A shortened UK football opener means we still need more information about these questions

By the time Kentucky football’s season opener against Southern Miss was suspended just before midnight with 9:56 left in the third quarter and the Wildcats leading 31-0, there could not have been many fans or players eager to wait through another long delay to finish a game that had started more than two hours late.

But ending the opener with almost 25 minutes of game action left did rob us of the chance to learn more about Kentucky in advance of the SEC opener against South Carolina on Saturday.

“It does bother me that we didn’t get a lot of reps for some guys that could’ve gotten reps,” UK coach Mark Stoops said Monday. “There are some players that work extremely hard that we wanted to see in a game-like situation. We had a big lead, so that part of it is disappointing. … I would have loved to have seen us continue to move the ball and get some yards and get some plays in and try to continue to build on the rhythm that we found in the second quarter.

“But it is what it is.”

Here are three questions lingering about the Wildcats that the abbreviated opener did not provide much information about.

What is Gavin Wimsatt’s role?

After weeks of preseason buzz about Kentucky using backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt in “wildcat” formations, the Rutgers transfer and former Owensboro High School star did not appear on any of UK’s seven offensive drives in the opener.

There is some benefit to not showing SEC opponents any film of a special formation for Wimsatt, who is considered a plus runner and a below-average passer, but it is likely he would have been on the field for at least part of the fourth quarter had the game continued in blowout fashion. The key to success of any special Wimsatt formation might be him proving capable of making plays with his arm to keep defenses honest. He could have accomplished that with a few fourth quarter completions.

Of course, starting quarterback Brock Vandagriff proved in the opener to be capable of making plays with his legs too. If the quarterback run game thrives with Vandagriff under center, the need to use Wimsatt as a runner may be lessened.

“It’s a little bit give or take,” offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan said. “There’s some things you didn’t show, but then there’s always the part of with the plays you did show, you’re able to correct them and take the next step on them. So I think there’s a little bit of balance there.

“But, I think all in all, certainly an interesting experience in our first one there. But we accomplished what we needed to and got enough reps to to get a good evaluation.”

Can Kentucky convert first downs in obvious running situations?

Considering Kentucky’s three healthy running backs averaged 6.8 yards per carry in the opener it would be foolish to quibble two much about the running game, but the shortened opener did not offer any chances for them to prove capable of one key skill.

On UK’s only third-and-short situation of the game, Hamdan called a jet sweep for wide receiver Barion Brown on third-and-3. Brown was tackled 1 yard shy of the first down, leading to a 41-yard Alex Raynor field goal.

Stoops said after the game he would have gone for the fourth down but was confused by the distance on the officials’ yardage marker not being changed quickly due to a skirmish between Brown and Southern Miss players on the visiting sideline. By kicking the field goal, Stoops elected not to try the first must-run scenario of the season.

During the Benny Snell and Chris Rodriguez eras at running back, one of Kentucky’s biggest strengths was being able to convert tough yards when everyone in the stadium knew a run was coming. For as successful as Ray Davis was at running back last season, those scenarios were a weakness for Kentucky.

Ohio State transfer Chip Trayanum arrived at UK with the reputation as a power back in the mold of Snell and Rodriguez, but he is currently sidelined by a hand injury. Can Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, Jason Patterson or Jamarion Wilcox convert those short-yardage plays? We still don’t know.

“I think we got going in the run game but we’re going to continue to improve and we need to,” Stoops said. “And we have to continue to challenge them. I felt confident in our running backs with no problem and I felt confident in our O-line. We just have to get on the same page and we have to do it.”

How will the cornerback battle progress?

Cornerback JQ Hardaway, who started the opener, ended a Southern Miss scoring threat with an interception in the end zone after linebacker D’Eryk Jackson tipped the ball into the air, but there were not many opportunities to judge how Hardaway and the other cornerbacks competing for a featured role opposite Maxwell Hairston performed.

“JQ did a nice job and Jantzen Dunn is a guy that we can play on the inside a little bit but also at corner and is coming along,” Stoops said. “So, both guys I think will get better as they continue to get some reps under their belt.”

Sophomore Nasir Addison, whose potential has been highlighted by coaches for more than a year, was getting ready to check in at cornerback when the game was suspended. Michigan transfer DJ Waller, the preseason favorite to win the starting job, did not dress out for the game as he continues to deal with a lingering injury.

Until Waller is available it will be impossible to declare an end to the competition, but finishing the opener would have at least provided more opportunities for Dunn and Addison to stake a claim.

Saturday

South Carolina at Kentucky

When: 3:30 p.m.

TV: ABC

Records: Kentucky 1-0 (0-0 SEC), South Carolina 1-0 (0-0)

Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1

Series: South Carolina leads 20-14-1

Last meeting: South Carolina won 17-14 on Nov. 18, 2023, in Columbia, S.C.

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