Kentucky is 3-1 through September, its first month with Will Stein as its head coach. The Wildcats are halfway to bowl eligibility. Progress is being made at a rapid rate, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a potential Achilles heel on this team.
If the Cats are going to continue to win SEC games, one stat must improve: How this team performs on third down.
As Michael Bratton wrote on Twitter, Kentucky is among the worst teams in the nation on third down both offensively and defensively.
Not good. Worse, the Cats are just 9/39 on third down through four games. That’s 23.1%. It’s simply not good enough and must improve.
Again, not good. Opponents are 26/58 on third downs against Kentucky. That’s 44.8%. Kentucky has to start getting off the field better on third down.
There’s a lot to like about this Kentucky team. They can run the ball, averaging over 200 yards per game through the first third of the season. In addition, the Cats are averaging 34.5 points per game. The Cats’ offense can be really good, but they still need to improve on both sides of the ball.
Third downs are an important part of the game. Will Stein knows that, and it’s an area to watch for on Saturday at South Carolina.
