Kentucky can run the ball. Now, will it finally get out of SEC’s passing basement?

A breakdown of the Kentucky football team’s offense heading into the 2020 season.

Coordinator: Liam Coen, first year at Kentucky, third season as an offensive coordinator (Maine, 2016-2017); previously an assistant position coach with the Los Angeles Rams (wide receivers 2018-2019, quarterbacks 2020). Also is Kentucky’s quarterbacks coach. Agreed in January to a two-year contract worth $1.525 million.

Position coaches: Jovon Bouknight, wide receivers; Vince Marrow, tight ends; John Settle, running backs and special teams; Eric Wolford, offensive line.

Other staff: Mark Perry and Josh Estes-Waugh, quality control assistants; C.J. Conrad, Ryan Finck and Cam Garner, graduate assistants.

Scheme: Multiple pro-style, wide-zone leaning.

Last season: Kentucky ranked among the Southeastern Conference leaders at 196.8 rushing yards per game (third, behind Mississippi and Texas A&M) but for the third straight season was the worst passing team in the league (121.5 YPG), prompting the dismissals of co-offensive coordinators Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw. UK’s 21.8 points per game ranked 11th in the league, ahead of only Tennessee, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.

Returning starters: Josh Ali, wide receiver; Luke Fortner, offensive line; Kenneth Horsey, offensive line; Darian Kinnard, offensive line; Justin Rigg, tight end; Austin Dotson, offensive line.

What to watch: Chris Rodriguez wasn’t a starter in name last year, but he was the Wildcats’ leading rusher and led the SEC in yards per carry (6.6). While the Cats will look to toss the ball around more, opponents should continue to expect a steady dose of Rodriguez, who has All-SEC First Team potential at the position. Former Western Hills High School star Wan’Dale Robinson was added after two years at Nebraska and should be considered a starter, too; he was the Cornhuskers’ top receiving threat as well as a playmaker out of the backfield, but don’t look for him to line up there at UK. Kinnard competed for the starting job at left tackle but will remain at right tackle due to the presence of LSU transfer Dare Rosenthal. Fortner’s playing an additional season under the COVID-19 waiver, but he will predominantly be at center, rather than right guard, where he has started 23 straight games.

Question marks: Can Will Levis shake off the accuracy issues that contributed to him never getting complete confidence from the staff at Penn State? Following Joey Gatewood’s transfer, are the Cats deep enough at QB to avoid the kind of disaster that befell them in 2019? The “Big Blue Wall” has demonstrated excellence and then some in terms of blocking for a run-heavy scheme; how well will the big guys up front block in an offense built around the run but not as dominated by it? Will Eli Cox, who played some back-up snaps, be as formidable at right guard in games as he was throughout fall camp? Who emerges as the next-best threat after Ali and Robinson in the passing game? Is sophomore and recent tight end-convert Izayah Cummings ready to shoulder the offensive load that would have been placed upon Keaton Upshaw had he not gotten hurt in the summer? Is UK actually going to throw the ball more, or have we all had the wool collectively pulled over our eyes?

Outlook: There’s, literally, no place to go but up for UK in terms of its passing attack. It will be better, but how consistent it looks will be contingent upon how comfortable Levis is as its leader and how many receivers Coen and Co. can get ready to go by the first kickoff. Still, Kentucky has a strong foundation upon which to rely as it sorts out any stubborn wrinkles on this side of the ball; it boasts, arguably, the best offensive line in the SEC and has one of the league’s best running back stables. Be cautiously optimistic.

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