SB Nation - Billy Joe Murphy

UK vs. NSU: A Big Blue battle at quarterback and a defense that 'rocks the Casbah'

Ken Howlett — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:03:15 -0000

Coming into the game this week against FCS member Norfolk State, UK had several questions brought on by the ineffective offensive performance versus U of L, most pointedly, the performances of the passing game and offensive line. The nature of the questions surrounding UK's potential to compete in the SEC, though, are not easily answered by the teams play against an out-manned, lower division football team. But, several aspects of UK's play Saturday deserve a closer look, and I feel can give us some semblance of an idea of how the team is progressing.

Quarterback play

The emergence of Randall Cobb has certainly made the quarterback question a much more complicated issue. Mike Hartline, while not playing badly, was shown-up in a big way by the versatile Cobb and his arsenal of weaponry ... until one looks at the turnover column, which reads Hartline - 0, Cobb - 2. On the other, more positive hand, the 'touchdowns responsible for' column reads Hartline - 0, Cobb - 3. What is a head coach to do?

It is obvious that Cobb is an exciting, electric, once in a decade type of player, but does he give UK the best chance to win while playing quarterback, or rather, a multitude of offensive positions? His Saturday stat line is impressive, especially considering he is a true freshman, playing quarterback for the first time at the collegiate level ( he played roughly half of the offensive snaps ): 8 rushes for 56 yards and two touchdowns, while going 6 of 11 for 87 yards and another touchdown through the air, as well as the two aforementioned turnovers ( he actually had another would-be INT dropped just before he threw his pick ).

But, when evaluating Cobb's performance one has to keep a couple of things in mind:

It was Norfolk St. -- The poor Spartans didn't have anyone on their team who could even fathom stopping Cobb. He athleticism simply overwhelmed the visitors, which will not happen in the SEC.
NSU was totally unprepared for Cobb -- They did not game plan for him to be playing quarterback in their pre-game preparations. That's the last time an opponent comes into a game with UK unprepared to deal with Cobb as QB.
He's a true freshman, playing in his second college game -- This is what excites me and hopefully every UK fan. Regardless of whether Cobb plays QB or becomes a modern day 'Slash,' he has many great performances in front of him. He certainly is not going to be mistake-free, but I am sure as he learns the speed of the college game that he will make the proper adjustments.

Whether Cobb remains a viable quarterback alternative is as of yet, unknown. But, it is hard to deny that the team moved better, and seemed more sharp in their play when he was at the helm. His decision-making was questionable at times, which is a product of his youth. Nothing will cure that except experience.

Coach Brooks, when asked about the Cobb/Hartline battle said the following:

"We have two quarterbacks that I think are really good players. We need both of them to have experience going into SEC play. I will be very interested to see how they both respond in practice this week."

Brooks is hedging his bets based on two statistics:

UK did not run the ball well when Hartline was in the game -- Of the 14 rush attempts by running backs with Hartline at quarterback UK gained 48 yards ( 3.4 yards per carry ). When Cobb was manning the quarterback spot UK's running backs ran 15 times for 104 yards ( 6.9 yards per carry ). If one includes Cobb's 16 and 18 yard jaunts, that increases the yards per carry average to 8.1. NOTE -- I did not include goal-line rush attempts in the above stats, nor did I include Derrick Locke's 64 yard TD late in the game.
Cobb's two turnovers -- Although the fumble Cobb lost was not completely his fault, ( he was after-all blindsided ) his 'in the heat of battle' decisions were at times problematic; most apparently on his three ill-advised passes, one of which was picked, one should have been picked, and the other was just pure luck it wasn't picked, as the NSU defender had his head turned as the ball arrived.

As Brooks noted, one must consider the lack of a running game when one evaluates Hartline. His stats, once again, aren't bad, they just aren't awe-inspiring; 9 of 15 for 60 yards. He didn't produce any touchdowns, but he protected the football. He also played as if he's in a competition; his passes had much more 'mustard' on them than the previous week, and I thought he looked like a confident leader on the field. All good signs, but he must start producing sustained, successful drives if he expects to hold off either a two quarterback system, or lose the job outright.

The bottom line, as I see it; if Brooks and Phillips are going to backtrack on their previous public statements about only running a pro-style offense, and are now open to running a spread or option style offense, then Cobb will eventually be the #1 quarterback. And I have to admit that Cobb, in the shotgun, in a three receiver set, is appealing to say the least.

Overall, the quarterback play Saturday was a distinct improvement over that of the U of L game. The combined stats look like this; 15 of 26 for 147 yards, one passing touchdown, two rushing touchdowns, one interception and one fumble.

I look forward for the competition to continue in the coming weeks. With a Middle Tennessee team that beat Maryland ( why did Maryland play AT MTSU ) coming up, this weeks game will go a long way in determining the direction the offense will take.

Offensive line

The offensive line did exactly what was expected of them; they dominated their opponent in the trenches, they protected the quarterback, and they opened up running lanes for the backs. Some youngsters played extensively for the first time, led by redshirt freshman O-lineman Billy Joe Murphy, who played a great game.

The running backs plus Cobb ran for 297 yards, and the quarterback was sacked only once ( and that wasn't their fault ).

Saturday's game will be a more accurate gauge as to where they stand as far as being prepared for a rugged SEC schedule.

Defense

In the first half the defense looked, not lethargic, but not as focused and intense as they were against Louisville. They gave up about 150 total yards in the first half, which is decidedly too many against a clearly inferior team. But, somebody ( Brooks or maybe Steve Brown ) lit 'em up at half-time, because their second half performance was spectacular.

NSU's yardage per drive in the second half -- -10, 2, 6, 4, -7, 8, -3, 14 = 14 total yards in the second half. Wow.
UK's defense held NSU to only 1 of 13 on third down conversions.
NSU quarterback Dennis Brown was 9 of 24 for 97 yards ( he was sacked three times and endured countless pressures ).
As a team the Spartans averaged only 2.3 yards per carry.

Kentucky's D did exactly what was expected going into the game. Dominated. Next!

Running Backs

While is it a bit worrisome as to why the running backs are getting off to slow starts, their talent is clearly evident. The four primary backs, plus fullback John Connor, rushed for 231 yards on 27 carries ( 8.6 yards per carry ). Impressive, even considering the competition. Brooks wasn't as enamored as I:

"Our running game looks good on paper at the end but it wasn't good when it needed to be early in the game."

I suspect we will see continued improvement from all of the backs; they are playing and practicing for increased playing time every time they touch the ball. No fan could ask for anything more, especially considering their cumulative talent level.

Special Teams

Punters Tim Masthay and Ryan Tydlacka are playing unbelievably well. The two combined for four punts, sporting a 44.8 yards per punt average. NSU's average drive starting point, off of a punt or a kickoff, was the 17 yard line. Outstanding.

With UK's vastly improved defense, forcing teams to go 80 yards to score a touchdown will be a huge advantage once SEC play starts. Super-freak Tim Masthay's ability to put the ball in the back of the end zone on kick-offs totally negates the opponents return game. And with both Masthay's and Tydlacka's hang-time on punts, punt return yards will be hard to come by. UK's special team performers are living up to their position name; special.

Final Analysis

Even considering the opponent, I came away from this game feeling good about the 'Cats. They dominated the areas of the game that they should have, and the quarterback play was improved. They still have much room to grow, but strides are being made.

Coach Brooks, though, demands perfection:

"At this point and time, we are not in sync on offense. We are still overcoming a lot of mistakes and we need to be perfect and not put ourselves in negative down and distance situations, and we still need to do a better job getting our running game going."

"... we need to be perfect ..." I like his style.

Looking forward, Saturday's game versus Middle Tennessee looks to be a sturdier test than previously thought. I am sure Brooks and company have the players undivided attention considering ( as was mentined above ) the Blue Raiders just defeated Maryland. I think that's good, though, playing an opponent of this caliber will better reveal to us and the coaches where the 'Cats stand in their endeavor for Brooks-style perfection.

Thanks for reading, and Run,'Turtle' Run!

UK Football: A three-week work in progress

Ken Howlett — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:31:44 -0000

With the glow of the thoroughly Chuck Norris-like deconstruction of the once proud Louisville Cardinals slowly fading into our memory bank, the reality of what this football team needs to accomplish over the next three weeks has quickly become apparent. And by the way, for those of you who had unkind, and questioning words for Mitch Barnhart and Rich Brooks for producing a 'weak' non-conference schedule, you may now meekly bow with a softly spoken "well done" for the two scheduling geniuses. Well, "geniuses" may be overstating the case a bit, but whether it was wisdom or luck, the timing of playing Norfolk St., Middle Tennessee, and WKU in preparation for the SEC opener in Tuscaloosa, can be described as nothing short of perfection.

So as we enter into a three week preparation period, I have put together what I feel are the most vital areas that Kentucky needs to concentrate on in order to be fully capable of beating the likes of Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi St, and Vanderbilt. But just as important; at minimum UK needs to be also "fully capable"of being competitive with Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Tennessee ( the Vols look very beatable, at this point ). But, in order for all of that to come to fruition, this honey-do list needs to be checked off one by one:

Get the ball to Randall Cobb

Sometimes it's indescribable; when a player has that extra bit of talent, that 'something' that makes him special. Well, that's what Cobb has. He only caught three balls for 31 yards Sunday, but it was readily apparent to even the most near-sighted fan that this kid oozes talent:

The ball fits so naturally between his forearm and chest ( I think he sleeps with a football ).
Somebody check his hands for 'stickum', because the ball seemed more captured than caught, when it was thrown his way.
He went from standing nearly stationary, to a full blown gallop quicker than the Porsche 911 I wish was sitting in my driveway.
He's as smooth a runner as one will ever see; he seems to glide more than run. I've seen this in players before, and it's never a bad thing.

Joker Phillips must find a way to utilize Mr. Cobb more in the offense, and I am sure he realizes that fact himself. So I would look for Cobb to be on the receiving end of more hand-offs, more passes, and more punts over the next few weeks. Remember, when one has a weapon of this caliber, one has to take it out, and show it off from time to time.

Get the offensive line to block

The loss of starting guard Garry Williams ( cartilage tear ) for at least the next two to three weeks certainly doesn't help this unit. And after the performance they put on Sunday, they need all their healthy, experienced bodies on the field, not on the training table.

When a teams running backs are either hit at, or behind the line of scrimmage on half of their carries, then the O-line needs to refocus, and rededicate itself to protecting and serving the backs. Rich Brooks wasn't as harsh, but he did have this to say about the offensive line's performance:

"We had some problems with the snap count and getting off the ball in a noisy environment. I thought the line was out of sync and our fundamental footwork wasn't what it needs to be."

I suppose that's the result of inexperience playing in a big game, and in a big environment. After-all, two of the up-front four are of meager experience; center Jorge Gonzalez's first start was Sunday, and Zipp Duncan only started playing offensive guard last year ( he was recruited as a tight end ). James Alexander has been fighting an injury all fall ( he may start Saturday in place of Williams ), and with the loss of Christian Johnson ( redshirt ), that leaves only Justin Jefferies, and the injured Garry Williams as the lone experienced offensive line members. On the bright side, Williams being out for the next couple of weeks will be a terrific opportunity for redshirt freshman Billy Joe Murphy and Alexander to gain some valuable experience.

Whatever the reason for Sunday's poor O-line performance, it has to be fixed. If they can't run the ball, then UK is in for a long and forgettable season; I don't care how good their defense plays.

But all is not lost. They have three weeks to correct the mistakes, and gain some confidence, which is what I am sure will happen. If not, cue the fat lady.

Note to readers: To be fair, coach Brooks did offer up a bit of criticism of the running backs for their performance. I believe his words, though, were a bit of misdirection on his part; he doesn't want to lay all of the responsibility for the offense's shortcomings at the feet of such a young group. If that is in fact the case, then I applaud his coaching style, and I believe as always, that he will fix what is broken.

Continue to grow Mike Hartline

UK's quarterback play Sunday, while not spectacular, was certainly competent, and it inspired confidence that Hartline is the man to lead this team ( for those few 'message board' types who think Hartline should be shelved in favor of Cobb at quarterback, I have one piece of advice; increase the medication dosage ).

"I thought Hartline did a great job managing the offense and not making the critical errors. I thought he showed real poise out there handling the game, and not taking unnecessary risks with the ball."

So said Rich Brooks.

"Considering the fact that we didn't run the ball, I think that makes his performance even more impressive. Usually with a young quarterback you want to establish a running game to help him out, and we didn't have that today."

So said Joker Phillips.

Now, over the next three games I want to see Hartline progress. He clearly has the mental tools with which to handle the pressures of the position, and he seems to have the physical tools as well ( catchable ball, accurate for the most part, adequate arm ). So over the next three games, I want to see those 'tools' on full display.

He will need some help, of course; there were several drops on what should have been easy catches, and I'm sure there were problems with route running; both of those ailments are a product of having a young receiving corps. I feel that all Hartline needs is some chemistry to develop between himself and his receivers ( paging Randall Cobb ), and UK's passing game will be good enough to win. But that chemistry is usually borne out of battles fought side-by-side, so live-game snaps are the only antidote. Just another reason to love the schedule-maker.

Don't allow the defensive unit to become complacent or overconfident

Over the next three games the defense will have occasion to pulverize and demoralize their opponents, but they can't let dominating the upcoming competition swell their hat sizes to that of Barry Bonds.

The defense needs to continue to play the same way they played Sunday; with great intensity, great technique, and with bad intentions. Don't let up, don't feel sorry for anyone, and don't let it go to your head. Players like Jeremy Jarmon, Trevard Lindley, Myron Pryor, Corey Peters, and Marcus McClinton have all been through the SEC wars. They know this conference, 'ain't no joke,' and I expect to see that mindset as they progress through the schedule.

But for now defense, just remember, you ain't as 'bad' as you think you are, and continue to work and improve. 'Bama is just around the corner.

So as we head into the next three contests, keep an eye out for the above listed items to be satisfactorily executed. Unless the Titanic sinks, UK should be 4-0 going into the game in Tuscaloosa. Then the real fun starts.

Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to the 'Dores! If my math is correct that is two years in a row. Woe is the 'ole ball coach.'