Ad Disclosure
Inside The Numbers: Kentucky maintains promising turnover margin
By Ethan Levine
Published:
Kentucky (2-1, 0-1) hosts Vanderbilt (1-3, 0-2) on Saturday hoping to shake off some of the rust after a bye last week. Kentucky has not beaten Vandy since 2011. Here’s a look inside some of the numbers.
RELATED: Early opponent analysis — Vanderbilt
THE GOOD
4: Kentucky’s turnover margin in its three games so far this season. The Cats rank third in the SEC in this category, behind only Florida and Missouri, who have both played one more game than UK has in 2014. Kentucky has recovered four fumbles and intercepted three passes so far this season, while also throwing three interceptions (all against Florida).
8: The number of different players to score a touchdown for the Wildcats so far this season. Quarterback Patrick Towles has thrown for five touchdowns and rushed for another. Tailback Braylon Heard leads Kentucky with two rushing touchdowns, while wideout Garrett Johnson leads the team with a pair of touchdown receptions. Freshman Stanley Boom Williams is the team’s only player with both a rushing and receiving touchdown through three weeks.
THE BAD
40: Kentucky’s touchdown percentage on drives reaching the red zone this season. The Cats have scored touchdowns on just 4 of 10 drives inside opponents’ 20 yard line, which is the worst percentage in the SEC. The Cats have come away with points on 80 percent of red zone drives, adding 4 field goals to the 4 touchdowns. That percentage is still 12th in the conference.
55: The average number of penalty yards Kentucky has incurred in its first three games. Penalties are to be expected from a team this young, but averaging more than half a football field’s worth of penalty yardage would hold back even the most talented of teams. Kentucky has also averaged six penalties per game, which is seventh in the conference, proving when UK does get flagged it’s usually more costly than a simple 5 yard call.
7: Sacks allowed by the UK offensive line this season. The Cats are tied for second-worst in the SEC in this area, ahead of only LSU and Tennessee, which have allowed nine sacks this year. However, not all teams have played the same number of games, and when broken down by sacks allowed per contest, Kentucky leads only Tennessee in that figure.
A former newspaper reporter who has roamed the southeastern United States for years covering football and eating way too many barbecue ribs, if there is such a thing.
