Five takeaways from the Cats’ game against LSU

Kentucky+wide+receiver+Demarco+Robinson+%289%29+dodges+Ohio+University+cornerback+Kylan+Nelson+%2823%29+during+the+first+half+of+the+University+of+Kentucky+vs.+Ohio+University+football+game+at+Commonwealth+Stadium+in+Lexington%2C+Ky.%2C+on+Saturday%2C+September+6%2C+2014.+Kentucky+leads+Ohio+14-0.+Photo+by+Adam+Pennavaria

Kentucky wide receiver Demarco Robinson (9) dodges Ohio University cornerback Kylan Nelson (23) during the first half of the University of Kentucky vs. Ohio University football game at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Ky., on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Kentucky leads Ohio 14-0. Photo by Adam Pennavaria

By Joshua Huff

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The hopeful optimism that surrounded the UK football team heading into Saturday abruptly diminished as LSU dismantled a UK team caught in the high beams of primetime. With its confidence shaken, UK now has to face No. 1 Mississippi State in what continues to be a tough conference slate for the Cats.

As they now turn their attention to the Bulldogs, five things stand out from last weekend’s dismantling. Starting with the obvious:

The Special Teams:

The Tigers blazed through an out-coached and inept UK special teams for a staggering 163 yards and one touchdown. What was baffling was LSU’s Tre’Davious White’s 67-yard punt return for a touchdown that was capped off by six UK players who had a clear shot at White, yet whiffed as he cut to an open right side of the field manned by an army of Tiger defenders.

Even more embarrassing was LSU’s brilliant squib kick that danced between confused UK defenders and right into the arms of the hustling Tiger gunner Lewis Neal.

With a return game that has given up five returns of thirty yards or more this season and has had an abysmal SEC-worst 16.7 yards per punt return, the special teams will need a complete turnaround if UK wants to stay with Miss St. and help UK special teams coordinator Craig Naivar keep his job.

The Run Defense:

Suddenly UK’s best asset has become its worst enemy. In three of four SEC games (excluding Vanderbilt) the Cats have given up 270 rushing yards per game. Now UK will be facing the SEC’s second-best rushing attack led by the Bulldogs’ Josh Robinson and Heisman–contending quarterback Dak Prescott.

Robinson has burned through defenses this season, amassing 689 yards on 98 carries for eight touchdowns.

Miss St. is ranked 13th nationally with 264.3 rushing yards per game. Prescott, who has rushed for over 70 yards in five consecutive games, inflates that average. Against LSU, the Cats allowed quarterback Anthony Jennings to rush for 40 yards, which is his highest total this season against a team from the power five conferences.

UK’s Running Game:

Twenty-seven rushing attempts for 81 yards against one of the best teams in the SEC will not win you many games. Just ask UK, whose leading rusher (Mikel Horton) ran for just 30 yards on only five attempts against LSU. With the special teams placing UK in an early hole, the Cats had to rely on the arm of quarterback Patrick Towles, who was a meager 19-for-36 for only 146 yards. Towles is a game manager; he will not win games for UK, so the Cats are going to need their running game to get their head out of the sand, especially against a Bulldog defense that allows 120.5 yards a game.

UK Receiving Core:

UK head coach Mark Stoops said it best during his Monday press conference when he challenged his receivers to step up and make plays. With the No. 1 team in the country coming into town the young group of ball catchers are going to need to play at a high level and make plays in one-on-one matchups.

Against LSU, the Cats’ receivers learned what it is was finally like to play SEC–caliber defenses, which are tough, physical and in your face. Miss St. ups that ante with a pass defense that allows only 116 yards a game. UK will have to win those man-to-man matchups. If this Saturday plays much like last Saturday, Towles will be under constant pressure (especially if the run game fails to materialize), so his receivers will need to find separation.

Playing North to South:

It seemed like every play UK ran during the LSU game was either East to West or a run up the middle. In the SEC, with those dominant defenses, teams cannot be successful without either establishing a dominant run game or a successful vertical game. UK did neither against the Tigers.

It appeared as though the coaching staff was content with setting up quick passes outside the lines and running straight into the teeth of the defense. The Cats’ longest pass was to Demarco Robinson for just 33 yards, and the stats reflect that the majority of passes were quick hits for just a few yards.

The Cats’ most consistent play, the Wildcat, did nothing to establish a run game. Each time UK directly snapped it to Jojo Kemp, the Tigers would stack the line and send edge rushers, which worked to perfection.

UK is going to need new tricks up its sleeve if it wants to survive the remainder of the year. With Miss St. upcoming, the Cats’ remaining schedule reads like a list of Saturday chores: Missouri, Georgia, Tennessee and Louisville. UK can foreseeably win two or three of those games and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2010. But a repeat performance of the LSU game will spell disaster for the young Cats.