Kentucky football is exactly where most expected them to be with a 2-1 record after three weeks of play, but problems have emerged that could make it another long season in Lexington.

In their lone SEC contest so far, Kentucky jumped out to a 10-0 lead that eventually disappeared, but it only faced a two-score deficit with just one minute left in the game. 

However, even when Kentucky was up 10-0 to start the game, it felt like they were going to end up on the losing end when the game was over and that’s exactly how it ended. 

Furthermore, this was reflected in the crowd because Kentucky got the ball three times just down a touchdown late in the third and fourth quarters, but the crowd would not reflect that as it was over 85% empty. 

These types of games have become familiar for Kentucky football during the past few seasons where even the fans think the game is over when the score far from indicates that. 

One-dimensional offense

While the rushing game has thrived in 2025, the passing game has not been good at all this season. 

Zach Calzada got out of the gates slow against Toledo as he only passed for 86 yards. 

The seventh-year quarterback passed for 149 yards against Ole Miss before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an injury. 

Cutter Boley started against Eastern Michigan and put up the best passing performance of the season, which heavily balanced the offense, but it’s unknown how this will translate into SEC play.

This has resulted in Kentucky having the lowest passing yards per game in the SEC at 170.7 yards. 

Overall, the struggles have resulted in Kentucky being 11th in the SEC in both points scored per game with 31.7 points and 12th in overall yards at 385.3 per game. 

Beyond the numbers, the Wildcats have been unable to have any quick drives this season, which just further proves that the offense can’t make big plays down the field that create sparks and brings the crowd to life.

Kentucky is at a pivotal time of the season because teams are going to start daring Kentucky to beat them in the passing game and it does not seem like Kentucky could pass that test right now.

Giving up explosive plays

Kentucky’s defense has been one of the bright spots of the team, but it has certainly come with its problems. The biggest problem is the inability to limit explosive plays. 

An explosive play in football is defined as any play that gains 20 yards or more. Ole Miss is a team that is built on a high-powered offense, and they showed Kentucky that on its own home field. 

In fact, the Wildcats gave up seven explosive plays to the Rebels. 

One of the biggest problems is that these plays could have been prevented, but the Wildcats struggled mightily with tackling.

The biggest one of those explosive plays was on a fourth-and-1 that resulted in a 55-yard gain for the Rebels and resulted in a touchdown. 

“I think that was a huge momentum changer in the game. The guys were comfortable with the pace they were playing,” Defensive Coordinator Brad White said. “They obviously had the two turnovers. We had a chance right there to get the ball back to the offense on the plus side again if you make that stop.”

These types of plays have resulted in the defense giving up the most yards per game in the SEC at 415 yards and are third worst in the SEC with points allowed per game at 23. 

The offense has not been doing them favors by having unproductive three-and-outs, but the defense cannot afford to keep giving up explosive plays or the numbers will only get worse.