SB Nation - Ricky Lumpkin

Big Blue Daily Mail -- Big Blue Madness Edition

Truzenzuzex — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:07:29 -0000

You love Kentucky basketball. You know you love Kentucky basketball.

Well, here we are, ladies and gentlemen of the Big Blue Nation. We have arrived at the day most of us have been waiting for -- Big Blue Madness 2009.

I have had a few issues with blog availability over the last couple of days that has prevented a more recent update. Apparently, those have been resolved.

Of course, tonight we will have our usual open thread for Big Blue Madness, which I will be putting up about an hour early to get everyone in the mood. Plus, there will be a ton of stuff going up today, so visit often.

More on all that in a bit, but right now, here is the news:

UK Basketball News

Making the Dance: 3rd Annual - College Hoops' Midnight Madness Recruiting Visit List
Want to know which recruits will be at Big Blue Madness tonight? Making the Dance has a list.
UK Media Day quotes from the players
#54, Patrick Patterson, F

On the fans’ excitement for this team … "Yeah, I can see it. I can see it in their eyes when they look at John Wall or me or anybody else on the team, especially Coach Calipari. We see in their eyes that they think this can be a special team. We have heard a lot of anticipation from them and the success they want us to have. Whether it is winning by this amount or having this record, we hear it. We know that they expect a lot out of us, and we just want to get to work and hopefully win a national championship."

Patrick Patterson will hopefully be in his first NCAA tournament this year, and it would be really great if he wound up in the Final Four.
High expectations begin as Calipari, star-studded Kentucky meet media - USATODAY.com
Calipari said he initially was just planning the standard scrimmage, but the sight of seeing the tents set up for Wildcats fans wanting tickets for the exhibition convinced him he needed to do more. He is putting the finishing touches on an inspirational speech and is lining up some surprise guests.

Hmm. I wonder who the "special guests" could be ...
With practice looming, a look at five questions on the college hardwood - USATODAY.com
Q. Is Kentucky, with the arrival of a star-studded recruiting class and coach John Calipari, on the verge of being a national title contender right away?

I'm thinking, "Yes." Most others are, too.
Old, new Cats getting it together - SPORTS UPDATE - Kentucky.com
So one of Calipari's first moves was to have the players congregate to watch the movie Remember the Titans. The movie depicted football players from two different schools learning to consolidate. Not so coincidentally, this UK team can be almost perfectly halved: six heralded newcomers and seven veteran holdovers.

We've heard this before, but Remember the Titans is one of my all-time favorite movies. I consider that an omen.
Mark Story: Wall, Bledsoe give Cats a break | KentuckySports.com
Perry Stevenson reminisced about the first time he was on the court with Wall, the basketball prodigy some are touting for national college basketball player of the year before he's ever played in a real-life college basketball game.

"I don't even think I saw him — he was moving too fast," Stevenson said.

Heh.
UK's initial $925,000 offer to Gillispie hastened lawsuit | KentuckySports.com
Weeks after firing men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie, the University of Kentucky's lawyers proposed giving him a $925,000 buyout — an offer that was far enough from what Gillispie sought that it set off five months of legal wrangling.

In my opinion, Kentucky acted foolishly. It cost them dearly, and they were very smart to settle. I think both sides wound up right where they belonged -- in the middle.
Cats looking for that perfect season | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
"We want to be one of the greatest teams to play here at Kentucky," forward Patrick Patterson said. "We want to be that type of historic team, that type of team remembered by everybody across the world, especially in Kentucky. We want to be undefeated, we want to win the national championship, we want to win everything that we can win…."

I think so. I hope so.
Preseason Q&A with The Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy - Searching for Billy Edelin
Great stuff, including some UK questions and comments by one of my favorite sportswriters.
Excellent Insight from Coach Cal
Kentucky Sports Radio " Blog Archive " Talking with "Big Cuz": "We can Make History"
FeinsteinOnTheBrink: Stories of Press Box Decorum; Favorite Dinner Guests
Actually I lied when I said my only breach of decorum was the Navy-Duke football game. In 1978, Duke played Kentucky in the national championship game. It was my first Final Four. I was a year out of college and knew the players and coaches well. Needless to say I was pulling for Duke. Early in the second half Jim Bain, one of the referees, missed a traveling call. Bill Foster, the Duke coach, got off the bench and, from across the court, made the traveling signal and then held his hands out, palm up, as if to say, "where was the call."

Unfortunately, for Feinstein, Jon Scott chronicles the fact of his failed memory about the game. There is no reason to believe that Bain was wrong and Feinstein right.
The 2009-10 BtB Preseason All-Freshman Teams - Blogging the Bracket
Two UK recruits make this list.

UK Football News

UK's Wyndham wants his game to match his fame | KentuckySports.com
Wyndham did hear from a few Gators fans after the Tebow hit, and the response was somewhat surprising.

"They told me thanks for being classy about it," Wyndham said. "I wasn't really expecting that. I was expecting some hate mail."

Nice of the Gator fans to be classy about it. My esteem for them has risen as a result of his famous Tebow T-bone.
UK keeping starting QB under wraps | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
It's "very likely," Brooks said, that both Fidler and Newton will play against the Tigers.

Likely, indeed.
SEC EXTRA: Matching up Auburn and Kentucky | Sports from the Press-Register - al.com
UK's offensive line has come a long way | KentuckySports.com
It took awhile, but thanks to good recruiting and player development, the Kentucky offensive line has been molded into perhaps the team's most effective unit.

The work Brooks has done on both the lines is the reason why Kentucky is on the brink of making a jump up the SEC ladder. It takes years to build good lines, and the lines are the backbone of any football team's success.
John Clay: Why Newton should or shouldn't start | KentuckySports.com
Talk is the decision has been made. That's not Rich Brooks talking, mind you. He prefers the sticking of the needle, the playful jabbing of the media with "Maybe it has. Maybe the scuttlebutt is right. Maybe it's wrong."
Notebook: AU not just keying on Cobb | montgomeryadvertiser.com | Montgomery Advertiser
Locke the key to UK's success | Sports from the Press-Register - al.com
His favorite thing, though, is returning kicks.

"Special teams is just special," said Locke, who returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown against Louisville. "It's a momentum-changer. It's something that can get the crowd into it. It'd rather have a big return than a big run."
Auburn football notebook: Backup receiver ready to cash in with playing time - al.com

Other UK Sports News

No. 8 Volleyball on the Road for a Pair of Matches - KENTUCKY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

NCAA Sports News

Around the SEC East- Week 6 - Red Cup Rebellion
Alabama-USC showdown about physical-speed defenses : Football : Anderson Independent-Mail
This is the big game of the week. It will be interesting to compare USC's performance to Kentucky's.
Bluegrass State Basketball: Rick Pitino to Fans: "I am totally focused right now"
"Don't succumb to being a critic," Pitino said. "Don't become part of that negative environment that just knocks and constantly says things that tear things down. Build things up. That's what positive people do."

Best of luck with that, Rick.
Jasper to take center stage at UNLV's FirstLook basketball scrimmage - Las Vegas Sun
The latest indication of Jasper’s resurgence occurred Tuesday morning, when he weathered chilly and windy conditions to beat every other Rebel in a mile run (in 5 minutes, 21 seconds) at Myron Partridge Stadium.

Not bad for a kid with rebuilt knee cartilage!

Other News of Interest

NBA on traveling: Two steps are better than one - ESPN
Good grief. What next, ten fouls? Six players on the court on offense? Surely they can think of some way to guarantee triple-digit scoring and disadvantage the defense.
Jessica Simpson Mad At Burger King, and I Promise Not to Make a Joke About That - SB Nation
Offered without comment.
Lebron James has Swine Flu!?! - SB Nation
Lebron couldn't afford a flu shot?

The Daily Schadenfreude

Rush The Court " Blog Archive " More Trouble For Louisville
We’re still awaiting official word from Rick Pitino about the incident and what (if any) punishment will be administered, but we can only hope that he doesn’t invoke 9/11 (again) or applaud Smith for standing up for his teammate.

Apparently, they will be punished internally, and Pitino is taking it very seriously. Okay, maybe not.
At Lousville, None Major in Accountability -- NCAA Basketball FanHouse
Pitino said that neither will miss a game "They will be punished, and are being punished right now,'' he told ESPN.com. The punishment is coming before practice even officially begins Friday. Again, it will not involve any missed games, or even parts of games, he said.

Big surprise.

Offered without comment.

Week Five Preview: #3 Alabama at Kentucky

outsidethesidelines — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:15:10 -0000

More photos » by James Crisp - AP

2 months ago: Kentucky coach Rich Brooks looks on during the second half of their NCAA college football game against Florida in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Browse more photos »

Almost a year to the day after earning an ugly, 17-14 win over Kentucky in Tuscaloosa, the Tide now takes the return trip to Lexington for the re-match. Historically Alabama has dominated this series, putting it mildly, and the Tide is once again a heavy favorite as we go into Lexington. Of course, though, the Kentucky program under Rich Brooks is a far better one than the Tide has historically faced when going up against the Wildcats, and conference wins rarely come easy. Kentucky is a formidable foe in their own right, and they present the Alabama coaching staff plenty of challenges. Let's take a closer look at the match-ups.

Alabama Offense v. Kentucky Defense

Despite being a general juggernaut throughout the first four games of the season -- averaging over 35 points and about 500 yards of total offense per game -- the Alabama offense did encounter its first real problems of the season last week against Arkansas, as the Hogs were able to shut down the Tide's running game. Thankfully we still scored a lot of points because we had three long touchdowns, plus one short drive created by Lorenzo Washington's blocked punt, but the chink in the armor was nevertheless somewhat revealed. Simply put, the Hogs had a big, physical defensive front seven, they committed the resources necessary to stop the run, and we simply could not do much with it.

And in all fairness to Kentucky, the Wildcats do have a fine defense. Oddly enough, after spending years of having a prolific offense mixed with a defense that couldn't stop anyone, Kentucky now sports a fine defense, and it will easily be one of the best defenses we face all season. It's just a good group, top-to-bottom, with good coaching and a couple of legitimate star players to boot.

The defensive front seven, much like last week against Arkansas, does present some major issues simply because they are big and physical. The front four averages around 270 pounds, with a couple of 300 pound players in Corey Peters and Ricky Lumpkin anchoring the interior defensive line. The defensive ends are about as big as you will find for legitimate 4-3 teams, and the linebacker corps is big even by 3-4 standards. As a whole the corps averages around 240 pounds, while standout Micah Johnson comes in at around 260 pounds and Sam Maxwell is nearly as big. Bottom line, just like Arkansas a week ago, this is a very big, physical defensive front seven, and that will probably give us a lot of issues up front.

In particular, don't sleep on Micah Johnson. He is probably the best defensive player in the SEC you've never heard of, and it's only because he isn't playing for a high-profile program. He was a five-star recruit out of high school that could have legitimately gone to any school in the country, and he's practically been a standout player since first setting foot on campus. Truth be told, he's every bit as good as Rolando McClain or Brandon Spikes, and he will play on Sunday one day very soon. He can make a very big impact on a game, and we'll have to do all we can to limit his effectiveness. If he played for a high-profile program like Alabama or Florida, everyone in the country would know his name.

The biggest concern, though, that this defense poses as a whole is their ability to play the pass. Arkansas was big and physical in the front seven, but they couldn't rush the passer effectively, nor did their defensive backs cover well in space. Perhaps not too surprisingly, then, the Hogs shut down the running game with ease, but were torched in the passing game by Greg McElroy and company. Kentucky, on the other hand, faces no such limitation. Kentucky is big and physical in the front seven, but they can also effectively rush the passer, and they also have a fine defensive backfield to boot. Simply put, that's a big problem for 'Bama.

The pass rush itself is probably one of the best in the conference. The off-season loss of Jeremy Jarmon -- Jarmon tested positive for a banned supplement, lost a year of eligibility, and entered the NFL Supplemental Draft -- was a big one for the 'Cats, but the pass rush hasn't exactly struggled in his absence. Junior college transfer DeQuin Evans has played well in his place, and Collins Ukwu has been a force at times as well. Moreover, freshman Taylor Windham brings a lot of speed off the edge and he has already proven that he can rush the passer well (see the knockout blow on Tim Tebow last weekend). The Kentucky defense has racked up seven sacks this year on 79 passing attempts, so they have already showcased an ability to get after the quarterback.

That's bad enough for the Alabama offense, but making matters worse is the strength of the Kentucky defensive backfield. Cornerback Trevard Lindley is easily the cornerback in the SEC, and he will be a first round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He's an impact player who opposing teams generally loathe throwing against, but unfortunately the rest of the Kentucky defensive backfield is a solid group as well. Paul Warford normally starts opposite Lindley at cornerback, but he is missing the Alabama game with an injury, and Randall Burden will play in his place. The good news for Kentucky is that Burden seems like a solid option, and if nothing else he can really dance. Likewise, Winston Guy and Calvin Harrison really aren't game-changers at safety, but both are decent players at this stage who can get the job done.

All in all, the Kentucky defense is a fine one, and they present a lot of problems for the Alabama offense. They are big and physical enough to stop the run, and once they stop the run, you have to throw the football successfully, and to that end they can rush the passer and cover in the defensive backfield. Again, it's a fine unit, and if they can stay healthy it's perhaps the best defense the Tide will face all year. Objectively speaking, points ought to be hard to come by.

Alabama Defense v. Kentucky Offense

Remember earlier when I talked about how Kentucky used to be a team with a prolific offense and a laughable defense? Well, now the roles have entirely reversed, and its the offense that suddenly cannot get out of its own way. The Wildcats finished 87th in the country last year in scoring offense, and if the early returns are any indicator this offense is likely to much more closely resemble the 2008 offense than it does either the 2006 or 2007 units.

The biggest problem that this offense faces is simply that they don't have a lot of high-end players, particularly at the skill positions. At quarterback, Mike Hartline is a big, tall quarterback with decent mobility, but that is generally where his positive attributes end. He can put up a good completion percentage when throwing a lot of dink and dunk routes, but he doesn't have the arm you would probably imagine given his frame, nor is he overly accurate. On the whole, most of the time he's just an average-at-best passer.

Likewise, there are really no true game-changers at the skill positions. Randall Cobb, the former quarterback, is really the only true playmaker on the outside, and in general Kentucky does absolutely everything in their power to get the ball in his hands (including putting Cobb in the Wildcat). Aside from Cobb, though, there is just really nothing of note on the outside. Chris Matthews and Matt Roark are both very big targets (at around 6'5), but neither are particularly athletic and they have struggled to get separation. Kyrus Lanxter has been slowed by injuries, and while T.C. Drake is a decent tight end, he's probably not as good as Jacob Tamme was back when the Wildcats could really light up the scoreboard. Truth be told, outside of Cobb, their best receiver is likely the speedy Derrick Locke, a tailback, coming out of the backfield.

And speaking of tailbacks, Kentucky has a decent group there that generally features a mix of size and speed. Derrick Locke is the speedster of the group, and he is one of the quickest backs in the SEC. Physically he is almost a clone of Arkansas' Michael Smith, and he brings to the table the same strengths and weaknesses. The Wildcats, however, do have some physical backs that they use to run inside, so they can attack you in more ways than one. Both Alfonso Smith and Moncell Allen are physical tailbacks well over 200 pounds that can pound the interior running game. Likewise, fullback John Conner -- not related to this guy -- is a legitimate threat at fullback as a runner, receiver, and blocker.

The biggest strength of this offense is clearly at the point of attack with the offensive line. This is the most experienced offensive line in the SEC, and they start four seniors. Left tackle Zipp Duncan and right tackle Justin Jeffries are probably the best two players of the group, but the interior linemen aren't exactly shabby in their own right. It's not a unit featuring any true standout players, per se, but it's a capable group. They aren't mashers in the running game, mind you, but they do generally do a good job of protecting the quarterback. Kentucky quarterbacks have only been sacked three times this year on roughly 90 passing attempts, so these guys can clearly get the job done in pass protection.

All in all, though, again, this Kentucky offense just isn't very good. There simply aren't enough playmakers at the skill positions, and the quarterback isn't a standout player either. The offensive line is a solid group, as are the tailbacks, but they don't do enough in their own right to be able to overcome all of the shortcomings everywhere else that would allow Kentucky to truly light up the scoreboard.

As a whole, you really have to feel confident about how the Alabama defense looks to match up here. Kentucky is a physical team that likes to run the football, but even with the absence of Dont'a Hightower, it's hard to see this team having very much success against the Alabama defense on the ground. Likewise, while the Tide may struggle a bit to get to the passer, it's hard to see Kentucky having a lot of success in the passing game considering they lack quality depth at wide receiver or a consistently effective passing quarterback.

Putting It All Together

In the grand scheme of things, you really have to like the Tide's chances of winning this game. I think it's clear that we are the better team here, and there is a legitimate reason that we are favored going into this game.

On the other hand, though, Kentucky is no pushover. They may struggle offensively, but this is a good football team, and I personally think that Rich Brooks is easily one of the most underrated coaches of his generation. These guys have made three straight bowl games, and they will likely make a fourth straight in 2009. Likewise, after getting embarrassed by Florida, expect this Kentucky team to show up Saturday morning in Lexington like they just ate nails for breakfast. They'll be ready to play a long, physical contest, rest assured of that.

The good news is that the Kentucky offense ought to have very little success in terms of point production, unless we really give them some cheap points via turnovers and special teams breakdowns (speaking of which, Locke had a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown against Louisville). That said, unless we can really improve in terms of run blocking, the Kentucky defense may very well shut our offense down as well, and we could be in for another long, ugly, low-scoring game much like we had a year ago. Those who think that the Tide is simply going to walk into Lexington and come away with an easy win are probably in for a rude awakening come Saturday. Unless we suddenly play a lot better up front, or Kentucky decides to beat itself for the second week in a row, this is a game that is likely to be close going into the latter stages of the contest.

Hope for the best.

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- And I Do Mean Big!

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:47:00 -0000

More photos » by James Crisp - AP

Okay, yeah, that kind of stung ...

Browse more photos »

For the last couple of days, I have been engaged with lots of blogging, but not the daily mail post. I am going to catch up right now, and this thing is huge. So if you are a night owl, or have a lot of time on your hands, I will send you places that will amuse and amaze you over the two hours it would likely take to read this whole thing.

So let's get right to it:

UK Basketball News

Seven Storylines to Watch in 2009-2010 - Blogging the Bracket
Great stuff.
UK Basketball: This Weekend Practices! - Kentucky Sports Network
Some observations from a person who witnessed some UK practices or workouts.
Kentucky recruit Terrence Jones cuts list to seven schools | Walter's Wildcat World
ZAGSBLOG " Harris Plans to Visit Seven Schools
Harris will visit Kentucky for Big Blue Madness Oct. 16 but said he didn’t know the other dates of his visits. Louisville, West Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Maryland are the other schools.

UK Football News

Alabama's Hightower to have knee surgery - SEC - ESPN
ALABAMA NOTEBOOK: Brooks hopes 'Cats can rebound - al.com
"They destroyed Arkansas," Brooks said.

They'll destroy us, too, if we don't improve from last game.
Brooks won't blame his players | KentuckySports.com
"I don't feel any better about myself, especially on a lot of things that we did in that first quarter," Brooks said. "We've got to eliminate the mistakes and stupid penalties on offense. There's just so many things that need to be better."

Indeed.
A double headache for Wildcats | KentuckySports.com
Bama quarterback Greg McElroy was 9-for-9 through the air in the second half against the Razorbacks for 188 yards and two touchdowns.

Well, nobody said this was going to be easy.
Brooks: First-quarter potholes must be patched
The truth of the matter is UK has been a slow-starting team for some time now. As was first pointed out by Brett Dawson of the Courier-Journal, the Wildcats have been outscored 139-44 in the past 16 first quarters dating back to last year's season opener.

This is a problem that cannot continue.
Profiles in Disillusion: Florida State can't take much more of this - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports
Rich Brooks doesn't necessarily agree with the final assumption there, but take heart, UK fans: You still have a chance this season to end the longest active losing streak in any annual I-A rivalry -- your 24-year schneid against the Tennessee Volunteers. Even in the unforgiving SEC, redemption is always right around the corner.

Dr. Saturday's Doug Gillett offers the benediction to our loss at Florida, reminding us that redemption is still possible. As usual after a devastating loss, though, it's a little tough to embrace that hope right now.
" Video: Ricky Lumpkin on bouncing back from Florida loss John Clay’s Sidelines
Not surprisingly, a remarkably mature and well-spoken young man.
" Don’t blame Urban Meyer for Tim Tebow injury John Clay’s Sidelines
I agree with John Clay.
UK vs. South Carolina on Fox Sports Net | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
The University of Kentucky’s football game at South Carolina will kick off at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, and will air on Fox Sports Network.

Consider yourself educated.
Managing Kentucky Football Fan Expectations
This is some of Matt's best work. Flawlessly reasoned and compelling.
Kentucky and Florida wrap-up
I was never more embarrassed as a UK fan to watch some of our idiot and ridiculous fanbase cheer when Tim Tebow went down. I don't mind the initial reaction to the hit, but to see UK fans laughing and joking about Tebow laying motionless on the field was not only disrespectful, but ridiculous. You can hate Florida, you can hate the publicity and you can even hate the amount of facetime Tim Tebow gets, but to cheer when a guy that does everything the right way and is truly a role model to look up to is beyond stupid.

Indeed.
Smith: Recruiting ‘pretty good overall’ | Vaught's Views
UK plans to be ready for No. 3 Bama | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Cats seek mojo after no-show | KentuckySports.com
On paper, a date with Rich Brooks' favorite fictional school, the Squawhaukee Canyon Institute of Technology, would seem ideal for the Wildcats to get back their mojo.

Heh.

Other UK Sports News

None today

NCAA Sports News

SEC power rankings - SEC - ESPN
USC basketball: Leonard Washington declared academically ineligible | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times
Remember this guy?
Initial Impressions from the Arkansas Game - Roll 'Bama Roll
You could effectively go on all day rattling off dirty play after dirty play by Arkansas. It was easily the dirtiest game I've seen any opponent play against Alabama since Southern Miss in 2005, and honestly even the Golden Eagles had nothing that night that could hold a candle to what Arkansas showed today. Petrino ought to be ashamed of himself, and frankly he ought to be thankful Saban called off the dogs late.

Wow, strong words from OTS about Petrino's team. That's another reason why I loathe Petrino deep down in my soul. I saw some of that game, and some of the blocks were obviously illegal. Of course, that's only one side of the story, but as I said, you don't have to work to convince me that Petrino coaches dirty football. I detest that guy. Nothing but love for the Hogs, but man, I dislike their coach. Just a personal thing.
Pollin': At what point do coaches start caring who wins the games? - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports
Hard to argue with some of Matt's points.
Emmanuel Negedu of Tennessee Volunteers hospitalized after collapsing at university sports facility - ESPN
Scary. I hope he is okay.
Why Boise State can’t play for the BCS championship | Mr. College Football

The Broncos have a quality win against Oregon, which looks even better since the Ducks beat California so decisively.

But after that, here are the cold, hard facts. Eleven of the 12 Division I-A teams on the Boise State schedule are rated 67 or worse.
Strength of schedule matters. Trust me.
Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting - Kemp opening it up
This might be a subscription-only article. If it is, sorry. This gist is that Shawn Kemp, who committed to Alabama, is reopening his recruitment.
Headlinin': Tebow will be 'ready to go' at LSU. Will his doctors let him? - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo! Sports
Matt Hinton has some stuff.
Longing for the good old days
Heh. Tempted to file this under "schadenfreude," but that would be hypocritical. How long has it been since our "good old days?"

Other News of Interest

Dakotah Euton to pick a school
The Implosion Continues: Binghamton AD to Resign
Wow. This has become quite the story.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Wanton Disdain Comics: Tennessee Volunteer Diversity " The Elitist Jerks' Sports Information Collective
This tickled my funny bone. And my "schadenfreude" bone, wherever that might be. :-)

Game Day: Louisville at Kentucky

Mike Rutherford — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 11:30:15 -0000

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (1-0) AT KENTUCKY WILDCATS (1-0)

Game Time: Noon

Location: Commonwealth Stadium: Lexington, Ky.

Television: ESPNU

Favorite: Kentucky by 14

All-Time Series: Kentucky leads 12-9

Modern Series: Louisville leads 9-6

Complete Series History:

Date	Site	Winning team		Losing team		Series
1912-10-28	Lexington	Kentucky	41	Louisville	0	UK 1-0
1913-11-22	Louisville	Kentucky	20	Louisville	0	UK 2-0
1914-11-14	Lexington	Kentucky	42	Louisville	0	UK 3-0
1915-11-06	Louisville	Kentucky	15	Louisville	0	UK 4-0
1922-10-14	Lexington	Kentucky	63	Louisville	0	UK 5-0
1924-10-04	Lexington	Kentucky	29	Louisville	0	UK 6-0
1994-09-03	Lexington	Kentucky	20	Louisville	14	UK 7-0
1995-09-02	Lexington	Louisville	13	Kentucky	10	UK 7-1
1996-08-31	Lexington	Louisville	38	Kentucky	14	UK 7-2
1997-08-30	Lexington	Kentucky	38	Louisville	24	UK 8-2
1998-09-05	Louisville	Kentucky	68	Louisville	34	UK 9-2
1999-09-04	Lexington	Louisville	56	Kentucky	28	UK 9-3
2000-09-02†	Louisville	Louisville	40	Kentucky	34	UK 9-4
2001-09-01	Lexington	Louisville	36	Kentucky	10	UK 9-5
2002-09-01	Louisville	Kentucky	22	Louisville (17)	17	UK 10-5
2003-08-31	Lexington	Louisville	40	Kentucky	24	UK 10-6
2004-09-04	Louisville	Louisville	28	Kentucky	0	UK 10-7
2005-09-04	Lexington	Louisville (12)	31	Kentucky	24	UK 10-8
2006-09-03	Louisville	Louisville (13)	59	Kentucky	28	UK 10-9
2007-09-15	Lexington	Kentucky	40	Louisville (9)	34	UK 11-9
2008-08-31	Louisville	Kentucky	27	Louisville	2	UK 12-9

Excitement Level: 8.8.

It's Kentucky. And it's the dreamer in me. Here's hoping this isn't where we top out.

Game Attire: Red Big East Tournament Champions shirt with Louisville hat

The Carmody jersey didn't work two years ago, the Orange Bowl shirt was worse last year, so let's chuck it in the endzone early with a basketball shirt.

Pregame Meal: Assorted snacks and finger foods prepared by beautiful women.

Bold Prediction: Kentucky turns the ball over more times than Louisville.

Rock Keys Playing Alert Level: Brown (If he does we're down by at least 70)

Predicted Star of the Game: Bilal Powell

It's impossible to fathom how badly I want to be right about this.

NOTABLE

--The leading rusher on the victorious team has outrushed the entire losing squad in the last nine Battles for the Governor's Cup.

--Kentucky has never beaten Louisville three straight times since the renewal of the series in 1994. U of L owned a three-game winning streak from 1999-2001 and then beat Kentucky four straight times between 2003-2006.

--Since the renewal of the football series, Kentucky has never beaten Louisville in both football and basketball during the same season. The Cards topped the Cats on the hardwood and gridiron in 2003.

--Kentucky's non-conference winning steak of 15 is second best in the nation, trailing only LSU's streak of 20.

QUOTABLE

--"You have to live in a vacuum not to hear about it all year long in this state, any football fan. You hear it on the talk radio, you see it on the message boards, you see it just everywhere, and you see it when you're out in public. You get constantly reminded of which side of that equation you're on." --Rich Brooks

--"You ask any football player, they love going into an environment like that. There's no better sound than silencing a crowd. That's how this team thinks, and personally that's how I think." --Justin Burke

--"I'm pretty sure they're hearing about how we beat them the past two years, and how they beat us really bad my freshman year, and how they want to get back to getting the Governor's Cup back over there. Everyone's going to be ready." --Ricky Lumpkin

--"You hear about it a lot. In the state of Kentucky, most people are either a Louisville fan or a Kentucky fan, so it's a big game." --Micah Johnson

--"It's very important to me. I want to beat Kentucky. Every game you go into you want to win, but I think a game of this magnitude puts a little added flavor in it." --Steve Kragthorpe

--"I could finish my career with three straight over Louisville, and that's huge. That would carry on throughout my life, and I could tell my grandkids what we did to Louisville." --Alfonso Smith

--"At one point in time, I think, our fans didn't think we could beat Louisville." --Ricky Lumpkin

CC Prediction: Kentucky 28, Louisville 6

The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Told You So Edition

Truzenzuzex — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:51:35 -0000

More photos » by Ed Reinke - AP

I didn't fire anybody.

Browse more photos »

Told ya.

Well, just kidding, but I turned out to be correct in a recent back-and-forth with Rush The Court over the question of whether a UK assistant was terminated or left of his own accord.

The word is that Bilal Batley, the recent departure from the UK staff, was punished for his creation of a secondary violation, as was a Gillispie assistant earlier in the year -- with a letter of admonishment. He was not fired, he was not run off, he was not threatened with cement overshoes if he did not leave. That is that.

Moving on, we find that we have some legal trouble on the football team and other stuff in the news, which follows:

UK Basketball News

Bluegrass State Basketball: Ex-Cat Allen Edwards Talks Past, Present and Future
Very good stuff here. Allen Edwards was an important part of Kentucky's most recent championship stretch, and it's great to hear he's doing well.
Gillispie's tale rings familiar tune to recovering Eustachy - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com
This is a really good article by Gary Parrish. Alcoholism is a difficult problem to overcome, and Larry Eustachy shows how it can be done. Can Gillispie recover and coach again? Absolutely. But not unless he realizes that he is an alcoholic, and accepts responsibility for his life and actions in the context of that disease.

Via Bluegrass State Basketball.
Top impact freshmen for 2009-10 - CBK News - FOX Sports on MSN
Virtually all of Kentucky's five-stars make this list.

UK Football News

Louisville Tale of the Tape " Over The Pylon
Great stuff from Over the Pylon, as always.
Kentucky vs. Louisville 9-19-09 – What UL fans are saying " Kentucky Wildcard
Lots of love going on in Card Nation for the Wildcats. As usual.
Wildcats, Cardinals well rested | Cincinnati.com
If there's an advantage - or a disadvantage - to having a week off before a rivalry game, good luck getting either coach to say so.

Heh.
Take the Governor's Cup quiz | KentuckySports.com
It's not only the players who need to get into the rivalry frame of mind. Fans have to get there, too.
John Clay: U of L presents some fear factors | KentuckySports.com
A 13-point spread amounts to zilch. Toss out the numbers. That's the rivalry-game creed. That's right. There are lots of things to fear, not the least of which is our kicking game.
Low kickoffs make for high stress for Brooks | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Asked whether he'll consider trickery — pooch punts, squib kicks, etc. — Brooks chuckled. "The first squib kick we ordered (against Miami of Ohio) ended up a line drive down to the 2-yard line with a 2.2 (second) hang," Brooks said. "God bless our coverage guys, because they did a hell of a job on that one."

Scary.
UK staff challenges defense to step up | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
Last season, UK was able to put pressure on quarterbacks, thanks to a particularly strong defensive line. Two of those linemen — end Jeremy Jarmon and tackle Myron Pryor — now are on NFL rosters. Brown thinks his current line — with Peters and Ricky Lumpkin at tackle and a rotation of DeQuin Evans, Chandler Burden and Collins Uku at the ends — can do similar things in time.
Tom Leach Productions -- DeQuin Evans
Video of DeQuin Evans talking about his game.
Tom Leach Productions -- Rich Brooks
Tom Leach has a video of Rich Brooks discussing the team status.
Alan Cutler " Ridge Wilson Is In Jail…..His Future ?
Pretty good comments from the mustachioed one.
Louisville game can indicate success of season | The Kentucky Kernel

Other UK Sports News

None today

NCAA Sports News

Ranking the SEC after Week 2 | HOG COUNTRY
10. Kentucky … The Wildcats are one gigantic question mark, as are most of Rich Brooks’ teams at this point of the year. Kentucky’s football team has been flying over the radar since John Calipari was hired as the basketball coach and that’s just how Brooks likes it.
LSU v Vandy: Behind the Numbers - And The Valley Shook
Don't Bet On It!: Around the SEC - Dawg Sports
With another big weekend of college football on tap in the SEC, Dawg Sports offers the latest round of league predictions in this week's installment of "Don't Bet On It!"

Other News of Interest

UK's Todd turns down bonus - Local - Kentucky.com
"I appreciate the Board of Trustees' strong expression of support for the progress and accomplishments of the past year, but it has been yet another very challenging year from a budget standpoint, and I am simply not comfortable accepting the performance award at a time when every department on campus is dealing with severe budget reductions," Todd said in a written statement.

Nice gesture by Dr. Todd, but I'm sure the editorial pages will pick on him for hiring Calipari.

The Daily Schadenfreude

Eric Crawford: Governor's Cup starting to lose luster | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal
UK not only had its way in the scheduling with this rivalry, but now it is having its way with its rival. The Wildcats have clearly passed the Cardinals. Three years ago they were 13-point underdogs. This season they're 13-point favorites. Think about that turn of events.

Heh. Love it.

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!

Post-Spring Previews: Kentucky Wildcats

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

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

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

Offense

Quarterback

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

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

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Running Backs

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

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

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

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

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

Verdict: Push

Offensive Line

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

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

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

Defense

Defensive Line

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

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

Verdict: Strong advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

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

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

Verdict: Push

Secondary

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

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

Verdict: Strong advantage Kentucky

Special Teams

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

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

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Head Coaches

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

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

Overall

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

Prediction: 10-14 point Carolina victory

Poll

The Kentucky game will result in a...

Blowout Carolina victory

17 votes

Close Carolina victory

27 votes

Close Kentucky victory

40 votes

Blowout Kentucky victory

23 votes

107 votes | Poll has closed

So Randall Cobb is our starting quarterback. What now?

Truzenzuzex — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:42:00 -0000

So what has changed as a result of the Florda game? Micah Johnson has re-injured his sprained ankle and is doubtful. Marcus McClinton's knee is a bit worse, Myron Pyor is still out, Kyrus Lanxter is still down with a knee, Ricky Lumpkin has a strained calf, Justin Jeffries and Maurice Grinter are banged up, as is Josh Minton. Dicky Lyons and Derrick Locke are both still out for the season (Yes, we have no miracles today). Finally, Randall Cobb is now the starting quarterback

The Wildcats are still far from 100% healthy as they head down to Starkville to take on the Mississippi State University Bulldogs, and MSU is much, much healthier than Kentucky with only one minor injury and one major injury. What this means is that even though UK is facing a foothill instead of Mt. Everest relatively speaking, the Wildcats still have a hill to climb against a team that went bowling last year.

Injuries are a part of football, and as much as we moan and groan about them, UK's troubles are absolutely nothing compared to what the Georgia Bulldogs have been dealing with -- they have 10 players with long-term injuries, seven of which are season-ending, and they just undressed LSU in Death Valley, 52-38. When you are in the SEC, injuries must be overcome, and great teams overcome them.

OK, so Kentucky is not a great team this year, but can they become a competent one? So far, UK is adequate only on defense, as even giving up 63 points to the Gators moved Kentucky down from #1 to just #7 in scoring defense. Obviously, the 'Cats defense is better than that, but a combination of injuries and a red hot Florida offense made them look like a high school team. The real problem, though is UK's offense, which has not been competent against SEC competition. Yes, it has had a few good moments in the Alabama and Arkansas game, but generally speaking, the Wildcat offense has put tremendous pressure on the defense to carry the load.

Will that change with Randall Cobb now at the helm? Obviously, we hope so, and Brooks at least thinks it may or he wouldn't have made the move. Don't think for a minute that Rich Brooks isn't stubborn enough to thumb his nose at Kentucky fans who have been screaming at the top of their collective lungs for Randall Cobb at QB if he thinks the things that are going wrong can't be corrected to some extent with this move. The fact that Brooks is making it is really a confirmation that the situation looks to Brooks pretty much like it looks to the rest of us -- Cobb provides an extra dimension that appears to take UK's offense from futility to some semblance of proficiency, something Kentucky has only known against inferior competition this year. Is a merely competent offense enough to overcome our other problems? We won't know until Saturday.

I know this is obvious, but it bears repeating -- the biggest thing Cobb can give UK at quarterback is the ability to sustain favorable field position by moving the football. Yes, points are important also, but Kentucky has been able to beat opponents this year by keeping them in a hole and forcing turnovers and mistakes. Against three of our last four opponents, UK was unable to do that with any consistency. Even if a drive doesn't score, if it keeps the defense off the field a while and backs the opponent up to near their goal line, it has to be considered a strategic success.

Tactically, though, Kentucky needs to start putting points on the board. That begins with getting the football back into the red zone with some semblance of regularity, and getting at least three points out of those efforts. SEC teams are going to score on Kentucky, but they will score way less if the 'Cats keep them pinned down and our defense as fresh as possible. That gives the 'Cats an opportunity to be in every game.

Another thing Cobb brings to the table that couldn't be found under Hartline is a constant threat of a big play, which he can make either with his feet or with his arm. Cobb's mobility forces linebackers to always be concerned about him, the pass rush to be more conservative, and blitzes much more dangerous. That puts pressure on defenses, especially linebackers, not to make bad judgments or face the possibility of turning a running back or Cobb loose in the secondary. That makes scoring points when the Wildcats get behind much more probable.

The other thing Cobb brings, in my opinion, is confidence. It has been clear to me, as it has to others, that the offense has lost much of its confidence in Mike Hartline's ability to run the team. It isn't all Hartline's fault, but as I have said before, UK needs to forget about blaming people and start looking for ways to fix the problem. Cobb's presence gives the offense more confidence, and that is very important. A confident offense is a dangerous offense, as we all well remember from the gunslinging days of André Woodson & Co.

Finally, Cobb gives UK a look for which there is precious little tape for opponents to study. Cobb has been used sparingly at quarterback, and he gives Phillips the freedom to call plays that the opponents simply haven't seen, which is always an advantage, and Kentucky needs every advantage they can find against SEC opponents on the road. Mississippi State may not be as threatening a competitor as the Gators this year, but last year Brooks & Co. took the Bulldogs for granted, and they sent UK fans home from Commonwealth Stadium with frowns instead of smiles.

In the final analysis, Cobb's presence under center makes UK's offense look much more threatening than Hartline has this year. A lot of that is because of Kentucky's youth and inexperience at wide receiver, but as I said earlier, blame is not relevant here. What is relevant is making the offense a genuine threat, and taking some of the pressure off a defense that is trying to get healthy enough to compete for the SEC stretch run. It's a sure bet that if Cobb can't get that done, his stint at starting QB will be a short one.

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.

Western Kentucky @ Kentucky: After Action Report

Truzenzuzex — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:43:44 -0000

The Hilltoppers of WKU and the Wildcats of UK went at it last night in Kentucky's last out-of-conference game of the season. The Toppers, and particularly Bobby Rainey, produced some spectacular runs that should give them hope for the future, and I was impressed by the clean football that my alma mater played, having only one penalty (a roughing the passer call that was pretty close). Western is going in the right direction, even though they currently lack the kind of size and athleticism on the lines to compete against a league like the SEC. Kudos to the Toppers for taking on all comers and playing hard, clean football.

It has been an article of faith among SEC football watchers that Kentucky needed to show some offensive competence during the easier out-of-conference schedule. Up until this game, they have demonstrated very little offensively. The offense was almost non-existent at Louisville, struggled to score against Norfolk State, and despite gaining significant yardage against MTSU, struggled mightily to score in the red zone.

Yesterday against Western Kentucky, Kentucky demonstrated some offensive prowess, particularly on the ground. Unfortunately, the luster of this fact was reduced by two factors that should give 'Cat fans pause -- That most of the yards were gained in the second half, and that every other BCS team who has played Western gained more yardage than UK. Mark Story looks at the "Glass half full, glass half empty" viewpoint of the WKU-UK game. It would be nice to be able to say that UK has an SEC-worthy offense going into battle against an Alabama team that drubbed the highly-ranked Georgia Bulldogs yesterday in their home stadium, but unfortunately, we cannot. UK looked competent against a lesser foe last night, but I doubt that performance against the relatively weak Hilltopper defense will cause any SEC defensive coordinators to lose sleep at the thought of playing the Wildcats.

Still, we have to grant that Hartline looked better than he has previously, and seems to be growing well into the position. He showed a strong arm in a couple of vertical attempts that, even though they didn't connect, looked very respectable in both where the ball was thrown and the velocity it had on it. 'Cat fans have reason to be encouraged about Hartline, and Fidler looked like a competent backup in limited action against a lesser foe.

Overall, here is how I saw this game:

Offensive line run blocking -- The run blocking looked better, but mostly in the second half. What happened in the the first?
Wide receivers -- The wide receivers, particularly DeMoreo Ford, did some better things than they have done so far, but not nearly enough to give anyone confidence that there are more real threats on the field than Dicky Lyons Jr.
Special teams -- Field goal kicking seem competent now with Ryan Tydlacka, but it is only his first game and against a lesser foe. The return game was excellent as usual, but kickoff coverage was really poor. Yes, Bobby Rainey was a phenomenal runner, but is he SEC-quality? I hardly think so. If not, we could be in for trouble against tougher foes if we don't improve. But on the plus side, Derrick Locke did return a kickoff for a touchdown, and Dicky Lyons barely missed doing the same with a punt return.
Pass defense -- This was quite possibly the most dominant performance against the pass I have seen in college football in recent memory. How do you hold a Spread Option team to 15 yards passing? That's just unheard of, and it was primarily due to the utter domination of the Western offensive line by Kentucky's defensive line. Yes, the UK defensive secondary was very good, but the 'Cats defensive front was always in the face of the Western quarterback, and got four sacks for thirty negative yards.
Run defense -- After the Wildcats figured out that Rainey was a serious threat, they shut him down, but not before he gained almost 100 yards against a Kentucky defense that has been very stingy against the run (#5 in the nation) up until now. It is a cause for worry. If the 'Cats struggled with Rainey, what will Knowshon Moreno do?
The passing game -- Kentucky was competent in the passing game, but the UK wide receivers still have issues with route running, catching the football and blocking. The blocking was somewhat improved, but it's clear that UK has a long way to go to get the receivers up to SEC quality with the exception of Dickie Lyons Jr. Brooks can't be all that pleased with what he saw yesterday, but it was a clear improvement over the last game.
Pass blocking -- Pass blocking was excellent against Western, but their defensive front is hardly SEC quality. Still, it was a good game for the line when it came to giving Hartline time to throw. I consider them untested at this point, except against a decent Louisville defense, but I think they may be fine.
The running game -- Impressive in the second half, but what happened in the first? The running backs hit the holes, such as they were in the first half, hard, but the line simply wasn't getting the job done. The 'Cats did a much better job in the second half, racking up impressive yardage and some long runs, and pretty much looking like the team we expected to see. This game gives me some hope that we may be able to move the ball on the ground if we can get some kind of threat out of the passing game.

Overall, it was obviously a great defensive game for Kentucky, and a comptetent if unspectacular offensive game. The coaching staff has greased a few squeeky wheels, and even though UK didn't look like the well-oiled offensive machine they have been in the last couple of years, the first signs of genuine offensive faculty showed up yesterday, and that is a very good thing.

On the injury front, Justin Jeffries has a serious knee injury and is very likely done for the season. Even if it is more benign than many think, it is still going to sit him for a number of weeks, perhaps more than are left in the regular season. I hope for the best, but fear the worst. T.C. Drake also suffered an ankle sprain, but it doesn't look likely to keep him out more than a week. Maurice Grinter served capably and even rather impressively in his stead.

On the good news side, it is looking more and more likely that Randall Cobb's high ankle sprain will heal in time for South Carolina, if not Alabama. I expect to see Micah Johnson back at practice this week, and Ricky Lumpkin as well.

Next week we get the Crimson Tide, and the Elephants are coming of an impressive manhandling of the #3 team in the nation at their place. As the Tide has an open date after the UK game, that places next week's tilt firmly in the "trap game" category for them. We need to hope that they are still licking their wounds an enjoying the glow of defeating Georgia and vaulting to a top 5 national ranking (which they surely will) when the Wildcats bring their 4-0 record into Tuscaloosa next Saturday.

SB Nation - Ricky Lumpkin

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And they're all in Alabama

Offensive line

Defensive line

Offensive skill positions

Quarterbacks

Linebackers

Defensive backfield

Special teams

Intangibles

Western Kentucky @ Kentucky: After Action Report