SB Nation - Ryan Tydlacka

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Weekend Happiness Hangover Edition

Truzenzuzex — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:54:51 -0000

Was that thump some people heard on Saturday the sound of Uga VII rolling over in his grave?

And what a weekend it was. The Gridiron Felines show that they are not going to look gift horses in the mouth this year, as they took advantage of a 4-0 turnover margin to upend the Dawgs in Athens.

Then the basketball team showed why almost everyone has them in their top five by effortlessly handling Rider, 92-63, in a game that was arguably not as close as the score. This Kentucky team is only limited by their own willingness to learn and work hard, and as the competition gets tougher (beginning tomorrow night), we will see if Calipari's coaching and system will take hold early, or late.

Returning to football, it is simply beyond belief that UK managed to pull out a victory in Georgia on Saturday if you look at the box score. But one thing that deserves further highlighting is just how well UK's special teams played. Kentucky got outstanding field position on every kickoff. A missed PAT and a poor Ryan Tydlacka punt were really the only blemishes on an otherwise sterling special-teams performance.

Another point that needs a little extra emphasis is the ridiculously outstanding play of Sam Maxwell. Who would have believed that Maxwell would come into the starting line up this year and outshine Micah Johnson? True, Micah has suffered from a turf toe injury that has limited his mobility the last few games, but Maxwell has stepped it up to a very high level.

The news follows the jump.

Tobias Harris signs with Tennessee - Rocky Top Talk
Rivals' #1 power forward and #5 overall player has signed with Bruce Pearl and the Vols, arguably the biggest recruiting get in the history of Tennessee Basketball.
Kings Of New York: Syracuse 87, North Carolina 71 - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
Syracuse crushes North Carolina. The way to 2000 wins just got a little easier.
This Isn't Exactly The Start The SEC Had In Mind - SB Nation
The SEC is off to a slow start in the non-conference season.
Caribbean Kings: Puerto Rico, Paradise Jam Tournaments Highlight Sunday In NCAA Basketball - SB Nation
Louisville has a much closer than expected game against Morgan State.
Paradise Jam: Tennessee 57 DePaul 53, Vols play for title Monday - Rocky Top Talk
Remember that 129-49 throttling of UNC Asheville by the Vols? Depaul was having none of that.
UK showed its better half in upset | KentuckySports.com
"We're not getting style points," Brooks said after the game. "It's not always pretty and this one wasn't pretty, but it looked like Bo Derek running down the beach to me late in the fourth quarter."

Brooks is hilarious. Great win, no matter what it looked like.
UK Recruit Brandon Knight Scores 28 in First Game
I'd like to see Knight take Wall's place next year.
Orlando Sentinel - Gators juniors already thinking about NFL draft by
Florida will be a much different team next year. Can Urban resist the siren call of the Big Golden Dome?
Charleston Classic Finals, South Carolina vs. Miami: A Quick Recap - Garnet And Black Attack
More bad news for the SEC. Dominique Archie may have torn his ACL.
Villanova stops Mississippi to win Tip-Off | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/23/2009
Ole Miss tries, but fails, to handle #5 Villanova.
Wildcats finally conquer Athens | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
It was UK's first win in Athens since 1977 — the year the Cats' current coach, Rich Brooks, took Oregon to Sanford Stadium in his first game as a collegiate head coach.

In that game 32 years ago, Brooks' team held a late lead and lost.

What is the old Klingon proverb about revenge being a dish "best served cold?" "I said (to the team) I've been waiting a long time — long before they were born, and most of them before their parents even met and married — and we finally got one back for the old man today," Brooks said. "It's a great win."
No. 10 Wildcats fall in volleyball | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Hoops hall another link for Bird, Magic - KansasCity.com
But they [Larry Bird and Magic Johnson] liked even less — and this was saying something — how little playing time they received on that all-star team. Joe B. Hall was the coach, and he played his guys, a Kentucky squad that had won the national championship the year before, over the two Midwestern kids.

Via Rush the Court.
IRON BOWL: Alabama focused on task at hand | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser
"It's the type of game where you can't give a pep talk before the game," said Tide senior cornerback Javier Arenas, a native of Florida. "It takes care of itself. If you can't get yourself fired up to play in this one, there's something wrong with you."

The Iron Bow. In my opinion, the most intense rivalry in all of sports, college or professional. I watch this game every year, and it rarely disappoints. But on Friday? I wish it were on Saturday.
Kicking Off Week 13 with Rivalries and Trouble in Athens // 11.23.09 - Team Speed Kills
This might be humorous if it were gallows humor, But I'm pretty sure the Senator was being serious when he said this:

I’m being a little unfair to Kentucky with this. There’s a clear talent gap between the ‘Cats and the Dawgs – Georgia’s coaches aren’t as good as Kentucky’s at getting their charges prepared to play hard for sixty minutes.

To recap: A Georgia fan thinks his coaches were outdone by a centenarian, a man named Joker and a defensive coordinator whose name know one knows. This movie doesn't end well.

The Georgia faithful are not happy.
Kentucky Wildcats 34, Georgia Bulldogs 27: Chicken Little Was an Optimist - Dawg Sports
Statistically, Kentucky never should have been in this game. The Bulldogs outperformed the Wildcats in passing yards (291-137), rushing yards (196-123), first downs (22-15), and time of possession (33:13-26:47). That ought to be a recipe for success, particularly for a team that has home field advantage on its side. The usual suspects reared their ugly heads, however, as two interceptions, two lost fumbles, and five fifteen-yard penalties, almost all of them at the most inopportune times imaginable, doomed the ‘Dawgs.

If you didn't see this game, there is no way you would believe that UK had won. Georgia dominated every statistic except two -- turnover margin and final score.
Les Miles Denies Calling for a Spike; Video Evidence Proves Otherwise - And The Valley Shook
Heh. Ouch.
Charlie Weis says indeed, 6-5 not good enough for Notre Dame Fighting Irish - ESPN
"If they decide to make a change, I'd have to say I'd have a tough time arguing with that. If they decide to make a change, I'd have a tough time arguing that because 6-5 is not good enough," the Fighting Irish coach said Sunday. "Especially when you've lost five games by a touchdown or less and several three-point games that went right down to the wire.

Is this coach arguing that he should be fired?
Bobcats end 7-game slide - CharlotteObserver.com
To paraphrase the Dean Smith/Michael Jordan line, only Larry Brown could hold Nazr Mohammed to 18 points.

Good for Nazr. Via Walter's Wildcat World.
European influence has lasting effect on U.S. basketball -- chicagotribune.com
My, how the world has changed since Wildcats last beat Vols on gridiron - Kingsport Times-News Online
Week 12 in Review - AthlonSports.com
How about the job Rich Brooks is doing with Kentucky this year? The Wildcats lost starting quarterback Mike Hartline to a knee injury, but freshman Morgan Newton has played well and was a big reason why the Wildcats scored a huge 34-27 upset over Georgia. Don’t be surprised if the Wildcats give Tennessee all they can handle this Saturday.
Is this Kentucky's year? | When You're Strange | GoVolsXtra.com
No streak lives forever and this may be the week Tennessee's domination of Kentucky finally comes to an end. The Vols have found a way to beat the Wildcats 24 consecutive years, the longest streak in any major college football rivalry. Usually, UT had better players up and down the line.

It's time for the streak to die.
Kentucky Wildcats Arrive in Cancun, Mexico
UKCoachCalipari All checked in. Will practice in an hour or so. The place seats about 1300 fans and I hear Kentucky fans will be close to half of them.

I know how it was in Vegas last year. Tons of Kentucky fans, and a few of every other team.
Kentucky Sports Radio "Stacey Poole Discusses HS Basketball, Why He Chose the Cats and Improving
Q&A with Kentucky’s John Wall | Vaught's Views
Adams: UT, Kentucky treading on similar path " GoVolsXtra
The same Rich Brooks, who was on the brink of being fired a year later, is now an established SEC coach with two dazzling rebuilding jobs on his resume, first at Oregon, and now at Kentucky. And UT’s Lane Kiffin is the first-time head college coach who is just getting started.

Interesting.
" BBL: What they said from Athens on the UK football win John Clay’s Sidelines
John Clay's Big Blue Links.
Brooks’ priority is finishing 2nd in SEC East | Vaught's Views
Column: UK’s best perimeter ‘D’ found underneath | The Kentucky Kernel
"I know they have taken a bad rap for some of the 3-pointers that have gone in against them, but I watched every game and a couple of kids went nuts against them," Rider coach Tommy Dempsey said. "They gave up open shots, but you can’t expect them to not give up open shots in the course of the game, especially when they are pressing, jumping in passing lanes and trying to create offense with their defense."
Rick Bozich | UK's front line looks top of the line | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
It was delivered by DeMarcus Cousins, a UK freshman forward. It was accepted by Daniel Orton, another UK freshman forward. It was the result of Cousins, a guy who had started the first half as well as the Wildcats' first three games, suggesting to coach John Calipari that Orton should take his starting spot for the second half of Kentucky's 92-63 victory.

This group is showing signs of becoming a real basketball team.

Kentucky 24, Vanderbilt 13 -- Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:51:51 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

Derrick Locke's power and speed was critical to the 'Cats win over Vanderbilt.

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I am very, very happy to report that Kentucky has won their second SEC road game this year and is now eligible for a bowl for the fourth straight year. Congrats to the football Wildcats on a big win at Vandy today.

Vanderbilt was a very, very tough and determined opponent, but their problem today was the same as it has been all year -- they have not been able to put enough points on the board. Vandy's defense was extremely tough today in the passing game, but they were vulnerable over the ground as they have been all year. Kentucky finally figured that out and exploited it to great advantage in the second half.

Derrick Locke was absolutely awesome, and his running mate Randall Cobb was almost his equal. We saw trick plays, circus catches, and two tipped interceptions. As usual in the Vanderbilt game, we found that the foe was much tougher than we expected, and that was very nearly the Wildcats' undoing.

But at the end of the day, Kentucky was superior offensively. The 'Cats also made some nice halftime adjustments defensively, and Steve Brown & Co. held the Commodores without a score the entire second half. I was taking Brown's name in vain at halftime, but he made up for all that with a well-played second half.

My observations follow the jump.

Special teams was fantastic today in almost every respect. The one problem was two blocking in the back calls that wasted two fine returns by Randall Cobb. A-
What a difference a half makes! Vanderbilt absolutely dominated Kentucky in time of possession in the first half, and ground the Wildcat defense down to a nub. But in the second half, it was almost exactly reversed.
Joker Phillips called a weak first half, and a strong second half. I'll give him a B for this game, and a star for realizing that Vandy could not stop us on the ground.
Brooks gets a B also, and a star for whatever it was he said at halftime.
Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke are like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid -- two different players who achieve nearly identical results. Locke gets his with speed and power, and Cobb gets his with remarkable shiftiness. A+ for both.
The halfback pass was a nice wrinkle. We should dust that off again. Locke threw a nice ball.
Morgan Newton played a very poised game, and I hope the Hartline experimentation is over for this year. I like Hartline's experience, but he is clearly not ready to play and Newton improves every game. Let's hope Brooks hitches his wagon to Newton's star. That rocket he threw over the middle to LaRod King was a big reason we won this game. I'm not sure Hartline could have made that throw. B for Newton.
Speaking of LaRod King, was he a great find for Brooks or what? B+
Where the heck was Chris Matthews? C- After further review, B. Matthews made more good blocks on the outside than I gave him credit for.
Why don't we get John Connor a few more carries?
Ryan Tydlacka was simply awesome today. Best game as a Wildcat, by far. A+
Memo to Joker Phillips -- remember the offensive line you have is great. Let them help us win games.
The D-line was not good today, but the secondary was incredible in the second half.
Please let Trevard Lindley be OK. Cobb too.

Next week -- The Dawgs and 'Cats duke it out between the hedges in Athens.

Go, Cats!

Kentucky 21 @ Auburn 14: Postmortem

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 03:19:17 -0000

More photos » by Dave Martin - AP

This man (Auburn coach Gene Chizik) is not smiling here, nor is he smiling now.

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I knew we had a shot at this game. I said it early in the year, and I believed it coming in. This UK team, despite it's issues, is a very tough out for any team not named Alabama or Florida in the SEC. That's real. That's the truth.

I want to thank Auburn for their effort. This is a big loss for them, and the rest of the season does them no favors. But they played hard, if imperfectly and with a ton of terribly costly penalties that are usually the province of Kentucky. I'm not going to blow sunshine up their hind parts -- for some reason, the roles were reversed this week and it was the Tigers who shot themselves in the foot. Auburn had a chance to win this game, and they surrendered it with a whimper, rather than a growl. Gene Chizik will have a lot to talk about after this one.

But for the Wildcats, it was a much-needed victory after a very tough four-game stretch that saw them lose their All-American cornerback and starting quarterback to injury, and prompted Rich Brooks to start a true freshman at QB in an SEC road game against a team who has a 15-game winning streak against the Wildcats. I'm going to say it is an understatement to say that the Wildcats had the deck stacked firmly against them.

Let's be honest -- the defense really was the difference in this game. Against the #2 offense in the SEC, Kentucky played about as well as it is possible to play against them defensively. UK denied Chris Todd, a Kentuckian from Elizabethtown, any hope of having a good game. Todd helped out a lot by making pretty much nothing but poor throws, and UK made the Tigers pay by playing solid defense.

I can go on and on and on, but I will settle for bullet points, as usual:

Morgan Newton may not have done that much, but he showed why he was such a highly touted player with his strong arm and powerful body. He is a freshman, and it showed.
Will Fidler gets the game ball, not because of any amazing stuff, but because of the circumstances in which he managed to excel. He showed terrific leadership, and made a huge drive-saving fourth-down play that I will remember a long time.
Randall Cobb and Derrick Locke don't need game balls -- they could win it every game. They do what they do, and frankly, they did it tonight.
How much better is Randall Burden with Paul Warford on the field? Amazing.
Micah Johnson is a creature from another world. He is like the alien in Predator -- indomiatble.
Winston Guy needs a butt-kicking. He hits a guy, but refuses to wrap them up. If I'm Steve Brown, I'm going to go all Coach Boone on his butt. He is way too good to be giving up big plays when he hits hard but fails to finish.
Our D-line has played better, but to their credit, they rarely lost containment. That's why Auburn had very few big plays.
Chris Matthews is getting better every game. He is on the same path as Stevie Johnson, only a little earlier.
Sam Maxwell is a stud. He made so many great form tackles, open field an otherwise, I lost count.
Our special teams made two mistakes, and about five great plays. On balance, I'd say that is pretty good, most games. But both their mistakes resulted in an Auburn TD -- the missed blocking assignment on the field goal, and the pathetic Ryan Tydlacka punt.
The most unspoken great player in SEC history, at least the part I remember, is John Conner. He just de-cleats people when he blocks. I wish he could play for UK forever.
The UK offensive line might be the best in the league. Senior O-line players make one heck of a difference.
Kentucky had one (1) penalty. With a freshman quarterback, or with a long-time backup. That's gobsmacking.

That's enough. Add your observations to the celebration.

Is this a great weekend or what?? Go, 'CATS!

Alabama 38, Kentucky 20 -- After Action Report

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:56:33 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

We saw just a little too much of this guy (Ingram) today.

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Congratulations to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Just as most Kentucky fans suspected (judging from the remarkable absence of people in the open game thread), Kentucky was not up to defeating the talented, powerful Crimson Tide. Alabama played nearly mistake-free football, having relatively few penalties and no turnovers. Just as I explained earlier this week, Alabama does not get it done with smoke, mirrors, or deception. They are just a talented football team that beats you in a completely conventional, straightforward way.

For Kentucky, it was a comedy of errors, just as it was last week -- 7 penalties for 78 yards, many of them personal fouls. One or two personal fouls per game is understandable, but five is unacceptable. I call that very nearly dirty football, or at least unacceptably poor judgment. Kentucky also managed to turn the football over four times to Alabama's zero, which was kind of important considering that two of them resulted in touchdowns.

Well, here are my observations:

I sure hope Lindley is not hurt badly. He apparently has a sprained ankle.
Mike Hartline was not an SEC quality quarterback today. I am becoming more and more convinced that he never can be. But this year, I guess he's all we can expect.
Some may have thought the fake field goal and shot at the end zone at the end of the game was unsportsmanlike, but with all the personal fouls we committed on Alabama, we have absolutely zero moral authority to be critical. That's football. Move on.
Gotta love Randall Cobb. Too bad he can't play quarterback and receiver at the same time. But if anybody could, it would be him.
I am, at this moment, unhappy with Rich Brooks. This team's execution sucked out loud. In fact, it was an absolute embarrassment on offense at least half the time, and the 'Cats allowed too many big plays on defense. Take away a great play by Cobb and Mike Hartline's only really good throw, and you have an embarrassing margin rather than a merely pitiful one.

But I also must give the staff credit for a pretty good gameplan. I liked the fact that we utilized our running backs so well in so many ways. It might have even worked if Alabama had given UK a few turnovers, and if UK's offensive execution hadn'd been so feast-or-famine. Alas ...
Derrick Lock needs to get more passes thrown his way, wherever he is. When he gets the ball, good things happen. But Hartline is so sensitive to accusations that he can't throw the ball downfield (which he can't) and locks in so hard on his receivers that it isn't likely to happen. Frustrating.
This team showed it had enough offensive talent to at least give 'Bama a game, and the UK defense was fairly stout overall. Unfortunately, turnovers, 3 by Hartline, killed any chance we had.
If it seems like I am on Hartline's case, it's because I am.
Special teams played pretty well except for the first play, and that was enough of a breakdown to cost us an easy seven points.
Overall, the defense is really close to being good. There's just that whole tackling thing that seems to have them flummoxed.
Julio Jones was not a factor. That says a lot about our secondary.
Peek killed us. That says a lot about our linebacking corps, and not what we want to hear.
Great job by Lones Seiber. That's two games in a row he has played well.
Great job by Ryan Tydlacka. Maybe our kicking game is not as bad as Brooks feared.
What a great stable of running backs Alabama has. UK's is not bad, but dang...
The better team won. No doubt about it.

That's about it. It was what we expected, but I would say that UK was at least competitive in this game, and even though there is less positive to take away than I would like, it was not all negative like last Saturday. Alabama played pretty much mistake-free football, even if their execution was a little off today. You almost never beat a team as good as they are without mistakes, and they simply never gave UK a chance.

Next week, the road beckons. It couldn't be any less friendly than Commonwealth Stadium has been over the last fortnight, could it?

Kentucky 42, Miami (OH) 0 -- After Action Report

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:47:40 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

Randall Cobb was the Cat Daddy today. Frighteningly good.

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Well, that was impressive, save for the first quarter.

Congratulations for the Miami Redhawks for giving it their all, and making us sweat in the first quarter. Miami has a new coaching staff and a bunch of new players, so they can be forgiven for struggling in the first game of the year. I appreciate their effort, and applaud the clean game that they played with very few penalties and good sportsmanship.

What was good

Offense --The offense, from the second quarter on, was incredibly impressive. The o-line started opening up holes, and protecting the quarterback the way that a senior-dominated O-line should.

Mike Hartline was very impressive. He was poised, he was efficient, and he made good reads after he got a feel for the Redhawk defense. His deep ball was much improved, and even though he still threw a couple of those nasty floaters that I really hate, most of his throws were on target and in good spots.

Randall Cobb was simply terrific. It has been a long time since I have seen a player with such incredible economy of motion. He isn't that quick or that fast, it's just that his body and mind seem to be in such perfect harmony that no effort is wasted, no motion is discordant, no move is ineffective. He is an unusual player, gifted with almost perfect body control. Every move he makes is graceful and efficient. It's almost like everyone else around him is moving in slow motion, or is somehow seeing two of him.

Cobb was indomitable today, and the rest of the SEC should fear him.

Chris Matthews had a great first game, and is just the kind of big target UK need. TC Drake also played well, as did Ross Bogue.

The running game, particularly Derrick Locke and Moncell Allen, was great. A lot of that was due to some gaping holes opened by the o-line, but Locke's speed is undiminished despite a serious knee injury and Allen is just a bruising runner who made a lot of yards all by himself. Alfonso Smith also had a good game, but he was less impressive than the other two.

Defense -- The defense was sound, and even though they allowed a few big plays, they weren't bad. They did, after all, achieve a shutout, and I don't recall (and don't feel like looking up) when the last time UK shut out anybody.

I liked what the secondary did after the first half, and the defensive line played very well against the run, as did the linebacking corps. Micah Johnson made an impressive pass breakup in the second half, and overall, I was very happy with the defensive effort. Of course, Trevard Lindley was what he is expected to be -- an All-American. He could have had three picks today, but wound up with only one, and scored a touchdown off that one. Hard to complain much about the two that got away.

What was not so good

Special teams -- Special teams scared me. Kickoff coverage was pretty good, but the kickoffs themselves were not great. Once again, Lones Seiber missed a ~~short~~ 43 yard field goal. That has got to be corrected.

Punt coverage was not as good as kick coverage, although Ryan Tydlacka kicked the ball very well, including a clever short-field kick that pinned the Redhawks inside their 20.

The defensive line, particularly on the edges, did not impress. UK did not get enough pressure on the Redhawk quarterback, even though the Miami o-line was very young and inexperienced.

The offense did a very poor job of picking up blitzes, which is a problem Rich Brooks identified about a week or two ago. That is a disturbing blind spot, and if UK can't get that problem solved, Hartline is going to have to throw a lot more balls away than anyone wants.

Overall

Overall, I was very pleased with the offense, and happy (but less so) with the defense. Hartline has clearly improved a lot, and Randall Cobb has become a major threat no matter where he is on the field. Chris Matthews is looking like the kind of player that can help us become a serious threat in the SEC east. If Hartline can learn to keep the ball down a bit and the offense can pick up blitzes better, this is a team that could make some noise in the SEC this year.

One thing I can say with confidence -- Kentucky is much, much better, overall, than last year. I know this is just the first game, but it is clear to me that this is a team which is competent, and deserves to be in the SEC.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Sunday Links and Stuff

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:23:25 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

This smile is for you, not for me.

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The football news is beginning to trickle out, and even though there has been no hitting at all yet, we hear the coaches talking about what they are seeing, a little bit at least. Right now, the teams are practicing in shorts, and they won't be in full pads until five days after practice begins. Until then, according to Coach Brooks, there is very little to say. No surprise there.

So, for your perusal and enlightenment, here's the news:

UK Basketball News

Danny Jett's Inner Circle: The Immortals: UK's 25 'Legends' #17

UK Football News

State-Journal.com - 'We're a better team'
"All I know is we’re a better team than we were at this stage last year, and in my mind, we’re clearly a better team," said Brooks, whose Wildcats open against Miami of Ohio on Sept. 5 at Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium – kickoff is at noon.

We'll see. I certainly hope so.
Fall practice heats up for Cats
Lots of interesting tidbits in here. Masthay is a huge loss, and Ryan Tydlacka will have some huge shoes to fill there. Seiber seems healthier than in previous years, so we can only hope for improved consistency. It's troubling to hear that Evans will miss a couple of days of practice. We really need all the help we can get at DE.
L.A.-to-UK duo set to shine | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
DeQuin Evans and Chris Matthews make up UK's west coast connection this year.
UK signee Brian Adams had near-fatal clot
Man, that was a close one. Thank God (and UK Trainer Jim Madaleno) that everything will be fine.

Other UK Sports News

None today

NCAA Sports News

Which coach is the best sideline tactician?
Heh. Interesting. No mention of Tubby Smith? I think that's a mistake. Calipari at least got mentioned as one of the "...big dogs...".

Other News of Interest

Collective bargaining wish list... - Denver Stiffs
The NBA and the player's union have already begun their negotiations for the collective bargaining agreement that will replace the one negotiated through 2010-2011. Denver Stiffs has a wish list of things they'd like to see.

The Daily Schadenfreude

What's next for U of L?
**Snicker** I'm bad, I know. I can't help myself. I'm sure there will be paybacks.

Post-Spring Previews: Kentucky Wildcats

Gamecock Man — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 19:49:41 -0000

The Gamecocks dive into the meat of their SEC schedule when the Kentucky Wildcats come to Columbia. You have to think that the 'Cats really want this one, as we're currently enjoying a lengthy winning streak against them, with Coach Spurrier enjoying an even longer one. While we've undoubtedly been a bit better than Kentucky over the past decade, we haven't always been substantially better, so the losing streak miffs the 'Cats faithful to some degree.

Last year, Kentucky featured a great defense and a pitiful offense, perhaps the league's worst. This year, the defense should still be good, but it might be asking a bit much of it to play like it did last year, so the offense will need to improve. That's a big "if," though, as the 'Cats still have some significant question marks on offense. Let's take a look at how these guys stack up against us.

Offense

Quarterback

Last year's transition to life without Andre Woodson was largely a nightmare for the 'Cats. Offensive coordinator (and future head coach) Joker Phillips's pro-style offense thrives on a strong passing game, but last year the 'Cats sputtered to a 96-ranked passing offense. That's a big dip from the heady days when Woodson was under center. The coaching staff juggled Mike Hartline and multi-talented Randall Cobb throughout the season, with the two signal callers posting abysmal 104.7 and 95.1 QB ratings, respectively. Both, though, showed potential at times, and with more experience and a more experienced offensive line protecting them, the 'Cats could be poised to return to their old ways this year. At this point, Hartline appears to be the starter, with Cobb returning to his receiving and special teams duties. If Hartline doesn't play well, look for prize recruits Ryan Mossokowski or Morgan Newton to see the field. Cobb may also see time under center in special Wildcat packages, in much the same way that we plan to use Stephon Gilmore.

I'd say we have a slight to a strong advantage here; while Garcia hardly lit the world on fire last year, he was better than Hartline, and his ceiling is probably higher.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Running Backs

Senior Alfonso Smith, who has been a reliable part of the rotation throughout his career but has never had a chance to be the featured back, appears to be about to get his chance to lead the 'Cats rushing attack. The 'Cats need him to perform well, as the 'Cats need to improve on their 81-ranked rushing offense from a year ago. Smith is a speedster that can also catch passes out of the backfield, the latter a valuable skill in the Phillips offense. Derrick Locke is another option at tailback, although there are questions about Locke's health after he tore two ligaments in his knee last year against Arkansas. The coaches say Locke will be ready in the fall, but it's not easy to come back from the kind of injury that he suffered.

I would give us a slight advantage here; I like Smith quite a bit, but I think we have a bit more talent and a lot more depth. If Smith goes down, the 'Cats could really be in trouble here.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

After struggling at receiver last year, the 'Cats now appear to have a lot of talent here. The aforementioned Cobb will likely be the go-to guy; Cobb played only sporadically at the position last season, but he showed lots of potential. The 'Cats also bring in JUCO transfer Chris Matthews. Matthews was one of the very best JUCO receivers last year, when he caught 80 passes for over 1200 yards in nine games. (It's also worth noting that at 6'5, Matthews looks like a prototypical NFL prospect.) Buffering Cobb and Matthews will be a crew of talented players that have shown the ability to contribute.

I would call this a push. Both teams have lots of talent here but lack a proven guy that has shown he can carry the load all season. Both will need to figure who that guy will be in their early-season games.

Verdict: Push

Offensive Line

Although they graduate former star tackle Garry Williams, Kentucky returns seven players that have starting experience on the offensive line. Rich Brooks and Joker Phillips are hoping that all that experience amounts to a better performance than they got last season. Kentucky's line is a little smallish for the SEC, but they are athletic and appear capable.

I would call this a push. I'm tempted to give us a slight advantage here as I believe we have more overall talent and depth, Kentucky returns more experienced depth, which is hugely important on the line. At any rate, both teams appear ready to get better protection this year than last.

Let's take a look at the defenses after the jump.

Defense

Defensive Line

Kentucky had one of the conference's best defensive line a year ago. Unfortunately for them, Kentucky loses a lot here this year. The 'Cats expected to lose Myron Pryor and Ventrell Jenkins to graduation, but they also lost star end Jeremy Jarmon after Jarmon was declared ineligible after testing positive for a banned substance. Jarmon was one of the conference's best ends and losing him leaves Kentucky without the fierce pass rush they thrived off of last year. Kentucky does return talents Corey Peters and Ricky Lumpkin, but to say that they now have serious questions to answer on their defensive line would be an understatement.

Barring injury, defensive line will be a strong point for us this year. Big advantage here.

Verdict: Strong advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

The 'Cats return a talented all-conference candidate in senior ILB Micah Johnson. Johnson recorded 93 tackles last season despite missing a couple of games due to injury. The 'Cats hope Sam Maxwell and Danny Travathan can competently complement Johnson by shoring up the OLB positions.

I would call this a push. Like Kentucky, we return an all-conference candidate in Eric Norwood. However, we will have to hope that Rodney Paulk can effectively replace Jasper Brinkley.

Verdict: Push

Secondary

Perhaps the best thing that happened to Kentucky over the offseason was CB Trevard Lindley's choice to stay in school for his senior season. Lindley is one of the best defensive players in school history and is a legit All-American candidate. Lindley is probably the best cover corner in the SEC and will effectively shut down one side of the field. We'll have to attack the other side, where things are a bit more unclear for Kentucky; they'll likely rotate Randall Burden and Paul Warford. Talented safety Winston Guy shores up a very solid Kentucky secondary.

Kentucky has a strong advantage here. I would say our safeties are comparable to slightly better than the ones the 'Cats have, but we unfortunately don't have anyone that has proven he can compare to Lindley.

Verdict: Strong advantage Kentucky

Special Teams

Kentucky had good return units last year, especially when Derrick Locke was returning the ball, so getting a healthy Locke back on the field could be important here, as well. Past that, the 'Cats were pretty rough around the edges on special teams last year. They gave up lots of return yards, had lots of punts and field goal tries blocked, and missed lots of field goals when they weren't blocked. Improving protection and coverage has to be on the agenda; Kentucky probably would have beaten us last year if not for an atrocious special teams performance that included giving up long kickoff and blocked-field-goal returns to Captain Munnerlyn. While Kentucky returns their most experience placekicker in Lones Seiber, they're considering handing over kicking duties to punter Ryan Tydlacka after Sieber's dissappointing 2008. Tydlacka will also take over full-time punting duties from graduated stalwart Tim Masthay.

I would give us a slight advantage here; we have questions of our own to answer at special teams after losing Ryan Succop to the draft, but Kentucky was truly atrocious here last year and really needs to improve.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Head Coaches

While his overall record in Lexington isn't phenomenal, the job Rich Brooks has done at Kentucky has been remarkable. He inherited a program that had only seen intermittent success since the late 70s and that was at the time mired in probation. After some poor seasons early in his tenure, Brooks turned things around in 2006, leading the 'Cats to eight wins, including a bowl victory over heavily favored Clemson. He would follow with another eight wins in 2007 and seven this past year. Both included more bowl wins; the three straight is a Kentucky record. Indeed, these have been heady days for the Kentucky football faithful.

I would call this a push; both Brooks and Spurrier have proven themselves capable of doing pretty big things at schools that haven't always been very successful, but both have a little work to do to get to the next level in the competitive SEC East.

Overall

With a schedule that includes Miami (OH), Louisville, Lousiana-Monroe, Eastern Kentucky, and Mississippi State, Kentucky could very well make it back to the postseason if they can win those five and pick up an upset somewhere else, most likely against us, Auburn, Vanderbilt, or Tennessee. They could conceivably win seven or eight games if they can win multiple games against that quartet. However, on paper this looks like the weakest team in the SEC East. While the offense looks much better at receiver, quarterback is still a huge issue, and the defense will probably be significantly worse than last year's excellent unit. That could all change if Hartline or one of the freshmen step up at quarterback and they fix some of the holes on defense, but those are big "ifs" at this point. I'm predicting that our more complete lineup and home-field advantage will net us a 10-14 point victory here.

Prediction: 10-14 point Carolina victory

Poll

The Kentucky game will result in a...

Blowout Carolina victory

17 votes

Close Carolina victory

27 votes

Close Kentucky victory

40 votes

Blowout Kentucky victory

23 votes

107 votes | Poll has closed

Kentucky Football: Generous to a Fault

Ken Howlett — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 07:57:32 -0000

You've heard that it's better to give than to receive. Well, I think this years Kentucky football team has taken that well intentioned adage to heart. Giving, and giving some more, or even giving until it hurts, might best describe UK's propensity to give to their opponents this season. I'm all for looking out for one's neighbor, but does, 'it's better to give than to receive,' apply to the football field? I think not!

Allow me to illustrate exactly what I'm referring to, because the startling nature of the numbers drives my point home with authority.

UK's defense, in nine game, has given up 136 points points, or 15.1 points per game ( the team has given up 159 total points ... but, more on that later). Of those 136 points, 51 of them have come via offensive turnovers or underwhelming special teams play, allowing UK's opponents the good fortune of playing with a "short field." Which of course is not conducive to winning football.

The ugliness breaks down thusly:

Versus Norfolk State: A Randall Cobb fumble sets up NSU on UK's 27 yard line. UK's defense allows only a field goal = 3 points.
Versus Middle Tennessee: A Mike Hartline fumble sets up the Blue Raiders on UK's 34 yard line. In short order MTSU scores a touchdown = 7 points.
Versus South Carolina: UK allows an 84 yard punt return, setting up the Gamecocks on UK's 16 yard line. Ya know Spurrier is gonna score a TD = 7 points.
Versus Arkansas: A Mike Hartline interception sets up the 'Backs at UK's 24 yard line. It could have been worse; Arkansas returned the interception to the UK 9, but a personal foul penalty moved the ball back 15 yards. Arkansas scores the TD = 7 points.
Versus Arkansas: A Derrick Locke fumble sets up the Razorback's on the UK 18 yard line. Following the same theme, Arkansas takes it in for the touchdown = 7 points.
Versus Florida: A blocked punt sets up the Gators at the UK three yard line. A right quick touchdown = 7 points.
Versus Florida: A blocked punt set up the Gators at the UK one yard line. A touchdown sets the romp a rollin' = 7 points.
Versus Mississippi State: An Alfonso Smith fumble sets up the 'Dogs at the UK 31 yard line, resulting in an MSU touchdown = 6 points.

What all this means is that UK's opponents had to travel a distance of 154 yards, to score 51 points. Thirty-seven percent of the points that UK's defense has given up, have come via 'short fields.' That's the gift that keeps on giving.

Add those uninspiring numbers to the fact that UK has given up 21 points in other, just as colorful ways, and the benevolence of the team as a whole becomes evident. Benevolence, in the following forms:

Versus Alabama: A Mike Hartline fumble is returned 11 yards for a touchdown.
Versus South Carolina: A 21 yard field goal attempt (by Ryan Tydlacka) is blocked and returned 81 yards for a touchdown.
Versus Florida: A Mike Hartline interception is returned 40 yards for a touchdown.

Seventy-two of the 159 total points (45%) given up by Kentucky this year have come on either 'short field' possessions, or gift-wrapped touchdowns. That's a startling number.

Tis the Season ...

I bring this unpleasantness up because as we enter into the holiday season I want the team to realize that they have already given more than any college student could be expected to give. Even more importantly, they need to know that the giving has to stop. It's becoming embarrassing.

Kentucky's defense has a difficult enough job already (trying to put the kibosh on some of the best players in the country), without having to fret over constantly having to play with their backs up against their own goal line. And with upcoming games versus a steamed Georgia Bulldog team, a game Vandy squad, and a Tennessee club looking to send their coach out a winner, the fixation Kentucky has with giving-away must stop. It was cute for a while, but it's not funny anymore.

Actually a pretty good argument could be made that if UK wasn't so interested in giving, that the 'Cats would be sitting at an excellent 8-1, instead of a pedestrian 6-3. But, I don't even want to think about that.

So for the final four games let's hold on to the ball a little tighter, be a little more accurate with your passes, and block with a little more purpose, and maybe, just maybe you guys could pull off a few more victories.

The generosity can recommence AFTER the bowl game.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Kentucky @ Mississippi State -- Post mortem

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 21:59:54 -0000

I'm going to dash this off quickly, because very shortly I'll be watching the Blue/White game. But before that, I have to run some belated errands, so I'll be recording it for at least the first part.

Great effort by Mississippi State. They were able to move the ball and had a chance to win. I really thought they would win, and I thought they played better football for most of the game. But in the SEC, you must win or keep it close all three quarters, and UK clearly won the third by a large margin.

Quickly thoughts about the game:

The defense didn't play particularly well, but they played well enough.
-2 turnovers (the last one we got was desperation time). We were lucky to win with that stat.
Injuries keep coming. Will it ever end?
Not awful by Cobb, but not dominant either. UK is going to have to consider a variant of the Veer or Spread Option if they are going to run him at QB. They did that in the second half and UK played passable offense.
Hartline did a respectable job in the snaps he took.
Lones Seiber is a sad case. I don't get it.
Trevard Lindley had perhaps his worst game ever. McRae pretty much owned him. Yet we won.
What a huge play the blocked PAT was.
Not sure what to take away from this game. Defensively, we were average. Offensively, we still mostly stank. At least special teams made a strong comeback from last week.
Tydlacka's last punt was surely just adrenaline intoxication.
What the heck was the playcalling on that last UK drive?
Myron Pryor. Do we miss him or what?
Our o-line is still below average.
We were robbed of a safety by unacceptably poor officiating.
Winston Guy made two huge plays. He needs to see more time.
I hope Alfonso Smith's injury is minor. We are running out of backs.

Like the Arkansas game, this is just one of those games you take. It wasn't a gift, it was hard-fought and a defensive struggle, pretty much as we expected. UK's defensive line did not get near enough pressure on Lee, and that is a major concern. Maybe the return of Pryor will help solve that.

Anyway, it's time for the Blue/White game. A victory is a victory, especially on the road in the SEC. Go Big Blue!

UK vs. Arkansas: Five good minutes

Ken Howlett — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 05:45:09 -0000

One of the truly wonderful things about sports, and being a sports fan, is that every so often something utterly improbable and nearly impossible happens. When it does, it brings one team to their knee pads and elevates the other to heavenly heights. One set of fans are "roller coastered" from jubilation to despair, and the other from disappointment to "I can't believe what I just saw!"

In the first 55 minutes of Saturday nights 21-20 victory, UK discovered and mastered the handbook on 'How to Perfect the Art of Playing Losing Football':

In the first 55 minutes they committed drive sustaining penalties:

On Arkansas's pathetically long 20 play 87 yard drive, UK did their best to prolong the agony with three penalties: On second and 27 a pass interference call gave the Hogs an automatic first down -- Later in the drive Michael Smith ran for one yard on third and three. The average football fan believes that that would then lead to a punt, but no, UK is called for a face mask, resulting in a 15 yard penalty and another first down -- Finally, on third and 11, Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick throws an incomplete pass, but UK is called for a very questionable roughing the passer penalty, resulting in another automatic first down -- All told, out of Arkansas's 87 yards gained on the drive, UK contributed 34 yards through penalties.

In the first 55 minutes they ran the wrong routes:

Early in the game, lo and behold, Hartline chose to throw long, but his intended target (DeMoreo Ford), instead ran a 10 yard slant. There was no one within 40 yards of the ball as it skipped harmlessly off the turf.

In the first 55 minutes they threw interceptions:

Mike Hartline threw two picks, one of which cost the 'Cats seven points; his interception in the first quarter set up a Arkansas 24 yard drive resulting in a Michael Smith two yard TD scamper.

In the first 55 minutes they threw for minus yardage on fourth and two:

At the 8:33 mark of the fourth quarter, UK faced a fourth and two. Down 13 points, and desperate for a first down, Hartline threw a screen to Randall Cobb for a two yard loss ... no, I'm serious.

In the first 55 minutes they fumbled and muffed:

Derrick Locke fumbled away a reception, which eventually led to a Michael Smith 22 yard touchdown catch -- DeMoreo Ford didn't vacate the area quickly enough, allowing a Tim Masthay punt to graze his foot, giving Arkansas the ball on UK's seven yard line (the defense held the Hogs to a field goal).

In the first 55 minutes they missed a 30 yard field goal:

How Ryan Tydlacka missed that kick I"ll never know.

In the first 55 minutes the defense chased a seemingly lubricated Michael Smith to no avail:

The best back UK has faced this year ran for 192 yards on 35 carries. If he doesn't get hurt, UK doesn't win.

In the first 55 minutes UK inspired more head scratching than the average episode of Jeopardy:

Arkansas only had to gain a grand total of 47 yards on their way to their first 17 points, courtesy of UK miscues.

"Old" Kentucky had once again revealed it's ugly head, and the season, like so many others before, seemed in peril. Getting to six or seven wins now seemed like a naive child's sweet dream. The sky was most definitely falling.

But, like a Phoenix, rising out of Arizona (Seinfield reference), and with only 4:56 left before a third straight loss, an Ashton Cobb recovery of a De'Anthony Curtis fumble (forced by Johnny Williams) seemed to inspire and motivate the nearly defeated 'Cats.

Suddenly, as if their will-to-win had been re-energized, the 'Cats began executing as if they actually wanted to win:

What before was third and long, now was second and one. Moncel Allen caught a nine yard pass on first and 10 just before Hartline connected with Cobb for a 32 yard touchdown. Short yardage situations open up the possibilities.
What before was a Mike Hartline screen pass, now was some semblance of a vertical passing game.
What before were drops, now were touchdown catches. Both to Randall Cobb, and both as accurate as a laser guide missile.
What before was Michael Smith running roughshod over the UK line and secondary, now was Michael Smith receiving a lesson on life in the SEC, courteous of a monster hit by Sam Maxwell (Smith never returned due to a possible concussion).
What before were dropped interceptions, now was Marcus McClinton hermetically sealing the victory with his pick at the 1:07 mark.
What before was UK playing like it was 1999, now was UK playing like we've become accustomed to over the last couple of years; with the confidence that they could do anything they wanted, and then going on the field and executing the victory.

Aaah, "New" Kentucky. Come on in and stay awhile.

We haven't seen much of "New" Kentucky this year, and even rarer the sightings have been over the last three games or so. But Saturday night in Lexington, "New" Kentucky made a rousing recovery at Commonwealth Stadium, which by the way, was nearly as empty as Bobby Petrino's ethic's reservoir. "New" Kentucky saved a thoroughly inept 'Cat squad from sure defeat, and thousands of Kentucky fans from committing crimes against humanity.

The confidence Mike Hartline displayed, and the big-play ability that Randall Cobb unveiled in the final few minutes CAN serve as a building block for the remainder of the season. But ...

Will "New" Kentucky hang around long enough for UK to reach it's goals for the season? I surely don't know, but if Rich Brooks is right, then perhaps the '08 'Cats have reached a "turning point" in the season.

"Turning point?" ... well, we'll see, but for one five minute period they perfected the art of winning. In those frenetic five minutes UK recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass, and scored two touchdowns. Yeah, could be a turning point ...

But for now I'll not ponder such possibilities, I'll simply enjoy the afterglow of unexpected victory, and worry about the future ... later.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

SB Nation - Ryan Tydlacka

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Weekend Happiness Hangover Edition

Kentucky 24, Vanderbilt 13 -- Postmortem

Kentucky 21 @ Auburn 14: Postmortem

Alabama 38, Kentucky 20 -- After Action Report

Kentucky 42, Miami (OH) 0 -- After Action Report

What was good

What was not so good

Overall

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Sunday Links and Stuff

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The Daily Schadenfreude

Post-Spring Previews: Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky game will result in a...

Blowout Carolina victory

Close Carolina victory

Close Kentucky victory

Blowout Kentucky victory

Kentucky Football: Generous to a Fault

Kentucky @ Mississippi State -- Post mortem

UK vs. Arkansas: Five good minutes