Kentucky 14 WKU 3: The 'Cat-astrophe by the Numbers
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PrintLast Friday I was a guest on the Tom Leach Show (Ryan Lemond filled in for Mr. Leach), and during the course of my appearance I urged UK fans to "man-up" and make the trip to Nashville to support the 'Cats in their season opener against the Toppers of WKU -- Ticket sales to the Thursday night contest were dreadfully slow, so slow in fact, the powers that be at WKU offered students free admission with a student ID. Then again Wednesday, on "Wildcat Wednesday," a UK radio program based in Bowling Green, I urged UK and WKU fans to "man-up" and make the drive to Nashville to support their teams. My thinking was, hey, so what if you get home at 3 or 4 am, get only a few hours of sleep, then go to work. It's only one day ... take a nap when you get home (in a stinging commentary on how much pull I have with either fan base, the night's attendance was 24,599).
If only I would have known. Known that Kentucky would play possibly their worst game in a decade, I never would have encouraged folks to forsake their sleep (and spend a small country's gross national product on gas) to take in such a pitiful effort (save the UK defense and punter Ryan Tydlacka). Sure, it was the first game of the year, but in my mind, the 'Cats weren't expected to play like the New England Patriots, but playing competently, I don't feel, is too much to ask. As painful as it might be, for a by-the-numbers look at the catatonic 'Cats win over the Toppers, follow me after the jump:
Through the First Quarter
0 -- The number of UK first downs in the first quarter.
4 -- For the sake of comparison -- Number of WKU first quarter first downs.
0 -- The number of UK passing yards in the first quarter.
16 -- For the sake of comparison -- Number of WKU passing yards in the first quarter.
0 -- The number of third down conversions UK had in the first quarter (out of four third down plays).
1 -- The number of interceptions WKU had in the first quarter.
6 -- The number of rush yards UK had in the first quarter (in nine rushes = .7 yards per carry).
8 -- Number of times I told myself: "It's the first quarter of the first game of the year ... let's not get too emotional."
Through the First Half
3 -- The number of first downs UK had in the first half.
4 -- The number of on-target drops the UK receivers had in the first half.
7 -- The number of rushing yards UK had in the first half (including a -18 yards rushing for Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton).
55 -- For the sake of comparison -- The number of rushing yards WKU had in the first half.
28 -- The number of passing yards UK had in the first half (on 11 attempts).
1 -- The number of third down conversions UK had in the first half.
5 -- The number of punts Tydlacka kicked in the first half (Mr. T averaged a highly competent 45.8 yards per punt with his first five efforts).
30 -- The number of rush yards UK tailbacks Raymond Sanders and Josh Clemons combined for in the first half (on nine attempts = 3.3 yards per carry).
1 -- The number of receptions UK offensive lineman Stuart Hines had in the first half.
1 -- The number of receptions UK's No. 1 receiver, La'Rod King, had in the first half.
12:35 -- UK's time of possession in the first half.
17:25 -- For the sake of comparison -- WKU's time of possession in the first half.
11 -- Number of times I pinched myself in an attempt to exit my nightmare.
Through Three Quarters
6 -- Number of first downs UK had through three quarters.
9 -- For the sake of comparison -- Number of first downs WKU had through three quarters.
13 -- Number of rushing yards UK had through three quarters (on 22 carries = .6 yards per carry).
75 -- Number of yards UK gained through three quarters.
155 -- For the sake of comparison -- Number of yards WKU gained through three quarters.
7 -- Number of punts Ryan Tydlacka lofted through three quarters (The incredible Mr. T improved his average to 47.1 yards per punt).
1 -- Number of third down conversions UK had through three quarters (out of nine attempts).
34 -- Number of negative "rushing" yards UK quarterback Morgan Newton had through three quarters.
47 -- Number of rushing yards UK running backs Raymond Sanders and Josh Clemons had through three quarters (on 15 rushes = 3.1 yards per carry).
99 -- For the sake of comparison -- The number of rushing yards WKU running back Bobby Rainey had through three quarters (on 25 carries = 3.9 yards per carry).
18:01 -- UK's time of possession through three quarters.
26:59 -- For the sake of comparison -- WKU's time of possession through three quarters. 7 -- Number of Rolaids I dropped through three quarters.
Through Four Quarters
11 -- Total number of UK first downs.
13 -- For the sake of comparison -- Total number of WKU first downs.
3 -- Total number of third down conversions UK executed (out of 13 attempts).
60 -- Number of yards UK penalized.
120 -- Number of yards WKU penalized.
93 -- UK's net rushing yards (on 33 attempts = 2.8 yards per carry).
58 -- Length of a single Morgan Newton rush in the fourth quarter.
51 -- Number of UK offensive plays.
51 -- Number of times the WKU defensive line gained penetration on the UK offensive line (or at least it seemed).
69 -- For the sake of comparison -- Number of WKU offensive plays.
97 -- Number of UK passing yards.
74 -- Number of rushing yards UK running backs Raymond Sanders and Josh Clemons combined for (on 24 carries = 3.1 yards per carry).
3.7 -- Average gain per UK offensive play.
45 -- The number of points I predicted Kentucky would score in the game.
7 -- (So as not to totally depress the BBN with outrageously negative numbers) -- Number of positive numbers the UK defense are responsible for: 1) Linebacker Danny Trevathan had 13 tackles, giving him 10 straight games with double-figure tackles, 2) Linebacker/safety Winston Guy had 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions, 3) Linebacker Ronnie Sneed had 10 tackles, and .5 tackles for loss, 4) UK's defense held WKU to 3.4 yards per carry, 5) UK's defense limited WKU quarterback Kawaun Jakes to 9 of 27 passing with two picks, 6) UK's defense held sensational Topper running back Bobby Rainey to 3.8 yards per carry (last year Rainey dusted the 'Cats with 184 yards on the ground, 7) The 'Cats held the Tops to 234 total yards and a single field goal.
Fear not UK football fan, the 'Cats pathetic showing in Nashville doesn't necessarily portend a season to forget. There is still time to get better, learn from the experience, and put the Music City 'Cat-astrophe in the rear-view mirror. And after all, a win's a win.
Thanks for reading and Go 'Cats!
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The moron
who scheduled UK’s first game of the season with WKU, in Nashville, at 9:15, on a work/school night, should be flogged thanked. Louisville put up a stinker,too but they’d probably have beaten the offensive Catatonics last night had we scheduled them first.
We’ve got time to improve.
No matter where you're at, there you are
cincy, this comment has nothing to do with what you wrote above,
I just want to put this comment at the top so folks see if before they post/read any of the comments below.
As you might have noticed, I posted this article very early in the morning, after returning from Nashville. During the drive home from the game I tossed around in my mind how to approach writing about the game. I finally came to the conclusion that I would provide UK fans the opportunity to vent a bit about the ’Cats performance, particularly on the offensive side of the ball. Generally, my thinking is pretty positive, even in the face of adversity, but the ’Cats were so bad offensively I thought it appropriate to highlight the “badness,” and doing that by the numbers seemed to me to be the best way to illuminate the situation, as I saw it.
What shouldn’ happen, though, is a broad indictment of the UK football program. This was one game. The first game. And yes, the ‘Cats’ offense was bad, real bad, but I expect them to get much better as the season progresses. There is simply too much proven talent across the front lne for them to continue to perform as they did against WKU. Which leads me to this, and let me be very clear on this point, the problem wasn’t with Newton. Although he played a mediocre game, he was not the primary problem. The offensive line was the problem. And if ever there was evidence pointing to “the-game-is won-and-lost-in-the-trenches” this game was it. When either line breaks down as UK’s o-line did last night, the ripple effect becomes the storyline. The running backs have no room to run, he quarterback has no time to throw, and when the qb is afforded time, often the passes are rushed, resulting in over/under throws.
I don’t have answers to why the o-line looked so bad, but I also am not going to give up on this team after one game. That’s the definition of fair weather fan.
So please, vent, but remember, it’s only one game. Please, vent, but remember UK’s defense was very, very good. Please, vent, but don’t give up on Newton, he didn’t play terribly. Sure, he had a few overthrows, and forced a few passes, but he had a number (around 6 or so) of on-target drops that would have added 150 or so yards to his passing totals, as well as at least three more probable TD’s to UK’s total.
That is all.
by Ken Howlett on Sep 2, 2011 1:38 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Credit .. some for the WKU defense - they came to play - it was their opportunity for a signature win - their "super bowl"
Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done with our offense, Newton will improve over time ……. I think I was most disappointed with the offensive line, we should have been able to control the line of scrimmage …
I didn't even watch the game last night
Scott Walls made the final comment on last nights open thread and I think it needs repeating – hope you’re ok with this Scott. I cannot disagree with one word and for sure couldn’t had stated it any better then what Scott has written:
I stopped living in denial several years ago.. UK football is horrible, and will be horrible for years to come. I hate it, but I do believe that it is reality. The administration either doesn’t care about the football team being good, or they are just don’t know anything about football. They hired a guy in Rich Brooks that had a losing record at Oregon. 91-109-4 overall at Oregon, 56-79-2 in the Pac-10. Why would anybody think that he was the guy that could turn UK into a powerhouse? The answer is, nobody did. They thought he would be ok. And he was just ok at UK. 39-46 overall, 16-39 in the SEC. I know he had his moments and I know getting to 4 straight bowl games seems to satisfy most fans, but it mediocre football is what we accept, than mediocre football is what we will get. And that is what we got when UK hired Joker. I know he seems to be a great guy, but he isn’t SEC head coach material. He was a loyalty hire. I mean, why would you hire a guy that was on the staff of the guy that went 16-39 in conference? How much of a change could you expect? If you are wondering why Morgan Newton played so bad against WKU, don’t wonder any longer. He isn’t any good. And neither is this football team.
The administration has to go out and hire a proven winner. Do what Florida did when it hired Urban Meyer. It is hard to pull coaches away from big time schools that play in big time leagues. But Urban Meyer coached at Utah. His teams won lots of games and were fun to watch, but he knew he would probably never coach for a national championship at Utah. But he could in the SEC. And that is one advantage UK has over lots of other programs. Win the SEC, play in the BCS title game. And in order to win the SEC, UK needs a good coach that recruit talent that fits into a good system. Sorry guys, that isn’t joker. Just look at Newton. I would suggest that UK start looking into guys like Chris Petersen at Boise State. 61-5 record over the last 5 years. When he was the offensive coordinater Boise State averaged 41pts a game. That is a guy that knows what he is doing. UK needs to put some time and energy, and some money, into a proven winner. Or we can all just keep getting our hopes up just to have them crushed when UK’s starting QB throws 3 interceptions against WKU!!!!!!!!! UK is going to get killed in the SEC.
A man is nothing more than a summation of his scars!
by KansasUKCat on Sep 2, 2011 6:47 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Peterson isn't leaving Boise State
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
I’m not ready to toss Joker yet, but if the season plays out the way last night’s game did, I might be. If we made a coaching change, I would definitely want Mike Leach here. He’s proven he knows how to put points on the board, he has a UK connection, and his teams won consistently in a BCS conference.
I don't mind
And for all the people saying this is just the first game, give them time. Wasn’t Joker the head coach last year with a little more talent than this years teams? A believe a guy by the name of Randall Cobb was on the team. How did that season turn out? And now this nightmare of a first game to open up the season. It is going to be a long season. And a bad one.
UK - WKU
Seriously? We’re this bad? The game was just awful to watch. Joker seems like a genuinely nice guy and I hate to see anyone get fired, but this is just unacceptable. Seems to me that this season will be a disaster so let’s look past it and hope for an SEC worthy coach in the near future. Sorry Joker….
This game summed up in one gif
Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun
by btcoop71 on Sep 2, 2011 8:51 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Sadly, I had to rec that
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
Rec'd as well
I think the play before was more indicative, where Newton threw a bomb that was just a split second late, allowing the defender to (almost) make a play, and distracting La’Rod King just enough that he dropped a very catchable ball.
The receivers did Newton no favors last night, with stonehands and butterfingers abounding. Eerily reminiscent of the UT-Bama championship, where Gilbert was mediocre but his receivers kept letting him down.
but the ball hung up in the air
had it been better thrown to lead the receiver, the defensive back would have had no chance. That’s from Tom Leach, I didn’t get a chance to watch the game. I am visiting with relatives this week. At their home the TV has 2 channels, Hallmark (sister) or Speed (brother in law or nephew). I really miss my man cave.
No matter where you're at, there you are
Yeah, completely agree
Didn’t make that clearer in my point.
In my opinion, I think Newton released the ball too late, waiting too long for his receiver to get separation. I don’t think it hung in the air too long, as it seemed like that was his maximum distance with a good trajectory. But because of his hesitation before throwing, the receiver had to slow down and wait on the ball, allowing the defender to catch up. Still, the defender didn’t touch the ball, and it was very catchable by King.
I tweeted last night that I'd have rather had Eloy Vargas at QB
Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun
I say we put in Mossakowski!!!!!!
Oh… wait….
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
....sigh.....
Hell I’d take Shane Boyd at this point
Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun
We do have Aaron Boyd!!!
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
very, very disturbing. I'm glad I was listening to Tom Leach
Yes, perhaps it was nerves…. but that is bad. I don’t care how you slice it
No matter where you're at, there you are
coop is there any way you can post this without the damn thing looping all the time
that is just frickin ugly to watch over and over again.
No matter where you're at, there you are
I'm still trying to figure out who the hell decided to put a yellow M logo on a yellow helmet
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
From the CJ...just about sums it up
The University of Kentucky’s football team taught its fans an important lesson Thursday night: Preseason praise from coaches is like a Ponzi-scheme financial statement. It all sounds so good until the hope-filled reports come under the microscope.
Why do I get so jacked about UK football every year
One thing I had forgotten about football game threads
The following day (or hours if early enough) seems to bring out tons of negativity and a lot of it from people that say they no longer watch football because they think the program sucks. If you want to be a top of the pack fball fan and a UK bball fan, have at it. Be a Tide, Sooner, Duck fan or whatever.
Our Wildcat team needs our support, not constant negativity. That doesn’t mean we can’t point out where we see huge weaknesses. But don’t use such harsh negativity towards our team. Isn’t that what gets trolls e-stoned and causes comments to ghostly disappear?
It is not all about WINNING, Charlie.
How do you think our players feel when they hear all this crap? How do you think possible recruits coaches advise when they read UK fans constantly complaining?
They hear about basketball fans already looking forward to making long trips for post-season and they look in the stands a few hours away and question where the BBN is. They chose to come to UK (our school) regardless of how you feel about their coach and they deserve better than this. It will be better folks. It has to be.
I now remember it was best for me not to read comments the day after. And probably better if I don’t respond to such dread. Go ’Cats.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
by a2d2 on Sep 2, 2011 8:57 AM EDT reply actions 7 recs
well said, a2d2
Pointing out weaknesses constructively is a great facilitator of message board discussion. We want to hear differing opinions, address struggles, and even humorously vent from time to time.
Constructive criticism is the key, though. Derogatory putdowns or hateful words against 18-22 year old young adults does no one any good.
REALLY WELL said, a2d2-
But it is what it is… From what I saw we have three football players on this team…and one of them is the punter… I can not imagine what it would look like without Danny T. and Winston Guy…Still, I’m a true Blue fan for life and I will root them on forever…GO Cats!!! jc25 you are correct in your comments also…
"You are what you are and you ain't what you ain't"
Well stated a2
but I imagine they players are hearing some pretty harsh words from the coaching staff even as we speak. Hope they have some pride and resolve themselves to better effort. Another part of me is hoping that WKU is better than we realize this year. I will certainly be pulling hard for them from here on out.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Was there a college football lockeout that shortened practice time?
And I somehow missed it?
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
A2
I understand where you are coming from. But historically, Commonwealth pulls in top 25 attendance every year. And it ain’t for the food. Last night was an aberration with attendance. Nashville on Thursday? Nobody is going to burn vacation days and money for the first game of the season.
and Go Cats.
No matter where you're at, there you are
Yes, had the game been played in Lexington it would have been a near sell-out
But the first game of the year is no bowl game and WKU doesn’t have the size to fill a stadium like that on its own.
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
The Nashville venue may be a blessing
The late night airing and only 25K in attendance, may have seriously reduced the number of people who actually watched that debacle. Meaning that most people just “heard” that they played a real bad game, but didn’t witness how truly clueless and inept they actually looked on offense. Lots of teams play sub-par games, especially early in the season. So maybe the lack of witnesses will work to our long-term advantage.
BTW – Today would have been Adolph Rupp’s 110th Birthday. Happy Birthday to The Baron!
by cpacat on Sep 2, 2011 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Another let down.
After the injury report and the standard compliments to the opponent Joker starts in about “..this year we talked about getting better on defense and special teams…”. Did anybody in the room really have any questions about either of those after witnessing their improvement? I would have much rather Joker start out with an apology for the abysmal offensive performance and showing a little fire (ala Brooks) rather than avoiding everyone’s concern about the offense. Did he think we didn’t notice? When asked about Newton’s performance he comments on the run and pass in the 4th quarter like that’s how we’re supposed to rate him. Please Joker, quit pulling punches, get riled and instill some urgency into the team.
Further, when asked by a reporter “…Is this a little bit of a sobering reality for you?…” Joker’s reply is “It’s a win..”. Really? Maybe the score but alarms bells are going off. At least when asked about wide receivers he came up with “..very disappointed.” Join the club.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
My biggest disappointment of the night
was the receivers and the O-line. I understand the big guys up front were gimpy and that affects the cohesion needed for pass protection and opening up holes for the running game so I expect that without further injuries there should be vast improvement in that area.
Of greater concern is the number of catchable passes dropped. This is unacceptable and I don’t see much hope for improvement here.
We might win our non-conference games but SEC wins will be hard to find this year unless remarkable improvement occurs.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Agreed
But I would qualify the O-Line bit. They were injured and couldn’t practice together enough, this is true. But this is a veteran group. A few injuries can’t lead to a showing this horrible against anyone, let a lone a bad team like WKU. We might not gain 80 yards against a defense like LSU playing like this. We need a major turnaround, and fast.
1950 NCAA Co-National Champions
Exactly right.
The experience is great on the line and they’ve played together before. I realize there will be a drop off when 2nds and 3rds come in but not like this, not against WKU, not fresh out of fall camp. And are we to expect this type of performance against every team (especially SEC) anytime the first string gets dinged up? I certainly hope Joker isn’t pinning his hopes on the starters to remain uninjured during the season, it won’t happen.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
Some positives from last night
1) The game thread was fun
2) We have a new game thread cheer
3) Lots of funny things were said in the game thread
Actually, I’m not all that discouraged about the team. As ridiculous as it sounds, they were so bad last night on offense that they can’t possibly really be that bad – it was some combination of the 1st game, Thursday night, location, and sitting around in the hotel all day. It was like some kind of 3 Stooges offense – so bad you know it had to be choreographed.
The defense and kicking game certainly look sharp and with some help from the offense to keep them off the field the defense should continue to be a strength.
Age is always advancing. And I believe it's up to no good. - Harry Dresden
by JLeverenz on Sep 2, 2011 10:20 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Your optimism is refreshing
But I struggle to understand how “they were so bad they couldn’t possibly be worse” leads you to feel “not at all discouraged.”
1950 NCAA Co-National Champions
So bad they couldn't be worse?!!?
Wait until they play against an SEC defense! I’m willing to bet it can get much, much worse if something doesn’t change!
Of course its difficult, its a shortcut... if it was easy it'd just be "the way."
There is simply no way that a group of players who are really truly trying to play good football can be that bad
In other words – there were other factors that caused them to be that bad and those factors are not likely to reappear in any other game this season.
Age is always advancing. And I believe it's up to no good. - Harry Dresden
they will get better
it was like Mercury was in retrogade and the stars weren’t aligned for the offense…
i hope Rock O and the D boys get after the offense… especially the line. On the thread there was mention of the word pride…that there and the sniggers on campus should have their blood a boilin come next Saturday. Nothing like a lil embarassment to get motivated. Better showing against C Mich will give them the confidence to stay hungry.
great thread! great group of sarcastic funny people. let’s hope we get to celebrate more wins together ;j
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
The Open Game Thread was a blast....
I always look forward to them so much.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Maybe it was
the astronomical tides?
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Nice list
1) Yes
2) I hate it that way, but whatever works
3) Yes, yes
Laughter is the best medicine.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
I want to thank you for
keeping the positive energy going. It can be tough to do when you invest so much emotionally into a game. just remember that much of the commentary here is because of similar emotional investments. for some it’s easier to bitch and moan. give em a win against LSU and all the bitchin and moanin will still be there after the USC loss….fickle but funny still ;j
GO CATS!
I have kleptomania,
but when it gets bad,
I take something for it.
I have to admit
the game thread was more entertaining than most of the game.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Last night
Man was I pumped for the game and was Q1 painful.
The whole game the teams were off. So were the coaches. Maybe the heat. Maybe the venue. That was beyond ugly.
Finally found the word for Newton. Languid. He plays without a sense of urgency. Boy does he need more reps and first team playing time. Which he for good or bad going to get. Listen to Andre!
The receivers were terrible. The game would have been very different if some of those early balls had been caught.
Many of the running plays took forever to get to the line. Sometimes it was the play and sometimes it was the runner. Boys, this isn’t high school. There aren’t a lot of folks you are going to run by or away from. Enjoy the contact and hit the line quickly. Couple of them looked like they had some talent.
Outside of the secondary I thought the defense looked very good except for a couple plays. Unfortunately Guy was involved in both. That rub off route in Q1 that fortunately didn’t result in a WKU TD and not keeping contain in Q3 which cost a 1st down.
UK punting was the best I have ever seen in a college game. That first very long one changed the game by changing the field.
by darkandbloody@gmail.com on Sep 2, 2011 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
The offense is an embarassment....
Of course they will get better but what does UK have is store for them coming up? Oh yeah, SEC defenses. If they trip over their own feet, drop easy catches, have multiple delays of game penalties and lots of turnovers, then how good will they have to get to overcome those errors and compete against top notch competition? I don’t like being negative but I was embarrassed by what I saw from the Wildcats offense last night. All I heard in the preseason is how great everyone was doing etc. Case #1 of why we should ignore most preseason hype from coaches.
On the flip side the defense looked good. However, WKU missed 2 wide open receivers that would have been TD’s and shanked a FG. Had those plays been converted, UK would have lost. I am going to wait on the defense until they step up to real (big-time) competition before I get excited about them.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Eventually receivers
are going to get open, but you are right. Jakes overthrew two TD’s, but conversely, UK’s receivers dropped at least two sure TD’s and another couple of passes which would have set up the ’Cats inside the red zone.
Howdy Ken...
I do not remember UK dropping 2 sure TD’s. There was one bomb that King dropped but the defender was with him and probably would have made the tackle.
You are right though, all the drops made a difference.
Slower Traffic Keep Right!
Yes, but there was a MARKED improvement in defense.
Remember how last year we were wondering if we owned any tackling dummies? I was pretty please with the D-line last night, and obviously with special teams, specifically Tydlacka.
It was a win. Ugly, but a win. Brutal, but a win. Hopefully the preseason jitters have been worked out, the next game won’t be played on the surface of the sun (credit a2 for the reminder it was really stinking hot last night) and Newton will show a lot more of the good performance we saw at the end of the game.
I had to give myself a little shake this morning to remind myself: WE WON. Undefeated 2011 season thus far! :- )
Proud member of the Big Blue Nation - Let's Go Cats!!!
It just happened to occur to me yesterday that
With the start of football season, I was wearing my UK tank top and I would end the season wearing two UK t-shirts and a UK hoodie. I then deducted that full pads, uniforms and helmets while running around on the field in this heat definitely could not be helpful.
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Are there any stadiums
in nudist colonies for these late summer games?
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
I have a feeling
I would love the cheerleader’s outfits. :)-
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
Glenn, I think you messed up on one of your stats -
For first half – “11 — Number of times I pinched myself in an attempt to exit my nightmare.” Only 11?
I had a nightmare, too. Then I went to bed.
Despite Kentucky’s reputation as being a historically mediocre and Joker’s dedication to “Rise”, I can’t remember a worse offensive performance. A line that couldn’t open up running or passing lanes, a quarterback that occasionally threw a good pass but could not throw a screen, crossing or sideline pattern, receivers dropping uncontested or lightly contested passes and a quarterback looking absolutely clueless.
Two years ago we went into the season knowing the defense was the strength of the team and our quarterback got injured then we managed a bowl game with an offense that was slapped together and achieved some road wins that made the difference. Those wins were under the direction of this same quarterback that has had two years to mature and hone his skills, but hasn’t.
No doubt a game like this tends to bring out the negativity in fans (I know mine is at fever pitch) but that performance makes me want to hit the panic button for the offense. As everyone has stated the defense looks much improved and the kicking game shines but we can’t win games by putting only 14 points on the board.
Color me “disappointed”. Irrational unhappiness?
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
Crap, I did it again.
Do I hold the record for addressing the two of you incorrectly?
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
Has Glenn been around today?
I hope the game wasn’t more than he could handle.
Step away from the edge Glenn. ’-)
Blue... there is no other color to Bleed !!!
Newton held onto the ball to long
I agree that it was disappointing that the line allowed pressure to reach him against a team as bad as WKU, but Morgan needs to get rid of the ball sooner. I didn’t have a stopwatch, but I believe there were several times when 3 seconds elapsed before the pressure got to Morgan. 3 seconds should be enough time for a good QB to make a decision.
My suggestion for a quick fix: Morgan needs to scramble more. He just needs to take tuck the ball in tightly and take off running.
Also, Morgan throws a beautiful ball. The one that King dropped went about 65 yards in the air and looked effortless. Morgan’s arm both gives me hope that he can become a good QB before the season’s out (Morgan’s arm also makes me afraid it was the only reason he was rated so highly coming in and he has no other skills).
I was hoping for an 8-4 season headed into the game last night. Now I’m hoping for 6-6, but 6-6 only requires beating CMU, Louisville, Vandy, and Ole Miss. That still seems totally realistic to me.
Good point on rolling out.
It seems our offense is trying to set up the same pocket for Newton that they did for Hartline. Newton is much more mobile so I hope to see a little more of the roll out pocket where he can pose a realistic run threat. Newton is a strong runner but not “nifty” in getting through a broken pocket in the middle of the field.
Don't take life too seriously; no one gets out alive.
I think you're right, KDH
Newton does have a problem holding on to the ball too long. He’s a great athlete, sometimes tuck and run is the best bet, but also, the o-line didn’t create any space for him or anybody else to gain ground yards (with the blatant exception of MN’s 58-yard scamper).
I feel like such a jerk for having stayed up until nearly 12:30. An instant classic like this one will surely be on ESPN Classic by Saturday, to be savored and relived time and time again.
You ready to change your monikor to EightRings?
I have a feeling …
But of course my “feelings” don’t mean squat. I predicted a 45-21 UK win, with the ’Cats literally running roughshod over the Toppers.
Eight rings is a sure thing.
I lucked into the opportunity to purchase season tickets this year. The only other times I have had the opportunity to see all of the home games was as a student in 64-66 and while working on a masters in 77-78. We were either national runners-up or National champions the last two seasons I got to go.
I woke up feeling BLUE this morning. It's gonna be a great day.
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