Is it time to reshuffle Kentucky’s offensive line again? What’s wrong with Cats’ star WRs?

The last time Kentucky football was 3-0 in three consecutive seasons before Saturday’s win over Akron was 1911.

So why does no one in the program seem happy about a start that included two wins of at least 30 points?

“There are things that really there are no excuses for,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said after a 35-3 win over Akron. “You have to get better. We’re going into the SEC play next week.”

Being upset after a 32-point win both speaks to the reality that Kentucky’s non-conference schedule has been little preparation for the SEC slate ahead and also an assessment of the potential Stoops and his staff see in this team. OK is not good enough anymore.

Of course, there were positives in the latest blowout win, but there were no shortage of areas for concern too. The weekly Kentucky football stock watch takes a look at who’s rising and who’s falling for the Wildcats.

FALLING: Offensive line

One year after ranking 126th nationally in sacks allowed, Kentucky ranks 19th in the same category with only three sacks allowed in three games, but that statistic fails to tell the whole story of how Kentucky’s offensive line is playing at the moment.

“We need to play a lot better,” offensive coordinator Liam Coen said after the Akron game. “We need to play a lot more physical. We need to play a lot smarter.”

Quarterback Devin Leary’s ability to elude pressure long enough to get off a throw has disguised some of the pass protection issues. The biggest highlight from the Akron win — a 58-yard catch-and-run from running back Ray Davis after Leary escaped at least four defenders in the backfield — was the ultimate illustration of that ability.

Center play has become the biggest concern after Jager Burton sailed multiple snaps high against Akron, two weeks after struggling on snaps in his first college game at the position against Ball State.

“We can’t have snaps go over the quarterback’s head,” Coen said. “At the end of the day, that’s something that we need to evaluate going into this week. We just can’t have it. … And I know he knows that, but at the end of the day this is a results-based industry. How we end up doing things is how we do everything.”

Coen said he was pleased with the way Burton bounced back from the early miscues against Akron to play better in the second half, but both he and Stoops acknowledged they will evaluate other options moving forward.

Alabama transfer Tanner Bowles is listed as the backup center on the depth chart, but starting right guard Eli Cox is actually the top option to take over the position if Burton is benched. Cox started at center throughout the 2022 season while Burton played left guard.

“We would consider it,” Stoops said of moving Cox back to center. “We could go either way.”

If Cox moved back to center, Burton could play guard or Bowles could step into the starting right guard position. When left guard Kenneth Horsey returns from injury, Dylan Ray would be another option to play right guard.

UK coaches have not given any indication they believe freshman Koby Keenum, a four-star recruit signed as the center of the future, is ready to play in games yet.

RISING: Defense

Holding a team to 239 yards and three points is impressive regardless of the quality of competition, but when one considers 90 of Akron’s yards came on its final two drives with mostly backups on the field for Kentucky the performance is even more noteworthy.

“Gave up yards at the end, but prior to that really played one of the more complete games we have played all year in a long time defensively,” Stoops said. “Appreciate that effort.”

Kentucky’s biggest defensive issue in the first two games came on third down. There was progress in that department against Akron.

Four of Akron’s six third-down conversions came from 2 yards or less. That represented progress on the third-and-medium downs that had plagued Kentucky in the first two games.

“The longer the down goes, the more exotic you can get, the more things you can do,” defensive coordinator Brad White said last week. “We’ve got to keep them in some longer distances. I thought that’s what we did last year really well when we played such good third-down defense. It was seven-plus a large chunk, and we’ve got to get back to that.”

FALLING: Sophomore wide receivers

There was so much hype for Barion Brown and Dane Key as freshmen a year ago, it was difficult to remember they were still very much works in progress as receivers. That distinction was even harder to notice in an environment where Kentucky coaches had to do everything possible to make sure the young stars weren’t tempted by traditional powers that might be lurking in the transfer portal.

The first three games have offered a reminder that Brown and Key still have work to do though. That was never more apparent than against Akron when the duo combined for just two receptions and each dropped passes that would have gone for big gains.

Asked afterward how he could get Brown and Key involved more, Coen did not mince words.

“I’m not going to just hand anybody the ball,” Coen said. “It’s about everybody doing it on the right page, at the right time. All those things, doing it right. At the end of the day, the guys that get the football are the guys that are going to do things right all the time. In practice, in games, they’re going to show up. The ball will find them. I’m not going to force feed anything right now.”

Leary’s interception came on a play where he and Key appeared to be on different pages about which route should have been run.

Meanwhile, super-senior Tayvion Robinson continues to emerge as Leary’s top option with 11 catches for 222 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games. Running back Ray Davis ranks second on the team in receiving yards (143). Leary completed six passes to tight ends against Akron.

“At the end of the day, you can call so many plays for people to get touches, but I’m not the one throwing them the football,” Coen said. “Devin trusts them.”

RISING: Tight ends

Through two games, Leary had completed just two passes to a tight end despite no shortage of preseason hype about the depth at the position.

Against Akron, the tight ends finally showed up in the passing game with six catches for 113 yards and one touchdown. Jordan Dingle accounted for four catches for 89 yards. Josh Kattus started the scoring with his first career touchdown.

The tight ends performance was not perfect.

Dingle made the most impressive catch of the night on a 59-yard gain but then lost a fumble in the end zone while trying to gain extra yards after his one-handed grab. Still, Leary issued a vote of confidence for Dingle when he hit him for a 25-yard gain on the first play of the next drive.

“It’s just more eligibles that can impact the game,” Coen said. “They’re not just blockers, they’re not just runners. Those guys can impact the football game in a positive way. Hopefully continuing to do so in the pass game.”

▪ The Southeastern Conference announced that Kentucky’s home game against Florida on Saturday, Sept. 30, will kick off at noon ET and be televised on ESPN or the SEC Network.

Next game

Kentucky at Vanderbilt

When: Noon Saturday

TV: SEC Network

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Records: Kentucky 3-0 (0-0 SEC), Vanderbilt 2-2 (0-0)

Series: Kentucky leads 48-43-4

Last meeting: Vanderbilt won 24-21 on Nov. 12, 2022, in Lexington

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