Regular Season Review: The Quarterbacks
All that remains for Kentucky's 2017 football team is the bowl game. With the regular season behind them, Cats Illustrated looks back on how each position unit performed over the past few months and dozen games.
First up, the quarterbacks.
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Statistical Overview: In a dozen games starting senior quarterback Stephen Johnson completed 170 of 280 (60.7-percent) passes for 2,048 yards (7.3 yards/attempt), 10 touchdowns and four interceptions. His passer rating was 131.1 and that ranked 10th in the Southeastern Conference for the season. Johnson was Kentucky's second leading rusher in 2017 with 97 attempts, 358 yards and three additional touchdowns.
In very limited playing time junior quarterback Drew Barker completed 2 of 4 passes for 33 yards.
A true quarterback wasn't always behind center. Kentucky often went to the Wildcat formation, especially with sophomore running back Benny Snell, who passed twice out of the formation with no success, and freshman athlete Lynn Bowden, who was 3 of 4 for 92 yards and an interception.
Standout Performer: Stephen Johnson. There's really no other choice here. He was Kentucky's starter in every single game and usually only came out or motioned wide when Eddie Gran called for a skill player to take the snap.
Top Performance: Although Kentucky suffered a gut-wrenching loss to Florida, the Gators' 32nd consecutive win over the Wildcats, that game was arguably the best of the season for Johnson. He only passed for 196 yards, but Johnson tossed three touchdowns and completed 17 of 25 (68-percent) passes. It was one of his most accurate performances as a Wildcat and that tied for the best TD-INT ratio in a single game during his two-year Kentucky career. While Florida struggled tremendously in 2017, the Gators' pass defense was not bad and Johnson had one of the best games of any quarterback who faced UF this year. That was Johnson's best passer rating of the season.
Worst Performance: There were several games on the back half of the schedule that could have qualified here. Johnson played poorly against Tennessee and Louisville, but his worst performance came against Mississippi State if you go by the numbers. In a 45-7 loss to the Bulldogs in Starkville, Johnson completed 13 of 28 (46.4-percent) passes with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. It was the only game all year when Johnson had more than one pick. Johnson's passer rating of 67.2 was his second-worst of the season. He did have six carries for 54 yards, but the inaccuracy, turnovers and the offense's lack of production (7 points) made this the worst game of Johnson's season.
Most Improved Player: Stephen Johnson, again, and who else? His struggles in the second half of the year, at times, should not overshadow the real improvement he showed in the first half and the overall statistical trajectory which was upwards. Johnson improved his completion percentage from 54.7 to 60.7-percent from 2016-2017, and that was without Jeff Badet and Dorian Baker, two receivers he was expected to be able to throw to. Johnson was largely throwing to a supporting cast and young players in 2017, without any real proven marquee players available as pass-catchers. The offensive line also struggled in the first half of the season. Johnson didn't throw many interceptions in 2016 (6), but he cut that number to four in 15 more attempts, and he also cut down on his fumbles significantly.
One Who Struggled: Johnson struggled down the stretch but Drew Barker can also get a nod here. That's probably a harsh judgment because Barker was thrust into action during difficult spots, again. The coaching staff tried to work Barker into the game against Eastern Kentucky, and they gave him an opportunity late with the game already decided in Starkville, but aside from an impressive completion to Lynn Barker against Mississippi State he was unable to get things going.
Coach Impact: Darin Hinshaw has had a positive impact on the quarterback position ever since he was hired during the previous offseason. He found Stephen Johnson from the JUCO ranks and while the passing production has been modest by starter standards in 2017, the ball security emphasis before this season obviously paid off. With more time working under Hinshaw's watch, Johnson's improved accuracy has been significant. His reads were generally better in 2017 than they were through much of 2016.
Future Forecast: Here's where it gets tough. Of the players currently on the roster it would not be a surprise if Barker or redshirt freshman (sophomore-to-be) Gunnar Hoak emerged as the starter on next year's team. Freshmen Danny Clark and Walker Wood should be considered underdogs in that race. What makes it really tough to project the starter for next year is the fact that Kentucky is still looking for a quarterback from the 2018 class. They are targeting both high school and JUCO prospects. It seems like Kentucky's coaches would like to bring in another quarterback capable of providing competition to Barker and Hoak this offseason. Who wins the job will be anybody's guess. It also remains to be seen whether Barker and Hoak will both remain at Kentucky, depending on the outcome of the next quarterback competition.
Recruiting Overview: Kentucky still needs a quarterback before National Signing Day and there are several on the radar. JUCO quarterback and former Oregon player Terry Wilson will officially visit Indiana (12/8) and Kentucky (12/15) before signing at the end of December and enrolling somewhere in January. He's an explosive if still raw player. Vince Marrow will visit him next week. On Monday, Hinshaw visited Texas high school quarterback Matthew Baldwin, who unofficially visited Ohio State not long ago and has also drawn an offer from Minnesota. He is currently committed to Colorado State. Former Missouri quarterback commitment James Foster recently reopened his recruitment and has announced that he will take official visits to Kentucky, Florida State, LSU, Arizona and Missouri.
Overall Position Grade for 2017: B. Johnson didn't finish especially strong and that's why the grade dips. Then again, at times he looked like he might have been slowed by an injury or at least the wear and tear that often comes after a lot of hits. Because of the improved accuracy, ball security and reads for much of the year, Johnson gets a quality mark. While the offense often struggled in 2017, Johnson was usually not one of the bigger problems. That was not always the case and he wasn't the solution in Kentucky's losses either.
