Kentucky Wildcats Football: What Is The Strength Of Kentucky This Year?
by Glenn Logan on Aug 13, 2011 10:54 AM EDT
in Kentucky Wildcats Football
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PrintWe have already taken a pre-season look at the Kentucky Wildcats football team and identified specific things that are positive and negative about the team going into the season. But one question we did not answer is what will be the strength of this Kentucky team.
Charlie Strong says that Louisville's defense should be their strength this year, and looking at their depth chart, you'd have to say that is so, comparatively speaking. The Cardinals return an experienced group that was 18th in scoring defense last year nationally, 9th against the pass but only 52nd against the run.
For Kentucky, there is little doubt that the defense was the weakness of the team last year. UK was 72nd in scoring defense last year, a loathsome 85th against the run, and a decent 14th against the pass.
The good news is that Kentucky is returning many of their best defensive players, 8 starters in all. The question is whether or not Kentucky will be significantly better against the run with a year more of experience. History suggests that they will, and the addition of some quality depth to the defensive front in the form of redshirt sophomores Patrick Ligon, Mister Cobble and Tristian Johnson, plus a new aggressive defensive scheme courtesy of DC Rick Minter argue for some kind of positive change.
The defensive backfield returns many of last year's starters, a year older and hopefully better. The linebacking corps look solid. So the only real remaining question is the defensive line -- can they step up to the plate and stop the run?
My feeling is yes, and if so, the defense is likely to be the strength of this Kentucky team, along with the offensive line. That will be a very nice change from last year, and if the run defense can move up into the forties without the defensive backfield losing its top-20 status, you have to think that Kentucky's defense will give the offense a chance this year.
The real question mark are the offensive skill positions. Can they put up numbers like 2010, or will they be more like the scoring-challenged 2009 team?
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Defense is the easy answer so I'll play the devil's advocate and say offense.
The line is solid, I’ll assume Newton has improved as advertised, the overall quality of receivers has improved (and balanced) and we have a stable of capable running backs.
I sometimes question the running backs due to their size and inexperience but we’ve historically successfully utilized smaller fast tailbacks. Plus its not uncommon for some freshman phenom or previously underused back to catch fire.
Without the big three (Hartline, Cobb, Matthews) around, Kentucky may be more effective since shutting down any single feature player will not be a blow to the offense. Last year, anytime Hartline or Matthews had a bad game or Cobb ran out of gas our offense sputtered. This year we done have that dependence concentrated into just a few pairs of cleats – with the exception of Newton.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
Good points all.
Newton may well be improved. I have high hopes for Newton and the offense, but right now I put them in the category of hope.
I just think the defense really needs to be a strength of this team after last year’s debacle.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Fingers are always crossed,
as they have been through many, many years of following UK football…
but on Offense replacing the heart and soul of the team, who is now well on his way toward compelling a whole new fanbase to fall in love with him, is not going to be nearly as easy as some seem to be hoping as they go whistling past the graveyard.
On Defense, it is a new scheme with a new coordinator. That is always interesting to watch unfold, of course.
So, until we get a few games underway and start seeing some results- I think I will vote that the strength is… the schedule. Especially if the main goal is to technically qualify for a bowl game.
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"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
Good points.
(I’m just warming up my “irrational exuberance”. ;-)
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
I know what you mean...
we’ve all been there. :-)
Before I bring my own blue-tinted glasses out of storage I will try to be objective and say that I don’t really see how we match last year’s 6-6 regular season record- in part because of those two factors I mentioned. My gut is telling me 5-7, with 2 wins in the SEC.
But that’s why they play them on the field….
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"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
I can also see that happening.
But I sure hope we’re both wrong. I’m taking the more optimistic view, and if they break my heart again, I doubt I’ll feel it through the scar tissue. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Scar tissue...
… I like that!
Well, not forming it over the years, of course…. I remember that I was near the end of the field where the LSU Miracle touchdown scored. The single-most surreal physical feeling that I have ever experienced. Like the electricity in 50,000 human bodies short-circuiting all at once. There should have been scientists there to measure that.
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"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
I like that too.
Too true to not bring a chuckle.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
The schedule looks favorable to me.
So that’s another good point. You’d think we could beat Tennessee just once in two and a half decades, wouldn’t you?
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Yes,
one would think that.
I was at the game in Knoxville when we beat them, and if someone in the parking lot had asked me to give 10,000-1 odds on a $10 bet that it would be the last time we beat them for over 25 years (or whatever it exactly is) then I would have taken the $10 and bought dinner with it.
And that other guy would now be trying to track me down to get his $100,000 ….
I think we have missed our golden opportunities in the last couple of seasons on that one.
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"I watch (UK) every night... I am going to support them for the rest of my life. I'm a Wildcat for the rest of my life." -- JWall, 2/8/11
Yeah, we have missed some good opportunities.
We may have another one this year. UT is not quite back yet. But it will probably be tougher going than last year.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
So painfully true.
“..missed our golden opportunities..” That Tennessee streak went past laughable when Michael Bolton was making top 10 music. It’s past any logic, reason, odds or any measurable.
It’s almost to the point where we should extend it until we win a national championship with one loss to Tennessee. We’ll just get better and they’ll get worse until we just let them win that game every year so they won’t have to sweat out their game with Vanderbilt. ;-)
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
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