Kentucky offensive coordinator Liam Coen met with the media on Tuesday to preview the matchup between the #20 ranked Wildcats and the #1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs. The offensive coordinator who spent last year away from the program recollected his time against the Bulldogs in 2021, mentioning he'd walked out after the game realizing the first '20 or so' plays were not aggressive enough.
Whether it's a lack of recognition of one of the toughest defenses in college football history in 2021 or lack of trust in the Kentucky offense, Coen looks to make an effort to prevent a lapse in aggression in order to move the football down the field to put his offense in a better position to score points. Coen mentioned that in 2021, he felt as if his offense more on the conservative side due to maybe giving the Bulldog defense too much credit. The former LA Rams offensive coordinator also discussed the mind-prepping in battling the fine line of being aggressive and taking huge gambles in an atmosphere like the one in Athens.
It's worth mentioning, that aggressive play eventually led to scouts following the progression of former Kentucky Wildcat and current Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis. Although Levis threw for 32/43 on only 192 yards, the quarterback prospect showed plenty of poise and flashes of development into an NFL level talent.
Will the play calling to begin the game affect transfer quarterback Devin Leary the same way it did Will Levis in terms of his spotlight? If history repeats itself, Kentucky could get off to a FAST start if played smart and aggressive. Georgia has scored 17 total points in 1st quarters in 4 games of play so far this season, including a 1st quarter shutout by the Ball State defense. If the recurring issue of Kirby Smart's offensive struggles aren't addressed as well as the errors leading to deficiencies from the Bulldog run defense, Kentucky could very well turn some heads and MAYBE even walk out of Athens with a W.