SB Nation - Johnny Williams

UK Football: The Linebackers

Ken Howlett — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:18:06 -0000

No Jeremy Jarmon? UK's linebackers must help offset the loss.

Kentucky football isn't the proud owner of much tradition, but one position that has been a UK strength over the years is the linebacker spot. From the 1960's-on UK boasts a plethora of outstanding linebackers: Jim Foley, Joe Federspiel, Wilbur Hackett (the first black team captain in SEC history), Jim Kovach (UK's all-time tackle leader with 521), Ken King, Tom Ehlers and Lester Boyd. More recently Randy Holleran, Marty Moore (UK's single-season tackle king with 183), Kevin McClellan, Chris Chenault (the No. 2 UK all-time tackle leader with 482), Jeff Kremer, John Grimsely, Wesley Woodward and Braxton Kelley have fiercely patrolled the backside of the UK defensive line.

Once again, in 2009 the Kentucky football team lays claim to at least one linebacker capable of being a back-breaker for opponents; senior middle linebacker, and All-SEC selection, Micah Johnson. Johnson, who has shown incremental improvement all three years he's suited-up for the 'Cats, will have several talented, but in some cases, inexperienced players, helping him off-set the loss of graduated linebackers Braxton Kelley and Johnny Williams (137 combined tackles, and nine sacks), as well as the loss of Hancock County product Michael Schwindel (recurring shoulder injuries), and North Laurel alum Chris Cessna (recurring knee problems).

For a closer look at Kentucky's 2009 linebacker corp ...

... we begin with the presumed starters, beginning with the aforementioned human wrecking-ball ...

Micah Johnson -- 6'2", 258 lb senior middle linebacker: In 2008, Johnson was second on the team with 93 tackles (3rd in the SEC), and led the 'Cats with 60 solo tackles (in only 11 games). He recorded 13.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two pass break-ups, two pass deflections, and two quarterback hurries. For his career he's responsible for 180 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and two interceptions. In 2009, Johnson is on a laundry list of preseason watch lists: Including the Lombardi Award given to the nations top lineman (including offensive and defensive linemen, tight ends, and linebackers), The Butkus Award, given to the nations top linebacker, and the Bronko Nagurski Award, given to the nations top defensive player.

The All-SEC performer, who has overcome his questionable passing-downs defense, will be responsible along with Corey Peters, at setting the defensive "tone" for this team. If Johnson can capitalize on his freakish combination of strength, speed, and size, then the front seven should accomplish their ultimate goal, which is to stop the running game, and pressure the passer. Johnson's relentless pursuit of the ball may allow him to at least come near Marty Moore's UK season record of 183 tackles.

Last season UK recorded 32 sacks (for a -195 yards), which is a nice number, but they allowed 139.2 yards rushing per game in '08. That number has to decrease in order for UK to optimize their chances at victory, and Johnson holds the key to stopping the middle run option, along with forcing the ball-carrier to the edges.

Sam Maxwell -- 6'3", 248 lb senior strongside linebacker: In '08 Maxwell played in 12 games, earning a start versus Western Kentucky. He executed 25 tackles, and 3.5 tackles for loss, with his first career sack coming against Georgia. He also recorded five tackles against both Alabama and Florida. In '07, Maxwell had 27 tackles, and five tackles for loss. He recorded a career high six tackles versus LSU, and he intercepted his first pass in the second overtime of the Tennessee game. In Maxwell's 37 career games (four starts), he's responsible for 58 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, four pass deflections, and one interception.

Maxwell could open the season on either side of Micah Johnson, but as of now he's slated for the strongside spot. His considerable speed, and uncanny ability to get in the backfield will ensure he sees plenty of reps. His responsiblity will be to get to the edges to stop the running game, and of course, put pressure on the quarterback, something he has done very well over his career.

Danny Trevathan -- 6'1", 220 lb sophomore weakside linebacker: In '08, Trevathan contributed mostly as a special teams member. He recorded five tackles, and blocked a punt, setting up a touchdown against Georgia. The extremely athletic Trevathan was a track star in high school, participating in the 100-, and 200-meter dashes, and well as the 4x100 relay. He's been clocked at 4.45 in the 40-yard dash.

The coaches have been raving about Trevathan for nearly two years now. The Leesburg, Florida native's athleticism, speed, and 8-cylinder motor makes him the perfect complement to Johnson and Maxwell. He could be the next great one.

Playing Time Contenders

Mikhail Mabry -- 6'2", 250 lb senior middle linebacker: Mabry has played in 32 games as a Wildcat. In '08, the Hawai'i native played in all 13 UK contests, recording eight tackles and forced a fumble. In '07, Mabry played in 12 games resulting in two tackles and a tackle for loss. He also picked-off a pass versus Kent State. Mabry has already graduated, completing a degree in kinesiology.

Mabry will be a key backup linebacker. He previously has been considered a backup for Micah Johnson, but Ronnie Sneed (see below) has taken over the top reserve middle linebacker slot. In an effort to get him on the field he may be switched to either weakside or strongside.

Ronnie Sneed -- 6'2", 230 lb sophomore linebacker: The Tallahassee native was voted UK's Most Valuable Defensive Scout Team Player by the coaches in '07. In '08, Sneed played in six varsity games, with his first career start coming in the Liberty Bowl. As a special teams performer in that same game, he pancaked a kick-returner inside the opponents 20-yard line.

Sneed will be a very important component to the UK linebacker corps. As Micah Johnson's backup, he'll be responsible for giving the UK star some rest (if needed), and filling in when Johnson isn't healthy. And considering Johnson's injury history, Sneed could see major reps in '09.

William Johnson -- 6'2", 205 redshirt freshman linebacker: Out of Nashville's Pearl-Cohn High School, Johnson was voted UK's Most Valuable Defensive Scout Team Player by the coaches in '08. In high school Johnson also played free safety. In his senior year of high school Johnson recorded 80 tackles, 12 sacks and an interception. On the offensive side of the ball the caught 37 passes for 689 yards, and rushed 21 times for 350 yards. He also averaged a Devin Hester-like 35-yards per PUNT return. He's been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Needless to say, his speed will necessitate him playing one of the corner linebacker spots. The coaches love his athleticism (a common theme among the LB's), and he'll see time on the field this year. Since the staff made the decision to use Johnson at linebacker instead of safety, he'll need to add some poundage; I highly recommend Tolly Ho.

Antonio Thomas -- 6'1", 228 lb sophomore linebacker: The Palmetto State native saw no varsity action in '08. He redshirted the '07 season. Another track star, Thomas competed in the long and triple jump, as well as the 400-meter run, 4x400-meter relay, and the 4x800 relay. In football, Thomas displayed great versatility by playing both wide receiver and defensive back.

Thomas has impressed the coaches with his "tracking ability," i.e. he engages in dogged pursuit of the ball-carrier.

Jacob Dufrene -- 6'1", 220 lb junior strongside linebacker: Dufrene has recorded four tackles in 23 career games, mostly as a special team's member.

Dufrene will add much-needed depth to the linebacker group, as he was second on the depth chart at strongside linebacker behind Sam Maxwell.

Brandon Thurmond -- 6'2", 226 lb junior weakside linebacker: The Georgia native has missed the last two seasons due to injury, after redshirting his freshman campaign.

As with Dufrene, Thurmond will add some depth to the linebacker spot.

The Freshmen

Ridge Wilson -- 6'3", 210 lb true freshman linebacker: The Louisville Central High School alum was voted 1st Team All-State after accounting for 76 tackles, two tackles for loss, and three interceptions his senior season. Wilson led Central to two straight 3A State Championships. He was rated the No. 8 college prospect in Kentucky by Rivals and SuperPreps. He runs a 4.6 40-yard dash. Extremely versatile, he played linebacker, defensive end, strong safety, and wide receiver at Central. Also an outstanding student, he was recruited by several Ivy League schools.

Wilson is one of those young, overly talented players who just needs some experience, and a bit more size. Fundamentally, he's very sound, and has a huge motor. He'll see the field this year, possibly more than several of his older and more experienced teammates.

Tristian Johnson -- 6'1", 210 lb true freshman linebacker: Continuing the LaGrange, Georgia pipeline, Johnson comes to UK as the No. 57 rated weakside defensive end in the nation, according to Rivals. In his senior year, he recorded 97 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six sacks.

Johnson will probably redshirt this season.

Qua Huzzie -- 5'10", 210 lb true freshman linebacker: Another LaGrange performer migrating north. Huzzie arrives at UK the proud owner of the career tackle record at LaGrange, a school with numerous Georgia state titles, innumerable collegiate performers, as well as several players in the NFL (former UK stars Wesley Woodyard and Braxton Kelley to name only two). Huzzie made 437 career tackles, with 55 tackles for loss in his four year career. He recorded 145 tackles his senior year (21 tackles for loss). He was also named the 3A Georgia State Defensive Player of the Year, and he made 1st Team All-State both his junior and senior years. He runs a 4.56 40-yards dash, and was rated the No. 45 outside linebacker in the nation by Rivals. Huzzie is the cousin of former UK receiver, and current student coach DeMoreo Ford.

Unfortunately, Huzzie suffered a year-ending injury last week, and will redshirt this season.

CliffsNotes Analysis

This group of linebackers are largely inexperienced as it pertains to starting, but there are several players who have played major reps in big games. And in those games they have produced, particularly Sam Maxwell. Regardless, though, linebacker coach Chuck Smith (Smith's son, Brandon, is the starting QB for WKU this year) must have these players ready to pursue the ball-carrier, whether the quarterback or tailback, because as I stated earlier, UK must improve on the 1,810 rushing yards allowed last season.

If Kentucky's linebackers are to perform as UK fans have become accustomed, then Micah Johnson has to be the bell-cow. He must lead, not only with this words, but more importantly with his actions. When he's healthy, his ball pursuit is a sight to behold, and I'm sure NFL general managers are salivating at the thought of him running loose in the backfield of their opponents. But first, he must school his less accomplished teammates in the art of never giving up.

With the SEC quarterback-lite this season, expect to see teams run, run, and run some more, which places an even greater impetus on the need for UK's linebackers to perform.

Previous 2009 football preview entries: Setting a New Standard The Defensive Line

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Big Blue Daily Mail -- All Over the Map

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:49:29 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

Coach Cal wants you to be good boys and girls when the Cardinals come to town.

Browse more photos »

I know the Big Blue Daily Mail hasn't exactly been "daily" in a while. Mostly, that is due to me working on a couple of really huge projects that take up a tremendous amount of my time, and have seriously curtailed my blogging. I promise this is not a permanent situation, but it will continue for a while yet. So for those of you who miss the daily BBDM, I promise it will return fairly soon -- hang in there. Real life often has a negative impact on my posting, but I have not lost my passion either for blogging or for the Wildcats.

With that out of the way, today's top stories will be Wildcat-related, not Pitino-related, and it will be that way (hopefully, barring some other credible revelation) forever. Coach Calipari has recently asked (without providing quotations) that UK fans be on their best behavior when Louisville comes to town for our annual basketball tilt. I hope that happens, but I don't think it's realistic,and Calipari obliquely threatening not to coach the game if fans misbehave shows the depth of his misunderstanding of the intensity of this rivalry. All I can say is, he had better have his assistant coaches ready to go.

On the football front, Rich Brooks is telling us what anyone who follows SEC football already knew -- neither Morgan Newton or Ryan Mossakowski are anywhere near ready to take on the job of being a starting quarterback in hte SEC, even at Kentucky. Both these guys will eventually be very good, but this year, I don't expect to see much of them.

Top News

'Great summer' brings Meeks back to Kentucky
Jodie will be signing some autographs this weekend: Meanwhile, Meeks returns to Kentucky this weekend to sign autographs in Paintsville on Friday (Brown's Ford, 4:30-6 p.m.). Then he will be in Pikeville (Wal-Mart, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Pikeville High School, 6-7:30 p.m.) and Hindman (Sports Complex 2-3:30 p.m.) on Saturday. He will be in Lexington's Fayette Mall on Sunday at John Millards Art Gallery, 2-4 p.m.
Ex-UK star Issel files for bankruptcy | KentuckySports.com
Tough times for a UK great. Seems like tough times all around, I guess.
ZAGSBLOG " Boyle Confirms Indy, Duke Lead for Irving
Confirmation from Irving's coach that Duke is the leader for Kyrie Irving. Plus, Andre Dawkins will somehow suit up for Duke this year, despite being a 2010 recruit.

UK Basketball News

Calipari asks the media to leave him off the hook about Pitino's infidelity.
UK media relations asked the media to not ask Calipari about the Rick Pitino situation, per the coach's request. I guess I don't blame him. I don't think any good could come from him weighing in on the situation. There are lots of other nice tidbits in here, too.
Danny Jett's Inner Circle: The Immortals: UK's 25 'Legends' #14
Keith Bogans is a legend at A Sea of Blue, and his name is an integral part of the creation of this blog.
Top non-conference games to watch in 2009-10 - CBK News - FOX Sports on MSN
The Loathsome Troll Jeff Goodman gives us a pretty good list.
The Big Blue Nation Report: Calipari is... Boring?
Heh.
Bluegrass State Basketball: John Clay Chats About His Job, UK and Calipari
Definitely worth your time to read.
Cats getting some pre-season love nationally
Indeed.
Rupp Arena: Simply the best
Heh. Guess Gary Parrish was right about that.
One on One with Jodie Meeks
Really nice Q & A with Jodie Meeks, plus some footage of him playing this summer.
Cousins ‘embracing’ competition

UK Football news

Georgia high school a pipeline for Cats | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Wesley Woodyard and Braxton Kelley are the gifts that keep on giving.
SEC revises media policy - Sports - Kentucky.com
Not very much, though.
Cats LB Thurmond back in action after three surgeries
Great news for UK, and for the young man. I really hope he can make it all the way back and play.
A troubled past won't dim rookie Johnny Williams' future
UK linebacker Johnny Williams is lucky to be alive, and he is intent on making the most of it.
Thursday post-practice comments from Brooks, Phillips
Via Tom Leach.
ESPN.com's Preseason All American Team: Ivan Maisel
Trevard Lindley named first team All-American.
"Rich Tradition" book signing events
Don't miss this at Tom Leach's blog.
Video interview with Joker Phillips after Thursday's practice
As always, a must-watch from Tom Leach.

Other UK Sports news

NCAA Sports News

Ranking the SEC Coaches: Who Passes the Road Trip Test? - Arkansas Expats
High-larious. Literally.
Rush The Court " Blog Archive " Buzz: Duke Adds Andre Dawkins
Duke getting better. I sure hope we get a shot at them!
H1N1 strikes Duke football.
Duke coach David Cutcliffe announced on Friday that nearly half of his 99-player roster has been treated for symptoms believed to be the H1N1 virus, exposing a problem football programs around the country could face this season.

Wow. I hope everyone will be okay. Scary. Very scary.
Auburn names Todd starting quarterback - College Football - Kentucky.com
Wow, an E-town grad as QB for the Auburn Tigers. War Eagle, Kentucky boy!

Other News of Interest

Michael Phelps uninjured after two-car accident; police say other driver at fault - ESPN
Michael Phelps just can't stay out of the news. I wonder if the old axiom, "Any press is good press" applies to his situation?
Pence: Sypher's forced abortion story "a fabrication"
Heh. U of L is in no position to preach about abortions. There is one clinic in the city that performs abortions, and both doctors on the staff are faculty members of U of L medical school. Crawford is making sense here, I think.
Eric Crawford gets emails ...
... and more emails ...
... and still more emails.
Sypher says husband was paid to marry her
Weirder and weirder.

The Daily Schadenfreude

U of L fan sees UK conspiracy in Pitino affair.
Your paper's slant only throws gasoline onto the fiery rumor that Coach Pitino's seductress was an instrument of entrapment perpetrated by UK alums who are disgruntled over his coming to U of L.

Heh. This was linked earlier, but I just had to put this in the Daily Schadenfreude. It is much too rich just to sit in a FanShot. Those UK alums are just so ... devious! They really should apply for work with the CIA -- we need agents that can arrange affairs like this so we can spy on our enemies using blackmail.
Pitino should leave and take Jurich with him
That's forgiveness for ya.

UK Football: The Defensive Line

Ken Howlett — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:01:22 -0000

More photos » by Butch Dill - AP

Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks knows his defensive line must stand and deliver if he is to give his thumbs-up to this year's Wildcat team.

Browse more photos »

Attrition has exacted a heavy price on the Kentucky defensive line over the last several months. Like a cat burglar lurking in the dark, it has stolen not only graduated talent: All-SEC tackle Myron Pryor, reserve tackle Nii Adjei Oninku, and starting end Ventrell Jenkins, no, the thievery didn't stop there; UK has also suffered the loss of All-SEC defensive end Jeremy Jarmon (one-year ban by the NCAA, ending his collegiate career), and tackle Josh Minton (recurring knee problems, also ending his career). Not to mention linebacker Johnny Williams (graduation), who moved up to one end spot from his normal strongside linebacker position on passing downs.

If one needs statistics to clarify the loss, look no further -- The mentioned players accounted for: 173 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, 14 pass break-ups, and 13 quarterback hurries. There simply is no debating the fact that UK lost an inordinate amount of talent, experience, leadership, and most importantly, results, on the defensive line. But, hope is working out at the Nutter Complex nearly every day.

Although UK lost a significant amount of ability, the coaching staff feels the returning talent (ever how meager), as well as several newcomers, will ably plug the holes left by the departures. And it all begins with ...

... my selection as Highlighted Player of the Position ...

Defensive Tackle, Corey Peters

Over the last three years, the Louisville Central product can lay claim to 97 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks. His productivity, even though proficient, has at times been overshadowed by the hulking figures of Jeremy Jarmon and Myron Pryor. But 2009 is Peters' year. It has to be his year, because if it isn't, UK could be in trouble trying to plug up the running game, and pressuring the passer.

Thankfully, confidence in the 6'3", 290 lb Peters' abilities is not in short supply. Defensive coordinator Steve Brown said:

"He just makes quiet plays and does his job. Myron (Pryor) was more flashy. I remember talking to Corey this spring and saying, "If you work just a little harder, you could be All-SEC.' He said to me, 'Really?' That tells me he doesn't even know how good he can be. I don't think he has a mean bone in his body. If he did he could be great."

Defensive line coach Rick Petri added: "Corey Peters has played three years for us, never misses practices or games (Peters has played in 25 straight games), plays either tackle spot, and plays well against whoever he lines up against. He hasn't had the publicity that others have, but he's had just as big of a presence and impact on what we've done defensively the last three years. From the day he stepped in here, he's helped us be better."

Looks as if somebody knows how good Peters can be.

Last season, working full-time from the tackle position, Peters accumulated these numbers: 36 tackles (25 solo tackles), 11 tackles for loss, four sacks, two pass break-ups, and three quarterback hurries. Peters' unique blend of size and quickness makes him especially effective in stopping the up-the-gut run, and pressuring the quarterback. The numbers, though, suggest that UK must improve in one of those areas if the 'Cats expect to be competitive this year: Last season UK allowed 1,810 yards on the ground (9th in the SEC), but they were third in the league in sacks with 32. Clearly, Peters' opus is to better his run-stopping performance, while also bouying his fuzzy-faced teammates.

Which means, not only will Peters be expected to perform on the field, he will now be looked upon to provide leadership. With Peters and tackle Ricky Lumpkin (the only other returning player with a sack) being the only two vastly experienced linemen, Corey must lead, something he's not accustomed to doing. The cerebral Peters said this, when asked about leading the young:

"We'll have a lot of young players. It's something that I'm looking forward to. I've accepted the challenge. I'm going to have to lead by example, and be more vocal than I'd like to be."

Peters has an opportunity looking him squarely in the eye. An opportunity to lead a defense as Jarmon, Wesley Woodyard, and Myron Pryor have done before him. He says he's "accepted the challenge." I say, Kentucky football will be a much more enriching experience in 2009 if that challenge is indeed met.

Other Returning Players 2008 Stats -- Tackles Solo Tackles Tackles for Loss Sacks

Ricky Lumpkin -- 6'4", 295 lb junior left tackle: 17 7 3.5 1

Comments: Lumpkin has battled injuries his entire UK career. But, when he's healthy he's a demon for the opposition to deal with. He's very strong and a fierce pass rusher. There's no doubt his training room visits will play a role in how effective the defensive line is in 2009. He's currently listed as the projected starting left tackle.

Shane McCord -- 6'2", 280 lb junior right tackle: 5 1 .5 ---

Comments: McCord played in 11 games last year, and is currently second on the depth chart to Corey Peters at the right tackle slot.

Chandler Burden -- 6'4", 294 lb sophomore end: 4 2 --- ---

Comments: Burden also recorded two pass break-ups and two quarterback hurries. With the loss of Jeremy Jarmon, Burden is being looked at very seriously by the coaching staff as being a competent replacement for Jarmon at the right end spot. He's one of the strongest players on the team, and he also possesses the speed to get to the passer. He's experienced some technique troubles, but hopefully he'll conquer those issues.

Luke McDermott -- 6'1", 260 lb sophomore tackle: 5 4 --- ---

Comments: The Trinity High School alum currently sits third on the UK depth chart at the right tackle spot.

Collins Ukwu-- 6'5", 250 redhsirt freshman left end:

Comments: He is considered by the coaching staff to be very athletic, and in possession of surprising speed for such a big man. But, his inexperience will surely reveal itself throughout the season. He has, after-all, never played in a college game. Ukwu and his youth are currently listed first on the depth chart at the left end position.

Taylor Wyndham -- 6'4", 225 lb sophomore right end:

Comments: Wyndham had a good spring, impressing the coaches enough to place him second on the depth chart at the right end spot. At 225 lbs he obviously needs to work on his bulk and strength.

Greg Meisner -- 6'1", 233 lb sophomore left end:

Comments: Meisner has yet to play a game at UK due to shoulder injuries. In the spring, though, he impressed the staff with his frenetic play. In the Blue-White Spring game he recorded three tackles, a sack, and one pass break-up. He's currently listed as the number two left end behind Collins Ukwu.

Also returning to the UK defensive line are sophomore Jacob Lewellen, a 6'3", 240 lb end out of Manual High School in Louisville, 6'3", 280 lb sophomore tackle Antwane Glenn, and Henry Clay alumni Michael Gardner, a 6'2", 220 lb sophomore end. All three are currently listed third on the depth chart at their respective positions.

Newcomers

DeQuin Evans -- 6'3", 260 junior end: Evans, a junior-college transfer from Los Angeles' Harbor College, is the 15th ranked JUCO prospect by Rivals.com. In Evans' two-year junior college career (15 games) he recorded 63 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and four pass break-ups. He will, without a doubt, challenge for one of the starting end spots. I think Rich Brooks agrees:

"DeQuin Evans is a guy who really should be in a position to compete for the starting spot at right defensive end."

More than any other player on UK's defensive line, Evans is being looked at to supply the lost pass rush from the end position. The optimistic muse that Evans' explosiveness off the ball should play a large role in UK staying around that 30-35 sack number from last season. Because of the importance of pressuring the young quarterbacks in the SEC, Evans' skill-set, luckily, seems to be what Dr. Brooks ordered. It will be an interesting, and hopefully an enjoyable experience, witnessing whether Evans delivers, or not.

Mark Crawford -- 6'1", 305 lb sophomore left tackle: Crawford, a JUCO transfer from Coffeyville, KS, enrolled at UK in January. He was rated the 27th best JUCO prospect in the nation by SuperPrep. In eight games last season he recorded 6.5 sacks. The book on Crawford says that he's tremendous against the run, and a solid pass rusher. The Indianapolis Ben Davis alum is currently listed second on the depth chart at the left tackle spot.

The Freshman

Patrick Ligon-- 6'4", 265 lb end: Ligon, out of Christian Brother's High School in Memphis, made 44 tackles last season, with 21 tackles for loss, and eight sacks. Ideally, Ligon will be redshirted, but with some eligibility issues still unresolved at his position, he may be forced into action. Ligon is considered a 2-star prospect by Scout.com.

Mister Cobble -- 6'0", 270 lb tackle: Cobble, out of newly minted UK pipeline Louisville Central High School, is a two-time First Team All-State selection, and is rated the sixth best college prospect in Kentucky by SuperPrep. He's a Scout.com 3-star prospect. Cobble could very well be pressed into service in '09. With his credentials, the coaches have to take a look.

Myron Walker-- 5'10", 264 lb tackle: Out of Archbishop Rummel in Metarie, Louisiana, Walker was one of the top-28 prospects in the talent-rich Pelican State, according to SuperPrep. Rivals.com rates him as one of the top-100 defensive tackles in the nation. Rivals rates him a 3-star recruit.

UK is still awaiting official word on 6'3", 265 lb end Dante Rumph. Rumph, who attended Fork Union (Va,) Military Academy last year after signing with UK in 2008, is waiting his latest SAT test scores to arrive, which will determine his eligibility. Rumph, who played his high school ball in South Carolina, was First Team All-State his senior year as voted on by the AP (covering all classifications) after delivering 107 tackles,and 14 sacks his senior year. The highly sought after defensive end will play, and play a lot, if he makes it to campus.

Analysis

UK's defensive line, as young as it is, has a righteous order to fill: Their run defense needs to be at least as "good" as last years, but the real impetus of this year's line will be on pressuring the passer. With the SEC saturated with young, inexperienced quarterbacks, the ability to pressure the passer will be at a premium: Florida's perpetual Heisman Candidate Tim Tebow, Ole Miss' Jevan Snead, and UK's Mike Hartline are the only SEC signal-callers to have more than a cup-a-coffee's worth of collegiate experience. Steve Brown and Rick Petri would be well served to use that fact to their advantage, something I feel they, and every other SEC defensive brain-trust will do.

The need for the defensive line to put pressure on the quarterback falls directly in line with Brown's defensive philosophy, which is to pressure without blitzing. So if UK's youthful trench-men don't put the requisite pressure on the passer, then Brown will be forced to at least consider the blitz, which will then alter the way the secondary covers. Brown would be left with no choice though, because quite simply, an unharrassed quarterback is the most dangerous kind, even if he is young and inexperienced. Someboday will have to step up.

Brown put it like this:

"If we're not as good up front, we've just go to do than much better of a job at linebacker and in the secondary. We've got to either create some stuff or just cover a little bit longer. It all works hand-in-hand."

Going into the season, though, a lot is hoped for, a lot is expected. The D-Line unit will be watched very closely by fans and opponents alike. Because the master key needed to ensure UK's continued defensive improvement (which greatly effects the odds for success in '09), squarely rests on the shoulders of UK's green giants.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

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!

UK vs. Vanderbilt: Personnel, stats, and a prediction

Ken Howlett — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:34:15 -0000

Thankfully we have what should be an exciting football game to look forward to, which hopefully will take the Big Blue Nation's mind off the unfortunate start to the basketball season.

The game versus Vanderbilt (5-4, 3-3 in the SEC) Saturday night in Commonwealth Stadium isn't a 'must win,' but it is a 'must win in order to play in a warm weather bowl game.' Atlanta and Tampa are a heckuva lot warmer than Nashville in December.

Vandy has fallen on hard times of late, losing four in a row. UK, at home, with a newfound offensive effectiveness, should most certainly come out the victor, but Vandy games have historically been close: UK has won the last four games by an average of only six points. Even though Bobby Johnson's club is reeling, I expect the Commodores to battle (smart guys don't give up) for their elusive sixth win, and their first bowl game since 1896 (or something like that).

Commodore Offensive Personnel

Quarterback Mackenzi Adams: 6'3", 215 lb junior -- This year Adams has thrown for 619 yards and five touchdowns to go along with six interceptions. He has rushed for 144 yards on 52 carries (2.8 yards per carry). For his career Adams has completed 172 of 319 passes for 1,886 yards, nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His career rushing stats:158 carries for 519 yards and three touchdowns. Adams started the last six games of '07. Last year versus UK Adams threw for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the 27-20 Wildcat victory.

Adams has taken over the starting quarterback spot from Chris Nickson, but after last weeks Florida loss, Nickson may have regained his starting position. Last week Adams was 5 for 8, with one interception. He ran for seven yards on seven carries. More importantly, Vandy did not score while Adams was at the helm.

Quarterback Chris Nickson: 6'1", 212 lb senior -- In '08 Nickson has thrown for 378 yards, five touchdowns, and two interceptions. He's rushed for 351 yards on 84 carries (4.2 yards per carry). In his rather impressive career, Nickson has thrown for 3,239 yards and 26 touchdowns, with 20 interceptions, as well as rushing for 1,272 yards on 304 carries (4.2 yards per carry) and 17 touchdowns. Two years ago the former Mr. Football in the state of Alabama (and Earl Bennett) lit up the UK secondary for 446 yards in a classic game at Commonwealth Stadium (a 38-26 UK victory).

As I noted above, Nickson lost his starting quarterback spot to Mackenzi Adams, but he may get another chance today versus UK. He experienced a bit more success than Adams did last week versus the Gators: 7 of 14 for 67 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 10 rushes for 39 yards.

Nickson is the prototypical spread/option quarterback. Which means when he's 'on,' he's extremely dangerous with both his feet and his arm.

Wide receiver Sean Walker: 6'0", 178 lb senior -- This year Walker has become Vandy's top receiver. He's caught 26 passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns. That's an exceptional 14.8 yards per catch. He's also rushed 14 times for 105 yards (7.5 yards per carry). For his career, Walker has made 67 catches for 969 yards (14.5 yards per catch) and nine touchdowns. Last year versus UK, Walker caught a 14 yard touchdown pass.

Wide receiver Jamie Graham: 6'0", 190 lb red-shirt freshman -- Graham has made 13 catches for 98 yards and three touchdowns. Graham also started playing basketball for the 'Dores last January.

Wide receiver Justin Wheeler: 6'1", 178 lb junior -- Wheeler has 12 receptions for 113 yards (9.4 yards per catch) and one touchdown. For his career, Wheeler has made 22 catches for 200 yards (9.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.

Tight end Brandon Barden: 6'5", 245 lb red-shirt freshman -- The Virginia Tech transfer has made 18 catches for 162 yards (9.0 yards per catch), and two touchdowns.

Running back Jared Hawkins: 5'10", 202 lb junior -- This year Hawkins has rushed for 487 yards on 114 carries and three touchdowns. He's also caught 12 balls for 72 yards and one touchdown. For his career he's ran for 1,052 yards on 217 carries and six touchdowns. He missed the final two games of the '07 campaign after suffering a concussion versus UK.

Commodore Special Teams and Defensive Personnel

Corner back and kick returner D.J. Moore: 5'10", 185 lb junior -- Moore, a First Team All-SEC selection represents a double-threat to the 'Cats. As a corner back Moore has recorded six pass break-ups and four interceptions in '08. Last year he picked off six passes and had 10 pass break-ups. As Vandy's primary return man, Moore averages 15.2 yards per punt return (16 returns), and 19.2 yards per kick-off return (19 returns).

Kicker Bryant Hahnfeldt: 5'11", 185 lb senior -- This year Hahnfeldt is 7 of 10 on his field goal attempts (6-9 beyond 30 yards). But the senior has missed his last four kicks (one kick is listed as a 'team block'). For his career Hahnfeldt is 40 of 64 (62.5%), with a long kick of 51 yards. This year Hahnfeldt has executed 39 kick-offs (7 touchbacks).

Linebacker Patrick Benoist: 6'0", 220 lb junior -- Benoist began starting for Vandy midway through the '07 season. He has recorded 124 career tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. This year Benoist is second in the SEC with 78 tackles (8.7 per game), he has also recorded 5.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks. He had a sack last year versus UK.

Linebacker Chris Marve: 6'0", 225 lb red-shirt freshman -- Marve was the Tennessee 5A Football Lineman of the Year his senior season. This year he is second on the team with 74 tackles (8.2 per game).

Strong safety Ryan Hamilton: 6'2", 210 junior -- Hamilton is very experienced, having started every game since the beginning of the '07 season. He has made 184 career tackles, to go along with four interceptions and seven tackles for loss.. This year Hamilton has recorded 73 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and three interceptions. In '06 versus Kentucky he recorded 9 tackles.

Commodore Schedule

Vandy started the year looking like Florida, instead of the hard luck 'Dores we've come to know and rely upon. They opened their season on the road with a 34-13 victory over Miami, OH. They followed that win up with a second-in-a-row win over Steve Spurrier and South Carolina, 24-17. Vandy next welcomed Rice to Nashville, and unceremoniously sent them back to Texas as losers, 38-21. They traveled to Oxford and beat Ole Miss 23-17. Auburn was their next victim, 14-13, in a game played in Nashville.

This is where the good times, and SEC Championship Game talk ended:

17-14 loss to Mississippi State -- Vandy recorded only seven first downs in the contest. The 'Dores rushed for 45 yards and threw for an anemic 62 yards. Nickson and Adams were a combined 8 of 19, with two interceptions. The two quarterbacks rushed 14 times for four yards. Ouch. UK, on the contrary, ran for 128 yards against the Bulldogs, and thew for 146 yards.
24-14 loss to Georgia -- Knowshon Moreno went off: 172 yards and one touchdown. As a team Georgia ran for 231 yards (5.8 yards per carry). Georgia's electric freshman receiver A. J. Green caught seven balls for 132 yards and a touchdown. Vanderbilt quarterback Mackenzi Adams was 16-32 through the air with two interceptions. Against UK, Georgia rushed for 144 yards (4.8 yards per carry); Moreno ran for 123 yards and three touchdowns.
10-7 loss to Duke -- How Vandy lost this game is a mystery to me. Well, actually it's not: Vandy fumbled on their own 15 yard line and Duke went four plays for nine yards. The result was a game winning field goal. But consider this: Vandy won the turnover battle 3-1. Duke only ran for 28 yards. Duke put the ball on the ground five times, but Vandy only recovered one fumble. Duke had seven penalties for 68 yards, Vandy had only three penalties for 33 yards. Vandy quarterback Mackenzi Adams was 14 of 31 for 210 yards and a touchdown, but he was sacked four times. Receiver Sean Walker had a big game with six catches for 138 yards and one touchdown.
42-14 loss to Florida -- Vandy was down 35-0 at the half (UK was down 42-3 at halftime). Tim Tebow had a stellar day going 12 of 17 for 171 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 88 yards on 11 carries, and two more touchdowns. The Commodore quarterbacks combined to go 12 of 22 with one interception and two touchdowns (both with Nickson at quarterback).

'A Tale of Two Seasons' indeed. But, Bobby Johnson's offense over the last few years has given UK fits, especially in '06 with Chris Nickson taking all of the snaps. So I wouldn't put too much credence into the talk of Vandy being dead. There seems to be something about UK's blue uniforms that bring out the best in the 'Dores, and I expect nothing less than a stellar effort tonight.

SEC Statistical Comparison

Scoring Offense -- UK 23.5 points per game (7th), Vandy 20.2 ppg (9th).

Scoring Defense -- UK 20.1 ppg (7th), Vandy 19.3 ppg (6th).

Total Offense -- UK 314.7 yards per game (9th), Vandy 255.7 ypg (12th).

Total Defense -- UK 324.5 ypg (9th), Vandy 334.3 ypg (10th).

Rushing Offense -- UK 135.8 ypg (8th), Vandy 144.9 ypg (7th).

Rushing Defense -- UK 128.6 ypg (8th), Vandy 140.3 ypg (10th).

Pass Offense -- UK 178.9 ypg (8th), Vandy 110.8 ypg (12th).

Pass Defense -- UK 195.9 ypg (9th), Vandy 194.0 ypg (7th).

Kick-off Return average -- UK 26.7 yards (2nd), Vandy 19.5 yards (11th).

Punt Return average -- UK 9.9 yards (8th), Vandy 12.0 yards (5th).

Interceptions -- UK 12 (t4th), Vandy 14 (t3rd).

Net Punting -- UK 35.1 yards (9th), Vandy 35.8 yards (7th).

Sacks By -- UK 25 (2nd), Vandy 26 (1st).

Sacks Against -- UK 10 (1st), Vandy 15 (7th).

Third Down Conversion -- UK 31.8% (12th), Vandy 35.0% (10th).

Opponents Third Down Conversion -- UK 32.2% (6th), Vandy 38.1% (10th).

Turnover Margin -- UK +6 (3rd), Vandy +6 (2nd) - Nine games.

Red Zone Efficiency -- UK 25-36 - 69.4% (10th), Vandy 24-27 - 90% (3rd).

Red Zone Defense -- UK 19-25 - 76% (4th), Vandy 19-30 - 63% (2nd).

UK's SEC Standouts

Tim Masthay leads the SEC in punting with a 45.9 yard average.

Micah Johnson is eighth in the SEC in tackles, averaging 7.9 per game (63 total). Johnson is also seventh in the SEC with 9.0 tackle for loss.

Braxton Kelley is tenth in the SEC in tackles, averaging 7.4 per game (74 total).

Johnny Williams is tenth in the SEC with 4.0 sacks.

Trevard Lindley is second in the SEC with 13 passes defended (nine break-ups and four interceptions).

Prediction

I'm betting UK covers the spread (get it?) offense, and doesn't allow Chris Nickson (if he plays) to go all Tebow on 'em. Both teams get to the opposing quarterback with regularity, but UK is a little better at protecting their signal caller than Vanderbilt. I say that trend continues.

I'm excited about UK's offensive look over the last six quarter, and I say they only get better this week.

Kentucky - 30 Vandy - 20.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats, get number lucky number 7!

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.

Middle Tennessee State University @ Kentucky: After Action Report

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 15:08:15 -0000

OK, I have watched the game on replay (half last night, the second half this morning on ESPN360.com, and I must say I feel a lot better about some things and a lot worse about others.

First of all, MTSU is for real. They have tremendous speed at their skill positions, and I am talking SEC speed. What they do not have is SEC size, and even though the backs and receivers were blazingly fast, they showed very litte ability to get yards after contact. That was a big factor in the game last night.

Watching MTSU, I was transported back in time to the Hal Mumme years at Kentucky. The Spread Option that MTSU uses is eerily similar to Mumme's "Air Raid" variation on the Spread Option, and Joe Craddock is a poor man's version of Tim Couch. Craddock is a very good quarterback, and the SO allows him to minimize his main deficiency, that of height. He sets up mostly in the gun, and that allows him a better view of the field than an offense which forces you to do a drop. Mumme used many more "tricky" type plays than Rick Stockstill's offense. Stockstill's is very much a vanilla SO type offense with very few unusual formations, no "shuffle passes" and fewer bubble screens than we usually see in that offense. Stockstill also sets up with a two-back backfield, which Mumme did not do very often.

Still, this game reminded me of how potent the SO can be with an accurate passer at the helm. The whole purpose, of course, is to create bubbles of "space" around the receivers. When you have outstanding athletes and speed like MTSU, those little bubbles often wind up being the step the receivers need to defeat a linebacker and break a big gain. That's exactly what happened when MTSU scored its first touchdown.

Fortunately for UK, the offensive line also reminded me very much of the lines under Mumme -- competent only in giving a quarterback just a few seconds to get away a pass to the speedy backs and receivers. The MTSU offensive line was totally dominated by the Kentucky front the entire game, and MTSU's running game was unable to do anything against the UK front seven. That's what ultimately enabled UK to win the game.

What I liked:

Mike Hartline is becoming a solid quarterback -- Listening to the game, I thought Hartline was doing a below average job. But after watching the game, I know where the blame truly belongs -- to the offensive line and receivers. More on that later.

I forgive Hartline the fumble, but that's the second time he has just dropped the ball in the middle of his passing motion, unpressured. I used to be a quarterback in high school, and I have no idea how that happens.
Can we kick, or can't we? For the purposes of this bullet point, I will leave aside the field goal unit. Our kicking teams executed almost flawlessly in every respect. They covered well, they pinned the Blue Raiders deep, they returned the football well. It was awesome, something coaches dream of. Special teams playing like that can be a weapon, and they truly were last night.
The running backs ran hard. Unfortunately, the offensive line had another very poor game. More on that later.
T.C. Drake -- Drake had a breakout game, changing the game just like Jacob Tamme used to do. Drake gets my game ball on offense. Just impressive.
The defensive line and linebackers -- Micah Johnson was on his way to a Woowardesque game when he got injured, but Braxton Kelley, Johnny Williams, Sam Maxwell and Michael Schwindel stepped up and played very well in his absence. The D-line completely dominated MTSU on nearly every snap. The defensive front seven gets my game ball on defense.
The coaching -- The coaches made several adjustments at halftime which changed the game dramatically in favor of UK, especially going back to a four-man front with a nickel package in the backfield for most plays, and taking the routes that the Blue Raiders were giving us on offense.
The low number of penalties. The tougher the comp gets, though, the more of those you will see.

What I did not like:

The offensive line -- The O-line played a very weak game except in pass protection. The backs were on their own, getting very few good running holes to hit. Not only that, they failed to fire completely on every screen play -- several of those should have gone for big yardage, but the line did not maintain their blocks and simply took plays off.
The wide receivers -- Dicky Lyons made more good plays than bad, but he still dropped passes he should have caught. But most of my criticism will be directed at Kyrus Lanxter. This young man should not be dropping so many of these passes. He made Hartline sound like a freshman on the radio, but the tape told a different tale. Lanxter was many times breaking off routes, in the wrong pattern, or failing to make a block. Were Randall Cobb available, I expect Lanxter would have seen a lot of time on the bench.
The injuries -- No need to expound on that. Randall Cobb, Ricky Lumpkin and Micah Johnson all with ankle sprains, a couple of which are "high" ankle sprains. Not sure of their prognosis yet.
Lones Seiber -- I hate to rag on a kicker. That is one tough job, and a bad day can be so devastating because you are out there on an island. But Seiber played so badly that he almost cost us the game. That last play was not his fault, the line failed to block properly, leading to the blocked field goal. I leave Brooks and Phillips to deal with him, but Seiber is one of UK's greatest weaknesses at this point in the season.

Kentucky utterly dominated the entire second half on both sides of the football, yet they failed to do what you must do -- put points on the board. The only reason the game was not over early in the fourth was because our O-line, receivers and kicker were playing so badly that UK couldn't score. Hartline's teammates let him down -- big time. I expect that Phillips and Brooks will remind them of that every single day for the next two weeks.

Kentucky was very fortunate to survive the final FG unit gaffe, and Robbie McAtee deserves a pat on the back for that great, game-saving tackle. The O-line and receivers should be washing his laundry for a month. Lones Seiber should fan him with a palm leaf and feed him grapes.

But a win is a win. Let's get healthy and move on. 3-0 is the only stat that matters at the moment.

After Action Report: Norfolk State at Kentucky

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:23:24 -0000

It's always nice when your team starts the season 2-0, regardless of who they play, but in Kentucky's case, it is particularly sweet after practically every blogger or non-Kentucky based pigskin prognosticator predicted the Wildcats DOA on the scene this year. "No Woodson, Burton, Tamme or Little? Back to the basement, UK." That may still happen, but as Juba said in Gladiator, "...but not yet. Not yet."

First of all, I want to address one thing. I forgive UK fans for their outburst of "boo's" in the third quarter when Hartline took the field on offense instead of Cobb. But it better never happen again. That was unacceptably rude and unsportsmanlike, and we do not want to become Louisville. So if any of the boo-birds happen to read this mild reproof, do so secure in the knowledge that next time it will be a tirade of Biblical proportions. Don't do that -- ever.

Moving along to the football game, I want to give my general impressions of the game without an in-depth study of the stats. I watched the first two quarters last night, and the last two this morning (thanks ESPN 360). Here's how the game looked to me:

Randall Cobb is a great asset, but he is not ready to be a starting quarterback in the SEC. Hartline is farther along, but has a very different skillset. The two could be a poor man's version of the Chris Leak/Tim Tebow QB duo that won the BCS championship game in 2006.
Mike Hartline got robbed several times by dropped footballs. He wound up looking inferior to Cobb, but he made some very good throws.
Hartline needs to learn to be a more fearless runner. He has said that he doesn't like to run, but he needs that dimension in his game this year.
The offensive line did not dominate the line of scrimmage until well into the second half. That is not promising against a team like Norfolk State.
The wide receivers did a much better job blocking downfield. Some players still took plays off, but overall it was much better.
The defense sleepwalked through the first half, but completely dominated the entire second half. Why? But nevertheless, the second half was an entirely dominant defensive performance.
I liked what the UK running backs did today. When they had holes, they hit them, hard. Unfortunately, our O-line is still not getting it done between the tackles.
I am still wondering why we don't run more plays at the edges.
Trevard Lindley played a poor first quarter, but after that, he was super, as was the rest of Kentucky's defensive backfield.
The linebackers played a better game this time. Micah Johnson, Braxton Kelley and Johnny Williams all had big plays.
Kudos to Brooks for refusing to tack on meaningless points at the end. Classy stuff from a classy coaching staff. What do you think Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer would have done?
Tim Couch is a rookie at color commentary, and it showed. Still, The Deuce is astute at analysis, and made a couple of really sharp comments. He just needs to switch to decaf, I think.
Brooks will have plenty of things to fix on the offensive side, but on the defensive side he just needs to knock some heads together. The UK defense is really good -- they just need to take every opponent seriously.
Kyrus Lanxter did some really good things out there today, especially with downfield blocking.
Special teams continue to impress. One punt coverage breakdown is all I could find to criticize.

Overall, this was a solid if relatively unimpressive game for Kentucky. Against an opponent like this, UK should never have split time of possession with them equally in any half, and that statistic alone is troubling. Hartline still needs work on his passing, and the receivers are still showing their youth and inexperience. Brooks has got to find the right mix of Cobb and Hartline, but that is not a bad problem to have. Cobb needs to get more reps at receiver as well -- Fidler seemed pretty competent in that last drive, even though he didn't throw a pass.

I love the potential in this team on offense. We got a glimpse of what a deep stable of running backs can do to a team when they begin to wear down a defense, and it is encouraging. Somewhere along the line, UK needs to develp a vertical game, which is currently missing. The coaching staff also needs to get our receivers to hang on to the football -- Hartline would have been much more impressive if E.J. Adams hadn't dropped that slant route in the second half, which would have surely led to a touchdown.

But overall, a solid effort. There is work to do, but when isn't there?

A tale of two units: Devastating defense and suspect offense

Ken Howlett — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:21:34 -0000

The defense

Kentucky's newly vaunted defense recorded several seldom seen landmark achievements in Sunday's 27 -2 road rout of the Louisville Cardinals:

U of L failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time since the 2000 season.
U of L had their lowest home point total since 1987.
UK held an opponent to zero offensive points for the first time since 1996.
UK last held a home opponent to two points or less in 1976.

I think it's safe to toss away those questions about Kentucky's defense. Consider them answered.

The credit for UK's punishing defensive effort can be spread around all over the field, from the front four ( Myron Pryor, Corey Peters, Ventrell Jenkins, Jeremy Jarmon ), to a secondary that blanketed U of L's receivers like grandma's home-made quilt. Defensive coordinator Steve Brown must be grinning like a proud papa over his defenses rise from slightly better than incompetent, to downright devastating, in a little over a year.

The devastation begins with Myron Pryor. He was nothing less than a ubiquitous presence in U of L's backfield and of great concern to quarterback Hunter Cantwell. The 'Cats only got to Cantwell for two sacks, but that doesn't begin to tell the story of what Pryor and his defensive cohorts reined down on the Card quarterback; too many pressures to count ( Pryor did have 4 ), at least 5 deflections, and a general disruption of what Cantwell was trying to achieve. Cantwell did have occasion to scan the field, but no defense in history has pressured every pass attempt.

What made the Wildcat effort even more impressive was the fact that the four O-lineman bothered Cantwell to the point that Steve Brown didn't have to employ the blitz, which enabled UK to comfortably cover U of L's receivers, especially in the flat. That's a reversal of a decades long trend.

To go along with Pryor and his mates up front, middle linebacker Micah Johnson deserves credit for stopping a potential momentum swing just before the half; with UK up 10 - 0, U of L had the ball on UK's 21 yard line. On fourth and one, UL coach Steve Kragthorpe, perhaps sensing an opportunity to change the flow of the game, decides to go for the first down instead of kicking a field goal. The result; running back Brock Bolen is wrapped up by a swarm of Wildcat defenders led by Micah Johnson ( assisted by Pryor, and linebacker Johnny Williams ).

Johnson ( co-team leading 5 tackles ) had this to say about UK's harassment of Cantwell, and the U of L receivers:

"We felt like he was out of sync from the word go. We were jamming ( the receivers ), taking the timing routes away from him that they do so well. And there was pressure on him. Guys always had their hands up in his face."

The list of overall defensive achievements looks like this:

A Pryor forced fumble resulting in an Ashton Cobb fumble return for a touchdown.
Six pass break ups.
Seven tackles for loss.
A Johnny Williams created fumble, returned by Pryor for a touchdown.
Five total takeaways.
Three interceptions.
Held U of L to 1.8 yards per rush.
Held U of L to 5 - 16 on third downs.
Held Cantwell to only 20 - 43 passing.
Held U of L to only 7.6 yards per reception.
On a Ventrell Jenkins tip, Trevard Lindley returned the interception to the U of L two yard line.
Held U of L to 205 total yards ( only 53 passing ).

The Card bashing didn't stop with the front four and linebackers. UK's secondary also performed extremely well. Trevard Lindley is the most heralded of the UK secondary, but new starting cornerback David Jones played beyond his experience ( which is nonexistent at the cornerback spot ); he was thrown at more than any other in the secondary, and he had his man covered without fail. The only misstep he suffered was getting turned around in the end zone, allowing receiver Troy Pascley a chance for a touchdown catch, but luckily for Kentucky, he dropped the ball. Marcus McClinton made a spectacular interception at the 6:05 mark of the fourth quarter; his falling-down body-twisting pick was one of the more athletic moves I've seen lately, and on this day served as a death-knell for all those wearing red ( maybe that's why Papa John's looked like Commonwealth Stadium an hour before kick-off, after the INT ).

An additional trend reversal that occurred Sunday; Kentucky's secondary allowed only precious few yards after the catch. The reason for that is the fact that UK's defensive backs and safeties are experienced ( except for Jones ), and they all possess great speed. Their ability to anticipate the throw was also on display, which added to the considerable difficulties Mr. Cantwell was experiencing. Even though U of L's receivers and quarterback are inexperienced, I'm still looking forward to seeing how UK's secondary performs against SEC competition; I think a few folks are going to be unpleasantly surprised ( I'm talking to you 'Visor' ).

Defensive devastation on this day, but can we expect this type of performance week-in and week-out? After-all, U of L is breaking in a new quarterback ( anybody want to rethink that Unitas Award watch list ), and the Card receivers are greener than Hank Hill's lawn. The Louisville running backs came into the contest as being a potential bright spot in U of L's offense, but they are also young and inexperienced. So what is one to take away from this impressive display? Is UK's defense that good, or was their performance a product of U of L's youth?

I suspect, after watching a tape of the game, that UK's defense is going to be as good as advertised. But, I have no expectations that they will be as overpowering every week as they were Sunday. The offenses that UK will face in the future, in particular in the SEC, are much more polished, experienced, and blessed with more speed and beef up front. But, hey, not a bad way to start the season.

On an A to F grading scale, the defense gets an A+.

The offense

I thought, considering the play calling and Mike Hartline's youth, that he did what was asked of him, and he didn't hurt his teams chance at victory with mistakes. Even though Hartline was only 16 -31 ( zero interceptions ) through the air, a closer look at the statistics reveals a slightly better performance:

Of his 15 incompletion's, six were not his fault; Kyrus Lanxter dropped a pass at the U of L 11 yard line because he tried to run with the ball before he caught the ball ( for those of you new to football this is just the opposite of what he's supposed to do ).
Lanxter missed a perfectly thrown fade in the corner of the end zone; this would have been a terrific catch, but the ball was thrown where only Lanxter could catch it, and Joker likes his fades thrown short.
Hartline had to throw away three balls due to excellent coverage, or because a defensive lineman was in his face ( the end zone toss- away which resulted in a safety was a no-brainer; Hartline either throws the ball away, or takes a hit ).
DeMoreo Ford had a drop.

Hartline did not play perfectly, of course; he overthrew a wide open T. C. Drake in the flat on the first play of the second quarter, which would have resulted in a touchdown. He overthrew Drake again, by a yard or so, with a long pass into the end zone ( Drake had his man beat by a step ). And he overthrew an open John Connor in the first series of the second half, which would have resulted in first down.

Hartline had this to say about UK's offensive performance:

"Our whole ( offensive ) game plan was not to do anything stupid, was to take care of the ball and when we had opportunities, to try to take advantage. We played smart ball today."

I tend to agree with him. UK had only one turnover ( a Tony Dixon fumble ), and although Hartline's numbers are not awe-inspiring, he did what was asked by Phillips and Brooks.

Conversely, one troubling aspect of the offenses performance came on this series with 10:00 minutes left in the game, and UK up only 13 - 2:

1st down on U of L's 12 yard line -- Derrick Locke up the middle for no gain, 2nd down -- Locke up the middle, hit for a three yard loss, 3rd and 13 -- Hartline complete to T. C. Drake for an eight yard gain.

That particular series was a microcosm of the games play calling. I certainly understand, and do not question Joker Phillips and Rich Brooks wanting to be conservative with the offensive game plan on this day. But, I think that trying to get Locke or Alfonso Smith out on the edges would have been a more successful choice. After the way that UK's offensive line was inexplicably handled by U of L all day long, and with the speed UK's backs possess, running to the corners just seems logical.

Not to pile on UK's O-line, but keep in mind when reviewing UK's 1.9 yards per carry average ( resulting in 63 net rush yards ), that the backs were hit either in the backfield, or within one yard of the line of scrimmage on 15 of 31 rush attempts ( yes, I counted ). The three primary ball-carriers, Tony Dixon, Locke and Smith combined for 28 carries for 74 yards. If before the game someone would have told me that would happen, I would have responded with rolling eyes. But the joke would have been on me. The offensive line simply MUST play better. They have one month until Alabama, after that, things could get ugly for the 'big uglies' who occupy space in front of Hartline.

The key to this teams success ( i.e. 7 wins ) is the running game, because the defense will not ALWAYS be the game-winning unit. Holding Georgia, Florida and Steve Spurrier to single-digit points will be nearly impossible, so at some point UK will have to score some offensive touchdowns, and all that begins with the front four opening up some running lanes. Which is something they did not do Sunday.

Overall, gaining only 210 total yards is not good, regardless of how one spins the number. But there is definitely talent on that side of the ball, it's just young. Hopefully with some experience, and confidence which can be gained over the next three games, they will improve enough to be competitive versus the elite of the SEC.

To end the offensive review on a positive note; freshman Randall Cobb is very good when he has the ball in his hands. He led the team with three receptions for 31 yards, and showed why he is being raved about by all around him. He seems to have huge, soft hands, and he is very quick. I envision him being used more and more as Hartline evolves as a quarterback. My crystal ball says he will be special.

Offense grade -- C-

Special teams

After the defensive performance, the special teams play was UK's saving grace; both Tim Masthay and Ryan Tydlacka punted the ball exceptionally well. Masthay averaged 42.8 yards on four punts, and Tydlacka averaged 41.7 yards on three punts ( Masthay's kick-off after the safety, from the twenty yard line to the two yard line, most decidedly a 'wow' moment ). UK won the field position battle largely off the power of the two punter's legs, with U of L starting a drive in UK's territory only three times. If Kentucky continues to play in close games ( and you know they will ), the importance of solid punting will continue to be at the top of UK's must-do list.

Also contributing to the special teams success:

Dicky Lyons played mostly marvelously on special teams, except for fair-catching a ball he didn't catch, resulting in a 50 yard punt for U of L, and lost yardage for UK ( about 15 ). Lyons caught six punts for 64 yards. Many of those yards coming after the funky Lyons juked his pursuers, leaving them tackling air.
Lones Seiber did what was asked of him. He made two short field goals ( missing a 49 yard attempt ), and all of his point after tries. Coming off of a rough ending to last year, Seiber needs to get and maintain is confidence in order for UK to have every chance at victory.
Freshman Matt Roark recorded a tipped field goal attempt.

Overall an excellent effort by the special teams.

Special teams grade -- A

Final Analysis

A 27 -2 demoralizing of ones hated rival is never a bad thing. And in the end, that's what matters. UK won the game convincingly, in the fourth quarter, where over the last couple of years UK has dominated ( finally, a continuing trend of a positive nature ). They won despite being very conservative on offense, and having to rely on a host of young receivers.

Additionally, I think this was the first step in the education of Mike Hartline, and if Hartline is as smart as he seems, then I feel his quarterbacking abilities will catch up with his intelligence. I look forward to watching him 'grow up' before our very eyes.

Thanks for reading, and Go 'Cats!

Kentucky's keys to continued Governor's Cup ownership

Ken Howlett — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:41:14 -0000

As unpredictable as the upcoming Kentucky versus Louisville game seems, I feel there are a few key battles that UK must win in order to secure a victory in the war. Looking at positional comparisons, UK seems to have an edge all over the field, except at quarterback. And of course U of L has the good fortune of hosting this years contest. Other than those two areas, which are important, Kentucky has the competitive advantage.

Competitive advantage, though, is not what I'm looking for. I'm looking for what UK has to do in order to win ... period. As I see it, if Kentucky executes the following aspects of the game plan, they will spend Sunday evening happily retelling their family, friends, and media members how they beat the University of E - Ville.

Dominate with Defense Part 1 -- Bringin' the heat

The number one key to this game is not Hunter Cantwell, the running game, the receivers, Rich Brooks, or Steve Kragthorpe, it's UK's defense. Kentucky's defense must live up to the hype it has received from the coaching staff, and eternally optimistic folks like me.

UK defensive tackle Corey Peters has definite ideas about how he plans to attack:

"I think pressure is very important, especially in the first game of the season. They're probably not going to be completely in sync right off the bat. I think it's important to not let them get into that ( rhythm ). I think it's very important to get pressure with the front four so we don't really have to blitz."

Hunter Cantwell must feel the Blue heat. I want him to be reminded of the hell Dave Ragone went through in 2002 ( 14 - 39 for 193 yards ). Ragone ( who was thought to be a candidate for the Heisman ) left that UK victory in dire need of medical attention, and thoroughly familiar with the alignment of the stars in the sky. He was battered and beaten, and looked it, especially late in the game. Young Mr. Cantwell needs a refresher course in what Myron Pryor, Braxton Kelley, Corey Peters, Micah Johnson and Company are capable of putting a quarterback through. If not, Cantwell is certainly talented enough to find and hit his receivers with strikes, which then puts the pressure to perform on the secondary, which always makes me nervous ( flashes of '02 LSU dance through my head ).

Kentucky's defensive line ( it's best unit ) must gain penetration on U of L's offensive line. "Well, that's no problem," the uninformed UK fan may think. But, Louisville is returning two very important cogs off of last years O-line: Center Eric Wood ( 1st Team All-Big East, he's also on the Outland and Remington Trophy watch lists ), and OT George Bussey, himself an Outland candidate. The rest of the O-line is makeshift and inexperienced, but they aren't going to just roll-over by themselves, they're going to need a little help.

Since I question whether Cantwell will be taking many seven-step drops, scanning the field for open receivers, UK's line must pressure him quickly. Hopefully the results are hastily thrown balls, which are much more likely to be off-target, and/or intercepted. Give him time, or relax on the rush, and he's capable of executing the pin-point pass to a covered receiver.

UK defensive coordinator Steve Brown sounded cautionary regarding pressuring Cantwell:

"It's always important to get pressure on the quarterback, but you can't go into a game just thinking, 'Get a lot of pressure,' because they do an excellent job of running draws. You have to be smart, see what the tempo of the game is and at that point make a decision about how you want to attack him."

Coach, as long as you "attack him," I'm with you.

Dominate with Defense Part 2 -- Stopping the run

The U of L running game will be relying on one proven commodity in senior fullback Brock Bolen, and two less experienced, yet talented backs to run the ball ( Bilal Powell and Victor Anderson ). Once again, UK's defense must gain penetration in order to 'meet and greet' the Cardinal ball carriers in the backfield. All three of the U of L running backs are capable of having big games, with running back Powell ( 206 yards on 24 carries ) possessing the most speed of the three. I highly doubt that new offensive coordinator Jeff Brohm will be sending his backs up the gut of UK's D-line, so ends Ventrell Jenkins and Jeremy Jarmon, along with strong and weakside linebackers Johnny Williams and Braxton Kelley will be responsible for plugging holes before they open.

Containing Louisville's ground game does three things: It puts more pressure on Cantwell, it keeps U of L from controlling the clock, and most importantly, it makes Louisville's offense one-dimensional. And a one-dimensional offense is more often than not an unhappy offense, because they tend to lose more than they win. Just ask Barry Sanders.

Dominate with Defense Part 3 -- Embarrass the receivers

Cornerback Trevard Lindley had this thought when asked about covering U of L's young receivers:

"I think we've got to get on their receivers early so they don't have any confidence."

Louisville's starting receivers, Troy Pascley and Doug Beaumont have caught exactly zero passes at the collegiate level. Sophomore tight end Pete Nochta ( also zero career receptions ) will be replacing the excellent Gary Barnidge ( now with the Carolina Panthers ). Trevard Lindley, David Jones, Ashton Cobb and Marcus McClinton should be licking their chops in anticipation. I'm not meaning to imply that they should be over-confident, one must always respect ones opponent, but they have an opportunity Sunday to dominate a group of inexperienced receivers. Generally speaking, young receivers are trying to concentrate on running the right routes and being in the right spots, on time. If UK's Lindley and Jones get physical ( no, not the Olivia Newton-John type 'physical' ), and jam U of L's wide-outs at the line of scrimmage, that should throw off the rhythm of the young receiving corps, and it will also make them think, instead of react. And a thinking receiver, is usually a beat receiver.

There will be no more of a greater mismatch on the field Sunday than UK's secondary versus U of L's receivers. There simply will be no excuse for one of the Cards gettin' off like Harry Douglas did last year ( 13 catches for 223 yards ).

Field Position

Field position is determined by three factors; punting, turnovers, and returns. Last year U of L was overly generous early in the game by putting the ball into UK's hands, resulting in UK enjoying a short field; on the Kentucky kick-off U of L put the ball on the ground on their own 20 yard line, resulting in a UK field goal. A few minutes later a Brian Brohm interception gave UK the ball on U of L's 18 yard line, resulting in a touchdown. The best field position that U of L started with that lovely day was their own 37 yard line. Hence, the importance of field position.

Kentucky must hold on to the ball, and Tim Masthay must be consistent with his punts ( he allowed only a 6.0 yard return average last year ). Masthay pinning U of L deep in their own territory will only make it more difficult for the young Louisville offense to put points on the board. And if Kentucky's defense can hold them to short yardage in those situations, UK will be looking at getting the ball back with a short field themselves.

Masthay is the king of touchbacks, leading the SEC with 23 last year. One never knows when a break down will occur in special teams coverage allowing a long return, so that fact cannot be overstated. His continued strong-leg displays on kick-offs are vital to ensuring that U of L starts with the ball on their own 20, instead of up-field.

The return game is very unpredictable. Dicky Lyons and Randall Cobb will be handling most of the return work. My only anticipation is for them to not turn the ball over. Anything more than that, such as a long return, is gravy on momma's taters.

Lones Seiber

Since I anticipate a close game, Seiber is deserving of his own heading.

UK's kicker has not exactly enamored himself with Rich Brooks in fall practice. He's been inconsistent; missing chip-shots, but making a 52 yard field goal. Seiber performed well for most of last year, but he faltered at the end of the season, missing four of his last five attempts.

Nothing is more frustrating to a coach ( ask Bobby Bowden ), a fan ( ask me ), or a teammate ( ask Peyton Manning ) than an unsteady kicker. So in the interest of sanity in the Bluegrass, please Lones, be dead-eye.

Ball game givens

In my mind, there are a couple of aspects to UK's game that are givens:

Mike Hartline will be 'uneven': It's the kids first start, on the road, versus U of L, and he has only one experienced receiver ( plus tight end Maurice Grinter ). If he's anything more than 'uneven,' color me shocked. What he can't do though, is turn the ball over. All I'm looking for at this point in the season is for him to not hurt the teams chances at winning. If he can make the screen pass, and the 10-15 yard slant ( and the occasional deep ball ), do just enough to keep Louisville's defense from putting eight guys in the box, then he'll be doing his job.
UK's running game: Tony Dixon, Derrick Locke, Alfonso Smith and Moncell Allen should collectively, have a big day. They will be running against a defense that pined to be considered porous last year. They will also be facing three new linebackers, one of which is a freshman. There will be no excuses to be had if they fail to eat up chunks of yardage; they should control the clock, keeping U of L's defense on the field for extended periods of time. By the fourth quarter their legs should still be fresh, and easy yards should be there for all to enjoy.

Possible surprise

I think it is very possible that junior tight end Maurice Grinter could have a big day. He's experienced, has soft hands, can run well ( he was a basketball star at Fairdale ), and run over just about anyone who decides to take him on. Grinter is extremely athletic, and is capable of turning a short pass into a long gain. With an abundance of 'green' receivers, Joker Phillips may decide to utilize Grinter as a relief-valve for Hartline, as well as in goal-line situations as a change of pace from the running backs.

End Result

I think this game is tilted toward a UK victory. Kentucky's defense, if they perform up to expectations, should go a long way in securing victory.

Final score -- UK -- 27 U of L -- 23

Happy Birthday

Sunday is my mother, Linda's, 29th birthday ( or so she says ). So, Happy Birthday mom, I love ya!

Thanks for reading, Go 'Cats!, beat Louisville!