The Kentucky we saw vs. Ole Miss looked light-years ahead of the Kentucky we saw vs. South Carolina. Against the Gamecocks, the Cats couldn’t even muster 200 yards of total offense. Against the Rebels, they racked up 336, with 22 first downs to 14 for Ole Miss, the No. 1 offense in the country.

A rising tide lifts all boats. When asked how Kentucky’s defense was able to slow down two Heisman candidates in Carson Beck and Jaxson Dart, Mark Stoops started by praising his offense for their improvement since the South Carolina game.

“I think just a variety of everything; it’s always a team effort. It’s not always intentional but I think offense possessing the football and getting first downs just helps everything. It helps with field position, it helps defense, and again, that’s not always just our intention. It’s just to kill the clock or anything like that, but it’s offense moving the ball.”

Kentucky’s defense proved it’s among the nation’s best vs. Georgia and South Carolina. Stoops said he was particularly pleased by how the unit held Ole Miss to 1-10 on third downs. Previously the Rebels were converting on 55.8% of their third downs, which ranked seventh nationally.

“Defensively, it all starts up front. We’ve got to be very stout in the run game and try to get in some longer second downs and third downs. I thought in this last game, it’s the best we’ve done against an opponent like that on third down. We held them to 1-10 on third down. So, I think it’s just a variety of things. Just playing good football across the board.”

Stoops went more in-depth on the offense later on the call, citing improved play by the offensive line and the ability to get some explosive plays for their big step forward in Oxford. Kentucky had seven 15+ yard passing plays vs. Ole Miss; against South Carolina, the Cats only had one.

“I think the offense is just getting better,” Stoops said. “I think with Coach Bush Hamdan, it’s his first year at Kentucky and first year in the league, he’s getting a very clearer understanding of what we can do, what we do well. I thought we’ve improved a great deal in some of our protections. Obviously, we’re a team that, we want to be able to run the ball and play-action pass and keep on getting better in the drop-back game, but I think we’re just improving, certainly moving the ball and getting tough yards against quality opponents, it’s been a key for us.

“And I think also this past game, creating some explosives helped us win the game because I think everybody’s looking for explosive plays, and sometimes it’s been hard to come back for us. But I think with pounding it out, getting some tough dirty yards, being efficient on third down and fourth down, and then also creating the explosives was probably the difference as well.”

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