SB Nation - David Jones

UK Football: The Secondary

Ken Howlett — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:20:41 -0000

Happy to have Lindley back.

The return of all-world cornerback Trevard Lindley to the Kentucky defensive secondary ranks as perhaps the top football story of 2009 for UK football backers. When it was announced in the spring that Lindley was going to test the NFL draft waters, my thought was, "Well, he's gone." Well, wrong. And thankfully so.

Not in the recent annals of UK football history has a player been so decorated, so respected at his position, as Trevard Lindley. Since his freshmen year, when he was named a freshman All-America, Lindley's performance on the field has garnered enough awards and accolades to make Tim Tebow blush. But, Lindley's UK legacy doesn't end there, though -- He has the great distinction of being the only current Wildcat who has started every game since the death of "Old UK" back in ...

... 2006: Andre' Woodson emerged from the shadows of Shane Boyd, as a steely-eyed dart throwing machine, resulting in UK winning eight games for the first time since winning nine in 1984. Starting at cornerback, Trevard Lindley.
In 2007, UK once again led by Andre Woodson, won eight contests, also winning their second straight bowl game, a feat not accomplished in Lexington since the 1950-1951 seasons. Starting at cornerback, Trevard Lindley.
And in 2008, after Woodson, Keenan Burton, Stevie Johnson, Jacob Tamme, and Rafael Little all had departed for the pro ranks, UK still found a way to win seven games, and a program first, third straight bowl victory. And they did it with a lot of bad luck (a mountain of major injuries), a little defense, some good luck (Arkansas), and Trevard Lindley at cornerback.

He's one of the few common threads connecting the previous three UK teams; now he's the only regular contributor to the '06 team still pounding the turf at Commonwealth. He's made Kentucky better, not only with his great skill level, but Lindley has proved to be a supernova when UK has needed to shine the brightest:

In '06, Lindley's freshman year, he intercepted Georgia's Matt Stafford inside the final minute sealing UK's first victory over the Dogs since 1996.
Also in '06, against Clemson in the Music City Bowl, Lindley had an interception and fumble recovery in the 'Cats first bowl victory since 1984.
In '07 versus U of L, on the first play of the game (how sweet), he intercepted a Brian Bohm pass and returned it 33-yards, setting up a UK touchdown. He set the tone for the 'Cats that day, a day UK upset the ninth-rated Cards.
Also in '07, in a thrilling game against Arkansas, Lindley sparked a UK comeback with a 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown. It was the week after the U of L win, and fans were wanting affirmation. And affirmation they received.
And again in '07, versus LSU, in perhaps the most monumental display of drawing a bead on the quarterback's read in the history of college football, Lindley intercepted an LSU pass which set up the game-tying field goal in the fourth quarter.
Not satisfied, Lindley again in 2007 versus Tennessee, intercepted a pass late in the game, sending the epic contest into its first overtime.
In the 2007 Music City Bowl, for the second year in a row, Lindley shone bright in the Nashville sky: He caused a fumble, and recorded three pass break-ups.
Last season against Louisville, for the second year in a row, Lindley played "hugemongous" (a common theme?): He intercepted a Hunter Cantwell pass, and returned it 24 yards to the U of L two-yard line, in yet another UK victory over the evil Cards.

Considering Lindley's consistently excellent play, it is no shock that this season Trevard Lindley's name appears on every ballot except U. S. Senate: Chuck Bednarik Award (nations best defensive player), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nations best defensive player), and the Jim Thorpe Award (nations best defensive back). He was voted preseason First Team All-SEC, and preseason Second Team All-America. Not one to rest on his laurels, in 2009 Lindley will be expected to ...

.. lead UK's mixture of experience and youth in the Wildcat secondary. It's a talented group of players, but Big Blue lost some good ones to graduation -- Safety Marcus McClinton (50 tackles, four interceptions, four pass deflections, and a ton of experience), cornerback David Jones (34 tackles, one interception, five pass break-ups and six deflections), cornerback Robbie McAtee (33 tackles, one sack, one interception, three pass break-ups, and four pass deflections, he also recovered an SEC-best three fumbles), and utility-man Shomari Moore (28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, three pass break-ups, four pass deflections).

That's 145 tackles, 11 pass deflections and break-ups, and three interceptions, but most importantly, over 100 games of combined experience. Can Kentucky upgrade their pass defense after losing so much? Here are the guys who will determine the answer to that question:

The Starters

Trevard Lindley -- 6'0", 179 lb senior cornerback: For his career Lindley has accounted for 158 tackles (116 solo tackles), 3.5-tackles for loss, and nine interceptions. In 2008, Lindley led the SEC in Passes Defended with 11 pass break-ups, and four interceptions. He also recorded 39 tackles, and 15 pass deflections. He was voted UK's Team MVP by the players in 2008.

Let's keep this one simple, stupid: Possibly the best cover-corner in UK history.

Paul Warford -- 5'10", 200 lb junior cornerback: Warford redshirted the '08 season after being declared academically ineligible. But, after taking care of business in the classroom in '08, Warford has returned to the field without skipping a beat. In his last season of action (2007), Warford was second on the team with nine pass break-ups, and posted a career-high seven tackles versus LSU, a game in which he broke his collarbone late in the contest. He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.

Warford is moving up from his safety position to give UK some experience at the cornerback spot opposite Lindley. He is a physical player who likes to hit, and does a great job in run defense-support.

Calvin Harrison -- 6'1", 211 lb senior strong safety: Harrison has played behind the departed Marcus McClinton for the last three years. He has played in 35 games, with six starts to his credit. Harrison has recorded 80 career tackles. In '08, he posted 32 tackles, and one tackle for loss. In a huge Liberty Bowl game, he had five tackles and two pass break-ups. He started and performed well against Tennessee and Alabama last season.

Harrison provides invaluable experience to UK's secondary. He, along with Lindley and Warford, allow UK to boast one of the most experienced, accomplished pass defenses in the SEC.

Winston Guy -- 6'1", 208 sophomore free safety: The Lexington Catholic product played in 13 games as a true freshman last year. He performed mainly with the special teams unit, taking over the kick return duties after Derrick Locke was injured. He responded with 10 returns for 291 yards (29.1 average), and also set a Kentucky record for longest return without scoring a touchdown, with his 96-yard kick return versus Georgia. From the free safety spot he recorded 11 tackles. He was rated a top-30 safety prospect in the nation by Rivals, and the No. 12 safety in the nation by Scout coming out of high school.

Guy brings incredible speed (4.35 40-yard dash), and refined anticipation skills to UK's secondary. He is a star-in-waiting, and a quarterback nightmare beginning September 5.

The Backups

Martavious Neloms -- 6'1", 180 lb true freshman cornerback: The Tennessee native will be backing-up Lindley. He was First Team All-State in Class 4A, and only began playing football his junior year at Fairley High School in Memphis. Despite that, he was rated the No. 30 prospect in in Tennessee by Rivals.

The fact that Neloms has played organized football for only four years, yet has accomplished what he has, is truly astounding. The ceiling is obviously very high for Neloms, and so far he's not given anyone any reasons to doubt his ever-improving ability.

Randall Burden -- 6'0", 270 lb sophomore cornerback: The LaGrange, Georgia native will be backing-up Paul Warford, and may also see the field as the fifth secondary member in UK's nickel package. He had a very strong spring, which followed a solid performance in the Liberty Bowl (two pass break-ups, and one tackle). In '08 Burden appeared in 12 games, contributing four tackles.

The coaches say Burden gets better every day. His attitude, work ethic, and talent will ensure he sees plenty of reps in '09.

Matt Lentz -- 6'3", 218 lb sophomore strong safety: The former quarterback will back-up Calvin Harrison. In '08, Lentz played in 13 games, starting five. He produced 24 tackles, and an interception versus Louisville. He recorded a career-high seven tackles versus Arkansas. He runs a 4.55 40-yard dash.

Lentz performed exceptionally well last year, especially considering the radical position switch he endured. He brings a combination of size and speed to UK's secondary, and like Burden, he'll see a lot of game-action in '09.

Taiedo Smith -- 6'0", 185 lb sophomore free safety: Smith will back-up Winston Guy. He began last season playing cornerback, but in an effort to get him on the field the coaches moved him to free safety. He played seven games, earning the start against Georgia. He had three tackles and a pass break-up in the win over Mississippi State.

Another young, talented performer, Smith will share back-up duties to Guy with Ashton Cobb (see below).

Ashton Cobb -- 6'0", 215 lb senior free safety: In '08 Cobb played in 11 games, with six starts. He recorded 37 tackles, and scored on a 28-yard fumble return versus Louisville. He also recovered a fumble versus Arkansas, and had a career high six tackles against both Georgia and Tennessee. In 2007, Cobb executed 42 tackles (second among UK's defensive backs). He's one of the strongest Wildcats pound-for-pound, bench pressing 370 lbs, and squatting 465 lbs. Yikes!

Cobb has taken a small step back. Most expected him to start at the free safety spot after last season, but Winston Guy stole his position. Cobb though, will see "starter's minutes," and will be featured in UK's nickel package at times.

Supplying depth to UK's secondary will be junior cornerback Daryl Faulkner, redshirt freshman cornerback Cartier Rice, sophomore cornerback Anthony Mosley, and sophomore strong safety Greg Wilson.

CliffsNotes Analysis

The question was, "Can Kentucky upgrade their defense after losing so much?" You've met the players, now meet the 2008 stats -- UK recorded 12 interceptions last season, good for seventh in the SEC. They had 45 pass break-ups and 57 pass deflections, both good numbers, but they allowed 193.2 yards passing per game (ninth in the SEC), and 18 passing touchdowns (only Auburn and Arkansas allowed more). Overall, UK was ninth in in the SEC in overall Pass Defense, and eighth in the SEC in passing yards allowed with 2,511.

Not great numbers, but they are an improvement over UK's previous, all-too regular occupation of the SEC basement, in the area of defensive play. But, there still exists much room for bettering the overall defensive performance, and this season the UK coaching staff will be looking to take another step forward. With Lindley, Warford, and Harrison leading a group of otherwise youthful, but talented performers, Kentucky has an opportunity to leap into the upper-echelon of SEC defensive teams (top-5 or better). Giving UK the upper-hand in many cases this season will be the relative youth of SEC quarterbacks; other than Tebow, Jevan Snead (Ole Miss), Stephen Garcia (South Carolina), and Jonathan Crompton (Tennessee), the SEC is littered with untested signal-callers.

I look for Trevard Lindley to end his UK career with a record-setting season. His job will be made easier by the fact that he's surrounded by talented, experienced teammates, which will force quarterbacks to have to make unpleasant decisions. Resulting in the real possibility of having no recourse but to force the ball into their best receivers hands. But, Lindley will be stalking ...

For other positional breakdowns: Setting a New Standard The Linebackers The Defensive Line

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my mom, Linda. She turned 29 again yesterday!!

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

UK Football: Statistically Speaking

Ken Howlett — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:34:07 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Rich Brooks telling Miami, OH's Michael Haywood that he is doomed to begin the '09 season 0-1. Or something along those lines.

Browse more photos »

With Tru having posted his thoughts on the football 'Cats non-conference schedule, I thought it time to take a statistical look at last year's team. This should give everyone an idea of what areas UK needs to improve on in order for Rich Brooks & Company to have a successful 2009 campaign.

At times the numbers don't provide pleasant reading material, but in the interest of reality, I recommend a perusal for the serious football fan. So, hold all of your calls, cancel your meetings and lock the door, because here come some stats galore!

** UK's SEC rank in parenthesis

Kentucky Opponents

Points Per Game -- 22.6 (6th) 21.5 (8th)

Comments: Kentucky needs to see an improvement in the number of touchdowns they score (a keen insight indeed). There were five SEC teams that averaged over 30-points per game: Florida (43.6), Mississippi (32.1), Georgia (31.5), LSU (30.9), and Alabama (30.1). If UK harbors hopes of being competitive in the SEC, they need to add at least half-a-touchdown to last seasons 22.6 points-per-game average -- Florida led the SEC last year by only allowing 12.9 points per game (Bama was second, allowing only 14.3 points per game). For the Bobby Petrino-bashers out there: Arkansas finished dead last in the league by allowing 31.2 points per game.

First Downs -- 212 (8th) 209 (5th)

Rushing Yards -- 1657 1810

Average Per Rush -- 3.7 3.8

Average Rush Yd's Per Game -- 127.5 (8th) 139.2 (9th)

Comment: A weak spot for the defense last year; stopping the run: Last season the two top SEC rushing performances came against UK -- Alabama's Glen Coffee rushed for 218-yards against the 'Cats, and Arkansas' Michael Smith ran for 192-yards. For comparative purposes: Alabama, at 74.1 yards per game, and Ole Miss at 85.5 yards per game, led the SEC in rush defense in '08. Offensively, Florida led the SEC in rushing last season with 231.1 yards per game; 45 more yards than the second best rushing team.

Running Back Rushes -- 404 ----

RB Average Per Rush -- 4.03 ----

Comment: The top four running backs in the yards-per-rush category are back for UK: Moncell Allen (5.3 yards per carry on 38 rushes), Derrick Locke (4.8 ypc on 63 rushes), Alfonso Smith (4.2 ypc on 74 rushes), and Randall Cobb (4.0 ypc on 79 rushes).

Rushing Touchdowns -- 18 15

Comment: Randall Cobb is tied with eight others for most points scored in a game last season (in the SEC), with 18-points, after his three rushing touchdown performance versus Georgia. Also due to that outburst, Cobb tied six others for most rushing touchdowns in a game with three.

Passing Yardage -- 2,234 2,511

Comment: Running back Alfonso Smith was the only Wildcat to record a 100-yard receiving game last year.

Att - Comp - Int -- 415-227-13 359-188-12

Comment: Mike Hartline's 47 pass attempts versus Middle Tennessee last season was the SEC high (in a tie with S. Carolina's Chris Smelley) in the category, and Hartline's 28 completions in the same game also led the SEC.

Completion % -- 54.7 52.4

Comment: Although Mike Hartline and Randall Cobb were sub-par passers last season, the wide receivers deserve at minimum, partial responsibility for the 54.7% completion percentage. The too-numerous dropped passes ebbed back to an acceptable number toward the end of the year, but through the first seven or eight games it was a freak show. On the year, Hartline was 172-311 (55.3%) for 1,666 yards, nine touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Randall Cobb posted these numbers: 52-99 (52.5%) for 542 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions.

Average Yards Per Catch -- 9.8 13.4

Comment: Pathetic. It's no secret, UK has to throw the ball down the field!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Average Pass Yards Per Game -- 171.8 (8th) 193.2 (9th)

Comment: Vanderbilt was the SEC's worst passing team last season, recording only 122.6 yards per game through the air, while Georgia led the SEC with 277.7 yards passing per game. There were only 10 300-yard passing games in the SEC last season; Arkansas' Casey Dick and Georgia's Matt Stafford were responsible for six of them.

Touchdown Passes -- 11 18

Total Offense Yardage -- 3,891 4,321

Average Yards Gained Per Play -- 4.5 5.2

Comment: UK's 4.5 yard per play average will go up dramatically if and when they begin throwing the ball down the field. Sounds familiar ...

Average Yardage Per Game -- 299.3 (9th) 332.4 (11th)

Comment: The defense, while performing better than the offense, was not the high-caliber unit I and many others thought it might be. Example: Versus the non-conference portion of last years slate, UK held the opposition to only 255 total yards per game. But, against the SEC that number ballooned to 377 yards allowed per game -- Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss averaged at least 400 yards of total offense last season. Defensively, Tennessee and Alabama tied for the leagues stingiest defense, allowing only 263.5 yards per game.

Touchdowns Scored -- 36 36

Third Down Conversion % -- 31% (12th) 33% (6th)

Comment: I thought all year long that the defense was doing a good job of stopping the opponents on third down, particularly, third and long. As many know, third and long, for many, many of UK's past opponents has represented a golden opportunity to trash the UK secondary. Not anymore. On the flip side, the struggles of UK's offense last year are glowingly obvious in the 31% third down conversion rate. Of course, it helps not to be facing 3rd & eight nearly every offensive series. In other words, UK had a real problem gaining real estate on first down last season. THAT has to change -- Florida led the SEC with a third down conversion rate of 51.6%.

Red Zone Scores -- 32 of 43 (10th) 26 of 33 (5th)

Comment: If a team doesn't run the ball well, they don't usually have good red zone numbers, and UK wasn't very effective on the ground for most of the season.

Red Zone Score % -- 74% 79%

Red Zone Touchdowns -- 22 of 43 (10th) 21 of 33

Red Zone Touchdown % -- 51% 64%

Comment: Fifty-one percent is exceedingly low. UK needs to run the ball more effectively, and make some field goals, then that number will begin to climb.

Red Zone Field Goals -- 10-17 (10th) -----

Comment: This number is unacceptable. To make only 58.8% of ones red zone field goal attempts is beyond putrid. UK faces a schedule full of close games, and having a competent kicking game is an absolute necessity -- UK's 17 red zone field goal attempts were the second most in the SEC.

Overall Field Goals -- 14-25 (9th) 9-23

Comment: Only two SEC kickers made over 70% of their field goal attempts last year: Joshua Shene of Ole Miss was 13-17 (76.5%), and LSU's Colt David made 12-16 (75.0%).

Time of Possession -- 29:27 (11th) 30:33

Comment: In this category, less than three minutes separates the SEC leader and the 12th place team.

Average Penalty Yards Per Game -- 43.2 (3rd) 52.7 (2nd)

Comment: Discipline counts -- Georgia was penalized an average of 72.7 yards per game, worst in the SEC. The Dawgs also gave up 35 first downs due to penalties. Ouch. Perhaps this is one of the reasons Georgia underachieved last year.

Kick Return Average -- 26.4 (1st) 20.9

Comment: Special-teams coach Steve Ortmayer is a happy man. Last season Derrick Locke and Winston Guy led the SEC in highest kick return average for one game: Locke returned two kicks for 127 yards (63.5 avg,) and a touchdown versus WKU. Guy returned three punts for a total of 146 yards (48.7 avg.) versus Georgia. Departed defensive back David Jones also returned a kick-off for "six" -- A 99-yarder against ECU in the Liberty Bowl. With both Locke and Guy returning, danger lurks Will Robinson ...

Punt Return Average -- 9.4 (8th) 9.7

Punt Average -- 41.7 40.9

Comment: Tim Masthay led the SEC by averaging 45.1 yards per punt. He also recorded the second longest punt in the SEC last year with his 72-yard boomer against Mississippi State.

Net Punting -- 38.4 35.7

Sacks By -- 32 (3rd) 13 (1st)

Comment: Obviously, excellent work by both the offensive and defensive lines -- Arkansas quarterbacks were sacked a total of 45 times. Whirlpool anyone? Ole Miss led the league with 38 sacks.

Tackles For Loss -- 86 55

Comment: Outstanding differential.

Pass Breakups -- 45 46

Pass Breakup % -- 12.5 11.1

Fumbles - Lost -- 19 - 8 27 - 14

Comment: UK's defense is beginning to beget a trend. It's been three straight years that the UK D has created many more turnovers than the opposition. Kudos to defensive coordinator Steve Brown for turning a historically UK negative, into Big Blue opportunity.

Turnover Margin -- +5 (4th)

Comment: Florida led the league with a +22.

First Quarter Points -- 34 101

Comment: Wow!! Set wake-up calls for an hour earlier.

Second Quarter Points -- 71 71

Third Quarter Points -- 78 41

Fourth Quarter Points -- 111 66

Comment: Last year UK outscored their opponents by 82 points in the second half. Impressive.

Final Thoughts

It doesn't take a Bear Bryant football mind to recognize that UK needs to improve in almost all areas, with the exception of kick returning: Pass better, run better, kick better, block better (for the running backs), and finally, defend the run better. There is no shortage of motivation for this staff to use to gain the hearts and minds of the players (and if there is, I'll be happy to fax over this post).

The simple fact is, though, last year was seen by many to be a rebuilding year for Kentucky. Most prognosticators predicted a "gloomy and doomy" sub-six win season for the 'Cats. But bowling they went, in spite of their youth, injuries, and uneven play. Kentucky fans expect more this year, they expect arced growth.

We'll begin delving into the possibilities, probabilities, and plausibilities of preseason prognostications over the next several weeks. Crank it up, football is almost here.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Maryland Minute 7.9.09 - King City Classic Edition

Ben Broman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:41:10 -0000

King City Classic Notes - Jones, Leslie, Roscoe
Tobias Harris is also in the rounddown, but it doesn't look like the Terps made the cut there. On Jones:

Terrence Jones continues to impress with his versatility. The big left hander scored, rebounded, passed and blocked shots at a high level throughout the day. He has a unique feel for the game and could be something special if he plays in a system that utilizes him as a facilitator and runs the offense through him.

On Leslie:

C.J. Leslie is also on the verge of breaking into the five-star ranks. He might be the best traffic rebounder and shot blocker of all the four men in the class. And on Wednesday he finished with more efficiency than in past settings. A great playmaker with the ball in his hands, Leslie would shoot up the rankings if he demonstrates improvement in his finishing at the basket and shooting in general.

On Roscoe:

Roscoe Smith swung from looking terrific to no so good throughout the day. Poor decision making and a lack of physical strength got him in trouble during the bad stretches, but when he played within his rhythm offensively, he was very good. Wired with a competitive nature, Smith is rough around the edges talent who could really blossom in the right situation in college.

...

Roscoe Smith said the recent scholarship offer from Duke is special because of the history and tradition of the program. He is also high on Florida, Maryland, Connecticut, Georgetown and LSU, who have all also offered.

Wow, Roscoe seems to really like Duke. I hate to say it, but I kind of want Duke to land Harrison Barnes, or at least for that recruitment to drag out long enough for Roscoe to cool on them.

ESPN KCC Notes - Roscoe, Leslie
More news from the LeBron James Skills Academy. Roscoe Smith:

Smith is a smooth jump shooter with 3-point range. He can also knock down one or two-dribble pull-ups. He has good length, and can shoot over smaller defenders with ease. He has a good looking stroke on spot-ups in transition, deep in the corners or in the open area on dribble penetration. His trigger is quick, and he has confidence in his jumper. Smith can get on a role [sic] and hit three or four in row. He uses a shot-fake to raise the defender off the ground and set up his pull-up. He has trouble finishing at the rim at times because of his lack of strength. He must work to improve his scoring moves off the bounce, especially going to his left. Overall, Smith has excellent shooting skills and good upside.

And CJ Leslie:

2010 PF CJ Leslie (Raleigh, N.C./Word of God Academy) plays with great energy and passion. He is a quick, super-athletic, live body, who loves to finish above the rim in transition. He runs the floor like a deer, and simply plays harder than his opponents most of the time. His skill needs immediate attention, but he scores in the lane with a jump hook over his left shoulder, and uses his quickness on the right block for a baseline spin move. Leslie dunks on any clear paths to the rim. He is an excellent shot-blocker on the ball or coming from the weak-side, and he hits the glass on both ends. He seems to get a tip-in basket in the book every game. If he can improve his skill and pair it with his athletic ability and high energy style of play, Leslie's game has vast potential. Leslie is intriguing, and one to watch as he continues to develop.

Terrence Jones Highlight from KCC
Not exactly scintillating, but TJones proved he can block shots at the King City Classic - this video shows one play where he makes three stuffs in a row. I'm not sure it was #3 play highlight material, but it did make me want him more.

GTown Decommit; Former Target Garland to VaTech
Former Georgetown commit Nate Lubick decommitted from the Hoyas today. Aside from having one of the most amazing quotes (something along the lines of "I thought Georgetown doesn't offer white guys"), he's a very solid traditional post player. It's strictly conjecture right now, but Maryland could be interested and throw him on their board. Tsafack, Graham, and Kirk are the only guys who are traditional post players that Maryland's recruiting, and maybe Lubick likes the area, since he committed to Georgetown. He's one to keep tabs on.

Meanwhile, former Maryland PG target Tyrone Garland just committed to Virginia Tech. Maryland really stopped their pursuit after Terrell Stoglin committed, and Garland still isn't very highly rated, IIRC.

Recruiting Report: Two Terps recruits headed to prep school
Two MD recruits, David Mackall and L.A. Goree will be heading to prep school next year as they failed to meet the NCAA qualifying standards. This isn't a gigantic deal - they'll remain Terp commits and simply reclassify as 2010 commits, which, the way 2010 is going, is kind of a good thing. They probably would've redshirted anyway, so we'll be good.

One oddsmaker actually likes Maryland football
At least some people like us...we're David Jones's sleeper pick.

The Terps are picked to finish in fifth place in the Atlantic division of the ACC in 2009 despite a solid 8-5 2008 campaign. Maryland has been comfortable in the sleeper role under head coach Ralph Friedgen. With the return of senior QB Chris Turner and 1000-yard back Da’Rel Scott, the Terrapins should be more consistent moving the football in 2009. The defense must replace seven starters but linebacker Alex Wujciak provides a solid foundation to build around. In a conference that lacks a dominant team, Maryland can’t be counted out. The Terps won’t have to face Virginia Tech and Florida State until November.

The final two sentences are key - the ACC is mediocre, no one outside of VaTech commands any respect, and we don't face the heavies till late in the season. Some big positives there.

ACC's 10 Most Powerful People - Debbie Yow at #6, Gary at #16
Somewhat obviously, John Swofford is the #1 and Coach K is #2, but after that it's a bit confusing. Roy Williams is #3, which I disagree with, and Dick Vitale is #10, which is a huge head scratcher. Debbie, despite some of her flaws, is actually quite powerful and influential in the ACC. I just wish she would've used that power to, y'know, let Gus Gilchrest play.

6. Debbie Yow, Maryland athletic director. There's a reason why Yow is among the most respected administrators in college athletics. Maryland's athletic department had plenty of issues before Yow's arrival in 1994 but since, the Terrapins have significantly improved competitively, in the classroom and financially.

Nolan Smith Likes Singing
At least Terrell Stoglin isn't the only ACC guard that likes doing musical things. Nolan Smith does, too.

Im going about my day singing la lal la la la.. So that's how I feel, so everybody sing along!

We can't really make fun of him after Stog's terrible rap, but maybe it softens the blow. At least Stog wasn't singing "la lal la la".

UK Football: Spring Practice Wrap-up -- The Secondary

Ken Howlett — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:43:32 -0000

This is the first in a series of posts examining how the personnel for the 2009 UK football season are shaping up.

With Kentucky wrapping-up their spring football practice via Saturday's Blue-White Game at Commonwealth Stadium (with 20,000+ fans in attendance, oh my), it's time to take a look at what the future holds for the gridiron 'Cats. Kentucky, coming off a 7-6 season and a third straight bowl victory (over East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl), will strive to continue to re-write the history books with a fourth straight winning season.

Last year, the defense was the star of the show, and the secondary was the star of the defense. With several returning starters and a slew of promising underclassmen, the 2009 Wildcat's secondary promises to continue UK's leap from perennial defensive doormat, to bully on the block.

UK's 2008 Defensive Secondary Numbers

Opponent's Points Per Game -- 21.5

Opponent's Passing Yards Per Game -- 193.2

Opponent's Average Yards Per Pass -- 7.0

Opponent's Average Yards Per Completion -- 13.4

Opponent's Touchdown Passes -- 18

Opponent's First Downs Gained by Passing -- 94 (7.2 per game)

Opposing Quarterback's Attempt/Completion -- 188-359 (52.4%)

UK Secondary Pass Break-Ups -- 30

UK Secondary Interceptions -- 12

UK Secondary Interception Return Average -- 6.8 yards

UK Secondary Interception Return for TD -- 1

UK Secondary Fumble Return for TD -- 2

Opponent's Third Down Conversion Rate -- 62-187 (33.2%)

The Secondary

2008 secondary members lost to graduation: David Jones (cornerback), Marcus McClinton (free safety), Shomari Moore (cornerback), Robbie McAtee (cornerback).

Returning players of note: Trevard Lindley (senior cornerback), Randall Burden (sophomore cornerback), Ashton Cobb (senior safety), Winston Guy (sophomore cb/safety), Calvin Harrison (senior cb/safety), Matt Lentz (sophomore strong safety), Taiedo Smith (sophomore safety), Paul Warford (junior cornerback - redshirt in '08).

Redshirt freshman: Cartier Rice (defensive back).

Position Switch: Anthony Mosley -- Mosley is now a defensive back, making the switch from wide receiver.

The strength of UK's defense over the last couple of years has resided in its secondary. Led by First Team All-SEC cornerback Trevard Lindley, UK is no longer the team that enables average quarterbacks to perform like Peyton Manning. And in 2009, UK boasts depth at the cornerback and safety positions not seen in Lexington, possibly ever.

Third-year UK defensive coordinator Steve Brown had this to say about a couple of newcomers to UK's secondary:

"I think we've got as much, if not more talent, but it's really hard to say how much improved we'll be at this point. Taiedo (Smith) and Cartier Rice are very talented players, but it's so hard to beat that knowledge than Shomari (Moore) and Robbie (McAtee) had. Time will tell. Talent doesn't really pay off if you don't know what you're doing, but athletically we're in good position."

Lexington Catholic product Winston Guy (6'1" 200 lbs) has also been impressive this spring. His mix of speed, instinct, and desire will make it very difficult to keep him off the field. UK head coach Rich Brooks called Guy the most talented defensive back he's signed since he's been at UK (yes, that includes Mr. Lindley). Steve Brown agrees:

"Without a doubt. It's not even close. He's instinctive, he's athletic, fast, he's got size, he can cover, and he'll hit you. There's just so many positives. His deal is being comfortable with his assignments. Once he does that he's going to be very, very special."

Guy, who last year returned kick-offs after the injury to running back Derrick Locke, and played some cornerback late in the year, is currently listed as the back-up to Trevard Lindley. But in an effort to utilize his extensive skill-set as much as possible, he'll probably get a look at the safety position.

Another player who has impressed is sophomore cornerback Randall Burden (6'0" 170 lbs). Coming off a strong Liberty Bowl outing versus East Carolina (two pass break-ups), plus an impressive spring, he is currently listed as the starting cornerback opposite Lindley, but will face a stiff test once Paul Warford returns (he broke his foot on the first day of spring practice). Redshirt freshman Cartier Rice (5'10" 180 lbs), along with sophomore Taiedo Smith (6'0" 182 lbs) have turned heads this spring, and will battle Burden and Warford for playing time at the cornerback spot. Both Rice and Smith could also come into play in '09 when UK utilizes their nickel defense (five defensive backs).

The starting safety positions will be battled for by Matt Lentz (6'3" 209 lbs), Ashton Cobb (6'0" 210 lbs), and Calvin Harrison (6'1" 197 lbs). All three are experienced, but will possibly face competition from Guy, and Anthony Mosley (6'0" 180 lbs - 4.3-second 40), depending on how the cornerback battle plays out.

CliffsNotes Analysis

Once again Kentucky's secondary (ably led by secondary coach Chris Thurmond) should be the most productive part of the defense. The lethal mixture of experience, depth, speed, and power provided by Trevard Lindley, Ashton Cobb, Paul Warford, Randall Burden, Calvin Harrison, and Matt Lentz should propel UK to defensive heights not seen since the Jerry Claiborne days.

The potential greatness displayed by Winston Guy is certainly going to be a key to providing UK with another defensive playmaker, ala Trevard Lindley. And if the other youngsters, Taiedo Smith and Cartier Rice, continue to learn and improve, UK's secondary will be as deep as any in recent memory.

Congratulations

Former UK offensive lineman Myron Pryor was selected in the sixth round of the NFL draft Sunday by the New England Patriots. Pryor has an excellent chance to make the team ... good luck Myron.

Also, signing free agent contracts were: defensive end Ventrell Jenkins (Buffalo),cornerback David Jones (Baltimore), punter Tim Masthay (Indianapolis), safety Marcus McClinton (New England), offensive tackle Garry Williams (Carolina), and linebacker Johnny Williams (Jacksonville).

A Sea of Blue friend Dicky Lyons, Jr is still talking with several teams.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

... And the celebration begins!

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:54:20 -0000

First off, a big acknowledgment for the excellent play of the East Carolina Pirates. They were all the team we could have handled, and we barely were up to the challenge. It was nip and tuck all the way, and the Pirates never gave up. Some very interesting circumstances made this one a game I will never forget. But the Pirates have no need to hang their heads -- they easily could have won this game, and arguably played better football overall.

But all that aside, this is truly a great victory for Kentucky, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and ... well, wild games I have ever witnessed. Nobody who saw this game could have been anything but excited, and both teams played very hard. There were some huge hits in this game by both teams. It was a great college football game.

Regarding the return for touchdown by ~~Jarmon~~ Jenkins, I don't think you can be deemed to have possession while the ball is in contact with the ground, as it was when his knee was down. Not sure about that, so you armchair officials might need to correct me on that perception, but I believe that was why ~~Jarmon~~ Jenkins wasn't considered down on the fumble recovery. The Micah Johnson touchdown, in my view, was incorrectly called back. There was no way that the officials could conclusively determine whether the ball was still in Pinkney's hand when his knee hit the ground. Either way, it is over now.

In the end, I have to give Hartline a lot of credit. Despite having his usual problem throwing balls too high, he got that under control in the second half and made some great throws, really clutch. The one exception was that unacceptable throw into triple coverage on the ill-advised fleaflicker, especially when he had a man wide open over the middle.

Tony Dixon was just relentless, and he totally deserved his player of the game recognition. I thought he had poor vision in the first half and could have done more had he simply kept his head up, but in the second half he did a much better job. The punters for both teams were excellent, but East Carolina's punter was truly incredible, hitting some of the longest punts I have seen in many years in a college game.

For Rich Brooks, you can only praise the adjustments that the team made after the half. Of course, the remarkable David Jones touchdown return of the second-half kickoff had a lot to do with making Brooks look good, and completely reversed the momentum from the first half, which was clearly with the Pirates. I thought our defensive secondary was simply great in the second half, and Micah Johnson was a force of nature, flying around the field like a Tasmanian Devil.

I have to admit, I am much happier for this team than I was for the team last year. That team had no excuse to lose, and they didn't. This one had every excuse to give up and lose, and they refused to do so. That means a lot to me, and I hope to all of you.

Congratulations, Wildcats. Nobly won, and well earned!

63-5: Will UK redefine the moment?

Ken Howlett — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:18:39 -0000

The Game

Even the most pessimistic of 'Cat fans didn't see this one coming. It's not only the margin of defeat that is so shocking (58 points), but more so the manner in which Kentucky lost; blocked punts, blocked field goal attempts, and interceptions returned for touchdowns. Special teams coach Steve Ortmayer must have aged 10 years in a matter of three hours. Of course UK's nationally ranked defense contributed to the loss; cornerbacks beat for touchdowns, allowing 5.2 yards per rush (they didn't seal the edges), and mindless personal foul penalties.

Ortmayer had this to say about his unit's performance:

"It's poor preparation by us, a poor plan by me, and poor demand of the plan by me."

At least he took responsibility for the pitiful special teams play.

Don't get me started on the offense. Other than Randall Cobb and Moncell Allen, they all pretty much stunk; Hartline looked like a deer, not in the headlights, but a deer tied to the hood of a pickup truck. You get my point.

Rich Brooks chimed in with these words on the letdown:

"I didn't think I'd be up here after a game where we had things go as badly as this. Obviously, I did a poor job of preparing the team schematically and mentally in every phase." Brooks continued, "The mental breakdowns after having two punts blocked cascaded on us, and I didn't do a good job of getting it stopped or fixed."

I expected nothing less from Brooks.

When a team loses by 58 points, there just aren't too many positives to write about. And since I can only handle the above quick rehash of the 'The Swamp Romp,' let's take a look at the larger, more meaningful picture. I realize in times like these that can be a difficult proposition, but for the purposes of the next few minutes, let's try.

The Moment

If a three hour football game can be described as a moment (as in a moment in time), then UK's loss to Florida is a moment defined by embarrassment, and ineptitude; a total breakdown of execution by the players and coaches. It's the snowball effect; one bad thing happens, followed by another and another. And before one can say "mulligan please", the game is over, and SportsCenter is running a crawl all day and night that screams, "Florida - 65 UK - 3" -- Just as a friendly reminder.

UK's football history is littered with such moments, so much so, that some years have included more embarrassing moments than good. Actually, that's been true for many years, especially over the last three decades.

But the moment is over, and it's time to move on. The question that remains to be answered is how will this moment be remembered in January? Will it be remembered as the low point in an abysmal season, or the turning point in a winning season?

Redefining the Moment

Not long ago, October 14, 2006 to be exact, Rich Brooks took a 3-3 UK squad to Death Valley and were unceremoniously spanked by LSU 49-0, in a game that wasn't as close as the final score. The loss dropped the 'Cats to 3-4 with games against Georgia and Tennessee remaining on the schedule. The prognosis for the rest of the season was bleak. But something happened on the way to another losing season, something changed in the week immediately after the 'Death Valley Disaster.'

That team, which finished 8-5, decided to recommit themselves to playing winning football. They knew they had too much talent to lose in such a disturbing manner; they knew they were better than how they performed against LSU. That team finished the season by winning five of their final six contests. They redefined the moment that was the LSU game. Instead of hiding from the embarrassment, they let the embarrassment feed them for the final six weeks. The LSU game became the turning point in their season, and has propelled UK to an overall record of 18-9 since that painful night.

This team is capable of doing the same thing, and the reason I feel that way is because they are better than what they showed Saturday. There is too much talent in that locker room for them to perform so poorly. More importantly, there is too much pride in that locker room for them to take the beating and meekly crawl home. I think the players are angry, angry with themselves. I think the coaches are angry, angry with themselves.

Anger in a football team can lead to what happened in 2006, and many of the current players were on the roster in '06 for the "Turnaround:" DeMoreo Ford, Dicky Lyons, Mike Hartline (he was a redshirt), Alfonso Smith, Maurice Grinter, Garry Williams, Myron Pryor, Corey Peters, Trevard Lindley, David Jones, Marcus McClinton, Braxton Kelley, the list goes on and on. They witnessed the change, they witnessed the re-dedication, they witnessed 5-1. But can they lead this team from the brink, back onto solid ground?

The first step in recognizing that one needs to change is accepting responsibility for the failure. If Jeremy Jarmon is any indication, then the players are pointing their fingers at the man in the mirror:

"We had a complete collapse offensively, defensively, and special teams-wise. All of this lies on us. The coaches are going to come in here and talk about, 'it's their fault,' but that's not the case. We knew what we had to do and just didn't do it. We went over a lot of special-teams stuff as far as blocking punts and field goals, and we came out here and made the same damn mistakes we made last week and the week before that."

Let it feed ya, Jeremy.

2 - 2

That's all UK needs to do to finish the regular season with seven wins. Beat two of these four: Georgia, Vandy, Tennessee, or Mississippi State. That's all it takes for this season to be considered a wild success ... record-wise at least. Most publications picked UK to finish 3-9 or 4-8. Very few had Kentucky winning more than five games.

So for all the anti-Brooks, anti-Joker jokers out there ... put a sock in it. Frankly, if Brooks and his staff haven't earned your respect and admiration at this point, then my advice is to do some research and see for yourselves how historically significant these times are for the UK football program.

For one, I appreciate what has happened with the Kentucky football program enough to endure the valleys, as long as I know I have a fighter's chance of reaching the mountaintop.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

South Carolina @ Kentucky: Post Mortem

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:11:01 -0000

Congratulations to South Carolina and the Ol' Ball Coach for a great second half. Despite the best efforts of USC to give the game away in the first half, they managed to capitalize on Kentucky's mistakes and put points on the board. Great effort. Perhaps this is the sign that USC fans have been looking for.

For Kentucky, it was a frustrating day. The Kentucky offense simply isn't SEC quality at this point, and Mike Hartline worked hard, but just doesn't throw the ball like an SEC quarterback. Many, many times he had open receivers only to sail the ball over their head, or throw it in the wrong place.

But lest you think I am blaming this all on Hartline, I'm not. Locke did not deliver on his implicit claim that running the football would be more effective despite many bites at the apple. Randall Cobb helped, but the loss of Dicky Lyons took the Kentucky offense from suspect to second-rate. The defense spent far too much time on the field, and it showed in the second half. Special teams were bad all day, giving up a kick return that led to a touchdown and several short punts that gave USC good field position. If Succop had been even marginally capable, this would have been a 16-point pounding.

I think that Stephen Garcia has "all SEC" in his future, as his size, arm strength and running ability reminded me as much of Tim Tebow as any player I have seen this year. UK just didn't have an answer for him, and despite getting a few sacks, the defensive line did not get enough pressure on Garcia, primarily because he is so capable with his feet. Garcia made throws that made UK's secondary look very bad, and in general, it did not play well in the second half, particularly David Jones who was burned repeatedly for big plays.

If UK is to achieve its goal of a third straight bowl, there have to be changes on offense. As it stands, with the possibility of Lyons going down for many games and perhaps even the season, UK looks incapable of putting up enough points to be successful from here on out, and even if Lyons is only mildly injured, I feel uncomfortable enough about what I have seen that I don't see another sure victory on the horizon. Having seen Hartline now for six games, I can say that he is unquestionably not SEC-quality right now now, and I don't know if we have an SEC-quality quarterback on our football team this year. Cobb is exciting, but I don't believe he is the answer -- he is just too young. Hartline may get better, but with a young receiving corps, and too much youth overall at our skill positions, Kentucky no longer looks like a sure bet to win any of the remaining SEC games, even next week when Arkansas comes to town.

Right now, I am not at all optimistic about the rest of the year. Something may change, but we have far too many offensive holes to plug in seven more weeks. We may have to cobble together some kind of gimmick offense to take advantage of where we are athletic, but the inability of receivers to get open or catch footballs, and the inability of Hartline to deliver the ball on target combined with the possible loss of Dicky Lyons Jr. make our offense look like it is on life support.

It's an awful realization that we truly do stink on offense as badly as some have said. At this point, I believe that this game removes all doubt in that regard. But who knows, perhaps I am too pessimistic -- perhaps UK will suddenly start catching balls, or Hartline will start throwing them on target. Who knows? But I do know this -- this game was a massive regression offensively. We rarely looked like a team who could score, even in the red zone.

South Carolina @ Kentucky: Game Preview

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:45:13 -0000

The Palmetto State of South Carolina is one of my favorite places on earth. It has so many great things going on that it's hard to know where to begin -- great beaches, wonderful golf courses, beautiful country, warm weather, Southern grace. In fact, I like it so much that I see myself spending my later years there.

The University of South Carolina has always fancied itself a football school, but the reality of the situation is that most of the good football since the 1980's has been played southwest of Columbia at Clemson University. Of course, the two schools are bitter rivals, and it was partially this imbalance that Steve Spurrier was hired to correct. but in 3.5 years at USC, Spurrier has yet to contend for the SEC East championship or the SEC championship.

Be that as it may, the Gamecocks have owned Kentucky since 1999. Many of those years, South Carolina has simply been much better than the 'Cats owing to NCAA probation, but now the pendulum has swung and the two schools are very competitive talent-wise. In fact, no less than eight of Kentucky's players come from the Palmetto State, which produces many more good football players than the state of Kentucky. They include safety Matt Lentz and defensive end Ventrell Jenkins. South Carolina, on the other hand, boasts not one single player from the Bluegrass State.

Let's take a look at how this game unfolds:

Offensive line

The Kentucky offensive line has done a great job of protecting Mike Hartline, albeit against inferior competition. UK is leading the SEC in sacks allowed, with only two so far in five games. South Carolina, on the other hand, is last in the SEC in sacks allowed, averaging 3.6 per game for a total of 18.

Run blocking is harder to figure, but Kentucky and USC are 9th and 10th in the league, respectively, so we can safely say that neither team is doing a great job getting yards for its backs. Both teams have a fairly young offensive line, so these kinds of struggles should not be surprising.

Advantage: Kentucky

Defensive line

Kentucky's defensive line is second in the league with 13 sacks, while South Carolina is 7th with 10. South Carolina has 20 hurries, though, compared with UK's 5. Both lines are in the lower half of the league in run defense, although both are allowing very respectable numbers at around 115 yards per game. South Carolina has played much tougher competition, though, so I think we would have to conclude that they are somewhat better against the run than the Wildcats.

Advantage: Even

Offensive skill positions

South Carolina has always had very solid skill position players, and this year is no different. Mike Davis is a solid, bruising tailback who gets most of the carries for the Gamecocks, averaging 4.5 yards in 73 carries. Brian Maddox, Bobby Wallace and Taylor Rank are all 200+ lb. running backs and solid athletes. On the outside, tight end Jared Cook leads the Gamecocks in receiving and averages almost 15 yards/catch. Moe Brown is their leading wide receiver who has just one fewer reception and almost the same yards/catch average as Cook.

Kentucky, of course, has some strong running backs of its own in Derrick Locke, Moncell Allen, Tony Dixon and Alfonso Smith. Dickie Lyons Jr. leads the way in receiving, and Maurice Grinter has been making some noise lately catching the ball from the tight end spot. Randall Cobb is also likely to return from injury at receiver, and he may be a difference maker in this game.

Advantage: Even

Quarterbacks

Chris Smelley is the man for the Gamecocks right now, and despite some inconsistent performances, he had one of his best games against Ole Miss last week. Smelley is only a sophomore, but he started several games last season and has much more experience than Mike Hartline. The big question is, can the USC line keep the strong Kentucky defensive front out of Smelley's face today?

Advantage: Slight South Carolina

Linebackers

Both South Carolina and Kentucky have outstanding linebackers. South Carolina is second in the league in total defense, and their linebackers are a big reason why. Wilcat fans will not forget the performance Eric Norwood put on against UK last season, and he is back better than ever, and leads the team in tackles for loss. Jasper Brinkley is a solid junior linebacker, and the Gamecocks have good depth at the position.

Kentucky, though, has dynamic linebacker Micah Johnson returning for this game. Although it is doubtful he will be at 100%, even a 90% Micah Johnson is a weapon. Braxton Kelley has also been terrific, and both Johnson and Kelley are averaging over 5 tackles per game.

Advantage: Marginal Kentucky

Defensive backfield

South Carolina has been simply terrific against the pass, leading the SEC in that category. Strong safety Emanuel Cook has been a beast, averaging eight tackles/game and leading South Carolina in the category. Captain Munnerlyn is a very capable cover corner, albeit sometimes mercurial, and Carlos Thomas and Stoney Woodson lead the Gamecocks in picks with two apiece.

Kentucky is right behind South Carolina in pass defense. Trevard Lindley is truly a lock-down cornerback, and Marcus McClinton, David Jones and the rest of the DB crew have been having a great year. Kentucky also has a +5 turnover margin to South Carolina's -5, and that could be a real factor in today's game

Advantage: Even

Special teams

Kentucky is a terrific punting and kicking team, one of the very best in the SEC. Tim Masthay is a weapon, and has been greatly responsible for the 4-1 mark that UK now sports. With the exception of field goal kicking, Kentucky has an advantage over almost every team in the SEC in special teams. South Carolina is no different

Advantage: Kentucky

Intangibles

After the debacle of last year in Columbia where the Wildcats fumbled away any chance of a victory, and considering the gaudy records Spurrier and the Gamecocks have against Kentucky, UK will be very, very up for this game. Kentucky fans know that this is one of the winnable games we need to have a shot at a third straight bowl, and Commonwealth Stadium will be rocking today.

Meanwhile, the Gamecocks are coming off a big road win, and for whatever reason, seem to have a lot of confidence in their ability to win this game. That could work against them this time.

Advantage: Strong Kentucky

This is a very big game for the Wildcats. Win this one, and they are one victory away from bowl eligibility and largely control their own destiny in the SEC East. Amazingly enough, not one of the traditional powers can make that claim, so this is truly a historic opportunity for Rich Brooks & Co.

But historically, especially recently, the Wildcats' futility against the Ol' Ball Coach knows no bounds, and like the long Florida and Tennessee winning streaks, it is a source of great consternation in the Big Blue Nation. South Carolina will be ready for this game, and their defense is truly powerful -- maybe even more powerful than UK's, which is something UK has not had to face a lot of this year.

Perhaps being at home and getting some of our players back off injury and the joy of Big Blue Madness will be the antedote for all this dominance by USC and the Visor. If so, Kentucky will be well on its way to a surprisingly good season, and finally begin to earn respect in the SEC.

Trends point to a defensive struggle in this game, but I am picking the Wildcats to break out. 21-10, UK.

And they're all in Alabama

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 15:55:18 -0000

Alabama. Birthplace of Bocephus' unique sound, and inspiration of the lyric above. Heart of Dixie. Legacy of the Bear. Home of the Crimson Tide, and a football culture unsurpassed anywhere in America. Home of one of, and possibly the, greatest football program, tradition-wise, in America, and #2 ranked in all the land.

Kentucky. Home of Montgomery-Gentry. Border state. Legacy of the Baron. Home of the Kentucky Wildcats and the Big Blue Nation, a basketball culture unsurpassed anywhere in America. Home of a rising football program that once had the Bear prowling the sidelines.

Today, you can find them all in Alabama. Tuscaloosa, to be exact. Bryant-Denny Stadium, to be more precise, at 3:30 PM EDT. Both teams will be ready. Both teams have had some attrition. Both know what the stakes are for this game and both are ready to do battle on the gridiron.

There is no tradition between the two schools other than sharing Bear Bryant as coach. Alabama has dominated Kentucky in football, sporting an almost nonsensical 33-2-1 record against the 'Cats in a series that stretches back to World War I. No rivalry can develop from such a statistic, ever. However, a confluence of events including an Alabama slide in recent history and the gradual rise of Kentucky from the depths of Mummefication has conspired to produce a rising Tide under head coach Nick Saban, and a rising Wildcat program under Rich Brooks, meeting as undefeated contestants in a battle with national implications.

Of course, the Tide will be favored. They are the more talented team. They have more Rivals 4 and 5-star recruits on their team right now than Kentucky has had in the last ten years. They have the biggest and best offensive line in the SEC, a fantastic young receiver in Julio Jones, a proven quarterback in John Parker Wilson, and a solid defense that is ranked 15th in scoring defense in the nation and is proven against SEC and ACC competition.

Kentucky, on the other hand, has a completely rebuilt offense from the quarterback on up. Only Dicky Lyons Jr and the running backs are proven against SEC competition. But Kentucky does sport the #1 scoring defense in the nation, albeit against inferior competition. There is nothing exciting about Kentucky, nothing sexy, nothing special except for their defensive and special teams statistics, which are gaudy and impressive.

So with all that, let's take a quick look at how I think this game shakes out:

Offensive line

Many casual football fans do not understand how important the lines are in football, because what we see are backs running down the field and quarterbacks slinging touchdowns to athletic receivers, but all that begins with the line. If you have a poor line, you will have a poor football team.

Alabama has arguably the best offensive line in the entire nation. It will take an overwhelming effort by the UK defensive front to disadvantage them, and I'm not even sure that any amount of effort will be enough.

Advantage: Alabama

Defensive line

Kentucky's defensive line is proven in SEC competition, and has dominated lesser competition to an astonishing degree. Alabama's defensive line has not been quite as dominant except against the run, where they have been special. Terrance Cody, a JC transfer, is the root of this line, where his 6'5", 365# mass has disrupted the running game of every team they have played.

Kentucky has one of the best defensive lines in the nation, as does Alabama. They go about it differently, but both are equally effective. Corey Peters, Ventrell Jenkins, Jeremy Jarmon and Myron Pryor are proven, effective SEC linemen. The likely return of Ricky Lumpkin from injury just makes this D-line better.

Advantage: Even

Offensive skill positions

Alabama has solid but unspectacular skill positions except for one -- Julio Jones. The true freshman was ranked #1 by Rivals as a wide receiver coming out of high school, a true 5* game-changer that has lived up to his billing completely.

Kentucky has a 4-deep offensive backfield of proven players. Derrick Locke and Alfonso Smith are speed merchants who can gain yards in huge chunks. Tony Dixon and Moncell Allen are bruising runners who punish linebackers with their physicality. Alabama also has proven runners in Glen Coffee, Roy Upchurch and Terry Grant. Mark Ingram is a true freshman, a 4-star out of high school.

Advantage: Slight Alabama

Quarterbacks

John Parker Wilson is a senior quarterback who is proven in the crucible of the SEC. For the last two years, he has been the man in charge of Nick Saban's attack, and is coming into his own.

For Kentucky, Mike Hartline is a sophomore with very limited experience, except this year. The cerebral type, Hartline excels at game management and making smart decisions, and has been a proven leader in Kentucky's first 4 victories. He is not at all proven, though, and this will be his first start against an SEC foe.

Advantage: Strong Alabama

Linebackers

Kentucky has truly found a niche in the SEC at getting good linebackers, and developing them into game-changers. Unfortunately, the best UK linebacker, Micah Johnson, will likely see limited if any action against Alabama. But Braxton Kelley, Johnny Williams, Michael Schwindel and Sam Maxwell are an outstanding group that will fly all over the field on Saturday.

Alabama has a young but talented linebacking corps, and in their unusual 3-4 scheme, they are a bit more able to absorb their youth and inexperience. Leading the group are juniors Cory Reamer and Bandon Fanney, and the younger guys are Rolando McClain and Don'ta Hightower.

Advantage: Marginal Kentucky

Defensive backfield

Alabama has the outstanding Javier Arenas, an impressive speedster at one corner, and Kareem Jackson at the corners. Both are extremely fast and athletic, but both are small at 5-9 and 5-11 respectively, rendering them somewhat vulnerable to larger receivers. At the safeties, Justin Woodall is leading the Tide D-backs with 3 interceptions. Rashad Johnson is the second-leading tackler for the Elephants with 17 solo and 9 assists.

At corner, Kentucky has the all-SEC candidate Trevard Lindley on one side and David Jones on the other. Lindley is a proven cover-corner who is big enough to handle most receivers at 6'0", and co-leads the team in interceptions with 2. The other corner is David Jones a senior who is having a solid year in relief of the academically ineligible Paul Warford. At safeties are senior Marcus McClinton, co-leader in INT's with 2, and Matt Lentz, newly elevated to the position over Ashton Cobb.

Advantage: Even

Special teams

With the exception of field goal kicking, Kentucky has been excellent on special teams this year. Senior kicker/punter Tim Masthay has been a weapon, allowing only 11 kicks to be returned all year. The combination of Ryan Tydlacka and Masthay have allowed only 3 punt returns all year, and pinned the opposition inside their own 20 many times (I can't find this stat anywhere). Kentucky is #1 in the nation in kickoff returns and #48 in punt returns.

Alabama special teams are less special. Despite the obviously dangerous Javier Arenas returning kicks and punts, he is only 93rd and 29th respectively in kickoff and punt returns. at #111 in net punting vs. UK's 62nd, Alabama hasn't exactly impressed in that statistic either. Leigh Tiffin has been solid but unspectacular as a field goal kicker.

Advantage: Strong Kentucky

Intangibles

This game is being played at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Alabama where 92,000+ fans once turned out for spring practice. Nothing further need be said.

Advantage: Strong Alabama

In the final analysis, this game is going to come down to the lines. If Alabama's more talented line dominates the 'Cats on defense, Alabama will have to give up big plays in order to lose the game. If this is a war of attrition, Kentucky will have a slight advantage because of their marginally stronger defense. In a shootout, Alabama has a big advantage because of their more experienced quarterback and better wide receivers.

In the end, it will be an upset if Kentucky wins, make no mistake. Kentucky is capable, but if Alabama executes solidly, it is unlikely that the 'Cats can pull the upset. But I think Alabama is more overconfident than is being portrayed in the media, and I think that overconfidence will manifest itself negatively. The Tide can point to a number of good reasons why they should win this game, not the least of which is the fact that UK has never won at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Be sure to visit Roll 'Bama Roll as well for updates as the game progresses

My pick: Kentucky, 21-20 in an upset.

UK vs. WKU: What we have seen -- What we need to see

Ken Howlett — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 18:23:29 -0000

As UK's football team enters into their final pre-conference test versus Western Kentucky, let's review what the 'Cats have shown us on the field in their first three games, versus what we need to see tonight. With a road game at Alabama only a week away, the SEC countdown clock is nearing zero.

What we have seen: Mike Hartline play better than expected.

The sophomore signal caller has shown more poise and on-the-field leadership than many thought him capable of only a month ago. He's been booed by the home crowd, albeit, only a minority of the Commonwealth faithful, and he also won the SEC Offensive Player of the Week Award two weeks ago after his performance against a game Middle Tennessee squad ( he's handled both ends of the fan behavior spectrum with much aplomb ).

We've not seen him throw an interception, which us certainly a pleasant surprise considering his youth and inexperience.

What we need to see tonight: Some semblance of a vertical game, and continued cool play under pressure. Although Hartline has shown considerable accuracy and ability when throwing the short to intermediate passes, he has yet to show the ability to toss the long ball. That is partly due to the game-plan decisions of the coaching staff, partly due to the youth of his receivers, and partly due to his ever-so-slight inaccuracy on the few stretch-the-field attempts he's made to this point.

Hartline and his receivers must at least show the ability to stretch the field, because the speed of the SEC defenses will not allow only a short to midrange pass game. In order to be successful offensively against the nations best teams, UK must demonstrate they can throw the ball long, or UK's future opponents will stuff eight or nine defenders in the box and Kentucky's offense will cease to exist.

What we have seen: UK"s offensive line struggle with opening gaps for the running backs, but doing a credible job of protecting the quarterback.

What we need to see tonight: Offensive line domination.

With the return of O-lineman Garry Williams, UK will now be back at full strength in the offensive trenches. The front four need to show they are capable of creating holes for UK's best weapons, because as of yet, they have not performed up to their anticipated capabilities.

What we have seen: The running game struggle; the four primary backs are averaging 2.9 yards per carry versus FBS competition.

What we need to see tonight: A per carry average of 4.5 to 5.0 yards, at minimum.

WKU did not show a propensity to stop the run versus Alabama and Indiana, and they have also given up a number of big plays to the ball carriers. UK has to take advantage of this Topper defensive weakness. If not, then going into SEC play one can have very little confidence that UK will be able to score on some of the best defenses the nation has to offer.

What we have seen: UK's defense perform admirably, but against Middle Tennessee they did give up a number of big plays.

What we need to see tonight: Defensive domination; in my view, UK's defense is the biggest question mark; I don't question that they are strong, I question how strong.

After-all, they have yet to play what one would consider a strong offensive unit. The front four of UK"s defensive corps have been able to gain penetration and pressure the quarterback with regularity ( without the benefit of much blitzing ), although against MTSU, quarterback Joe Craddock at times had several seconds to pick apart UK's secondary. That has to change tonight. WKU quarterback K. J. Black is extremely athletic, and possesses the ability to elude the rush. With Western head coach David Elson's spread/option attack the 'Cat's defensive front will be in for a test unlike any they have experienced this year. If they are to have any hope in stopping, or even slowing down the likes of Tim Tebow or Vanderbilt's Chris Nickson, they must keep Black under control.

Western doesn't run the ball particularly well, so UK overpowering their ground game is imperative in order for me, or anyone else, to have confidence going into the SEC slate.

Coach Brooks made a switch this week; benching safety Ashton Cobb in place of former quarterback Matt Lentz. A lack of focus and effort in practice was the stated reason for the change by coach Brooks. I say good for you coach. Lentz has wowed 'em since the spring with his athleticism, but he hasn't gotten much playing time so far this year. After he shakes off his nervousness ( I'll give him one play ) I expect to see Lentz perform up to the standard set by Marcus McClinton, Cobb, Trevard Lindley and David Jones ( Robbie McAtee has also performed well ).

UK will have a definite defensive advantage in the team speed category, so a recurrence of the big plays that MTSU executed will be unacceptable tonight; the 'Cats need to crush the Topper's when the red and black have the ball ... period.

What we have seen: Punters Tim Masthay and Ryan Tydlacka perform marvelously.

What we need to see tonight: A continuation of the same.

Folks, field position is so very important. UK has two punters who's talents almost guarantee the opponents will start drives from deep inside their own territory. That trend must continue; giving UK's defense an opportunity to work their magic.

What we have seen: Inconsistent field goal kicking.

What we need to see tonight: Ryan Tydlacka, if given the chance, make all of his attempts inside 45 yards.

As of yet, UK's poor kicking game hasn't cost them ( thank you Rob McAtee ), but it was only a matter of time. Tydlacka was an All-State performer at Trinity High School, and beat out Lones Seiber in a two man competition over the last couple of weeks. Kentucky has to solidify that position, let's hope Tydlacka is the answer.

What we have seen: Poor receiver play.

What we need to see tonight: Receiver play that doesn't give Joker Phillips a coronary.

The youth of the receiving corps ( except for Dicky Lyons ) has resulted in dropped balls, incorrect route running, and an inability to finish running the right routes. They also have not picked up on the check-offs at the line.

All of that has to stop. UK has practiced now for two months, the youth excuse, as it pertains to the above sins, is no longer valid. All of the young receivers have the physical talent needed to perform at a high level, and it is now time to prove they belong.

I don't expect perfection, but definite signs of progress need to be visible ... and no drops would be greatly appreciated.

What we have seen: Conservative play-calling.

What we need to see tonight: An opening up of the playbook.

For reasons that are understood, offensive coordinator Joker Phillips and Rich Brooks have been hesitant to allow Mike Hartline to utilize the entire playbook. It is now time to see exactly what we have.

The WKU game affords UK's offensive personnel the opportunity to succeed and build confidence.

The countdown clock is nearing zero; it's now or never.

What we have seen: A near loss to Middle Tennessee.

What we need to see tonight: UK -- 38 WKU -- 10.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!