Kentucky hit the Gavin Wimsatt button and it didn't fix the offense

Kentucky has used a two-quarterback system in every game but two during the 2024 season. Tonight they did something different. Instead of just using Gavin Wimsatt The Rutgers transfer was replaced as a running option Brock Vandagriff for the entire second half.

The Wildcats were only seven points behind when Wimsatt entered the game. Kentucky gained just one yard before kicking the ball back to Auburn. Mark Stoops stated during his postgame press conference that Vandagriff was not out due to injury. It was always their intention to allow Gavin some extended moments against Auburn.

“(We) just wanted to get a good look at Gavin and see if he could help us move the ball,” the Kentucky head coach said.

Stoops said they had to explore all options to find a solution to the attacking issues that crop up every week. Kentucky can't finish drives and can't score touchdowns. Maybe Wimsatt could solve this problem?

“Gavin played all year. We planned to use him in the third series of the game. But in the first two we moved the ball very well. Right? So if I were to use him in the first series of the game – in hindsight it was 3-3 anyway – you would ask me why on earth I switched him off when we were moving the ball. Do you know what I'm saying? I think we assessed that and said we were moving the ball pretty well. Let’s stick with what’s going right.”

Vandagriff was 9-17 for 120 yards and one interception. Those aren't great numbers, but he was leading the way when Kentucky actually got the ball into the end zone. Wimsatt completed just 3-10 passes for 34 yards and one interception. Towards the end of the game, he managed a 15-yard run that landed the ball inside the 5-yard line, but the drive did not end in a touchdown.

Kentucky's QB problem is a complete offensive problem

Offensive Coordinator Bush Hamdan had to try something different. Whatever they were doing, it obviously wasn't working. Even though the game was in the balance and Vandagriff probably gave them the best chance to win, the Kentucky coaches felt the need to give Wimsatt a chance.

“We always believed that his combination of size, speed and athleticism would excite us. We just got to the point where we felt like we had to do somethingsaid Hamdan.

“I don't think it will change anything about Brock's situation. I think this guy racked his brains and gave us everything he had, but we wanted to see what it looked like and decided to make a move.”

Stoops was asked several questions about juggling quarterbacks in his press conference. He tried his best to downplay its importance. They have a lot of attacking problems. He didn't want to add quarterback controversy to them.

“I don’t need this to dominate the headlines,” Stoops said. “We're not playing very well. It's never up to one person. Whether it's Gavin or whether it's Brock, whoever it is, You can only do so much. It's a team effort.

“I know everyone likes to focus on the quarterback position, and I know it’s a story. The bottom line is that we don’t play winning football on offense, and I’d rather that be the headline than one individual.”

You may not like the way he said it, or the way he addressed it, or even that they played more than one quarterback. The reality is that he is right. This is a complete attack problem. While there was never a second where I thought Wimsatt could solve this problem, I don't blame them for trying.

Kentucky's offense is a complete mess. One can only hope that the decision to give Gavin Wimsatt longer snaps in the loss to Auburn doesn't make things even messier.