rushers.

Mark Stoops wasn’t betraying a lot concern after the Northen Illinois win.

“I believe they did some good issues,” Stoops stated of his offensive line on an evening when UK rushed for two.9 yards per carry and Levis was sacked 5 instances. Stoops famous that the offense was “fairly explosive,” however admitted, “We’ve received to do a greater job of ending.”

Later in his feedback, Stoops was maybe somewhat extra candid.

“I believe we need to be somewhat extra constant within the run sport,” Stoops admitted, earlier than chuckling as he commented, “All people appreciates the run sport now. 5 years in the past, y’all didn’t admire s—.”

Certainly, Kentucky has moved on to a big-play passing sport and is perhaps advancing past the Stoops bluepring of three yards, a cloud of mud, and a defensive stand. That stated, that potential to transition is perhaps keyed by an improved efficiency from the offensive line. One other particular Kentucky season might effectively rely on repairing a few vital cracks in that Huge Blue Wall.