A loss to Louisville, and more.

Last Saturday our team lost to Louisville.  It was disappointing for the team, the fans, and the coaches.  The problems that have plagued Kentucky throughout the early season reared their ugly head once again, and Louisville took full advantage.  At the press conference after the game, head coach Joker Phillips tried to downplay the loss with this glaringly obvious statement:

"We're 2-1.  We're not 0-3."

This would be a valid argument if it was our first mediocre game.  With the way our team is playing, the brutal truth is that we should be 0-3.  The first two opponents beat themselves with mental errors and sloppy football.  We simply sucked a little bit less and had a little more luck. 

I have two major problems with the "hey, it could be worse" attitude of our coach. 

1:  By not honestly acknowledging the fundamental challenges and issues our football team is currently mired in, you take away any potential for true change and improvement.  When you brush away the valid concerns of a fan base that is watching its team struggle to generate offense game after game, you're sending the message that there's nothing basically wrong.  When Charlie Strong faced the media and gave the infamous "we're just not a very good football team" line, he enabled his players to face up to an ugly, undesirable truth.  Now his team will be able to take steps toward being better.  They will be more aware of their performance, both in games and during practice.  They'll want nothing more than to prove him wrong. 

Without the truthful acceptance of where our team is now, there can be no true progress. 

2:  This one's a biggie for me as a transplant fan.  We're still building our football program, and as we strive for competitive recognition, both in the SEC and the nation, a winning mentality is imperative.  I cannot stress this enough.  Kentucky had so many disappointing seasons for so long that the bowl game in 1999 was its own major victory, and we're still dragging some of the baggage of a losing expectation.  If we ever want to be able to compete at a national level, both the team and the fans will have to truly believe that it's possible.  It will have to be a heartfelt, absolute conviction that we are a talented, capable football program.  Right now I'm watching us smack the lid of the glass box, and it's causing a lot of frustration and confusion amid the coaches, the players and the fans.  Faith works miracles.

So as we're counting down to a home game against Florida tonight, I have a few notes. 

On the offense:  'Miscommunication' is being blamed for a large chuck of our offensive woes.  No offense (and no pun intended), but the fix to this is not rocket science.  Stop calling plays that you're not running often in practice.  Our offense has enough to worry about.  Remember, offensive coordinators:  KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid.  Get back to the basics.  Along with this:  STOP calling a QB run on a 1st and 10.  You're just asking for Morgan Newton to get hurt.  STOP throwing laterally behind the line of scrimmage.  Even if a pass is completed, there's a good chance for no gain or a loss on the play.  Our offensive line is going to have to step up and be more physical.  Morgan Newton is getting trounced way more often than he should be.  It's hard to get comfortable in the pocket if you know there's a good chance some dude's going to slam your body into the ground. Missed assignments in blocking are completely unacceptable.  Additionally, our offense was most productive and confident in the last game when the tempo was quick and they didn't have time to think themselves into dropping the ball, which leads me to the next point:  we cannot continue to drop catchable passes.  A QB has to be confident in his receiver.  This is peewee football 101:  catch the ball!!  The capability and talent is there, and broke through occasionally during the Louisville game. 

On the defense:  As expected, Danny Trevathan has been rocking it hardcore.  Also making an impressive showing are Winston Guy, Collins Ukwu, Randall Burden, Taylor Wyndham and Mister Cobble.  Although they've been playing well this year, they have a tendency to occasionally be a little bit sloppy with missed tackles.  Florida will slaughter us if we start missing tackles.

On special teams:  The unsung heroes of Kentucky football, our kicking team has been winning games for us.  Field position is key, and they've done a phenomenal job squeezing out the extra yardage and making the opponents have to go just that much further.  Kudos, boys. 

In conclusion, I think losing that football game to Louisville has the possibility to be the best thing that could have happened to us.  Kentucky can't continue to play in the SEC as they have so far this season and expect to win another football game.  It is my most sincere wish that they will take that loss to heart, and forge it into determination to become not only a winning football team, but a football team with guts, passion and heart.

how kentucky got its groove back

'Quiet' is a good description of how I felt for the first two quarters of the game against Central Michigan today. It also pretty well describes my reaction to the brutal win over Western Kentucky last week.  Although trying to withhold judgement, I was apprehensive over the robotic, frustrated play of our almost-brand-new offensive line.  

As a Pollyanna of sports optimism, it was an unfamiliar and uncomfortable feeling.   

I understand fully the consequences of losing approximately 4500 yards of offensive production to graduation and the NFL draft.  Things will be a little bit bumpy offensively for awhile as each new player steps up, learns their position and responsibilities.  We have new coaches, new players, new defensive schemes...

But where was the chemistry?  If a pass was thrown well, it was dropped. If a receiver was wide open in the end zone, he was overthrown.  Play execution aside, where was the heart? The passion, the excitement, the AGGRESSION for heavens' sake. 

Let me begin by saying I am not a fan of this co-defensive-coordinator thing.  To me, it says 'I'm saving my ass.' Hedging your bets, if you will.  It's the same reason I'm not a fan of our offensive structure - two possible plays going in, coaches read the defensive, players check to the sideline for the play to run.  In my lowly opinion, it shows a lack of confidence in a person's ability to do their job, whether it be defensive coordinator or quarterback, and with all the hype around the loss of Hartline, Cobb, Locke and Matthews the last thing these kids need is another reminder of who they're not.  It's non-commital, a non-choice.  Football is no place for tentative wavering cowardice, and the emotion from the bench struck me as hesitant. 

It seemed as though confidence was not only lacking in our players, it was lacking in our coaching staff. 

And then, hallelujah!! After a sure-to-be highly questioned call to go for it on 4th down, our offense was awarded the ball on the Chippawas' 35 yard line.  Morgan Newton stood tough, cocked his arm and released a high, lofty pass to receiver La'Rod King. The kind of pass where time ticks in slow motion.  The kind of pass where the whole universe goes still for a single second, and 80,000 people hold their breath.  A pass ripe with expections.  With the touchdown reception of a single pass, new life was infused into an offense that needed confirmation in the worst way. 

As unnerving as the offense was in the first half, there were a lot of positives to be found in our game against Central Michigan.  Our offense found the rhythm that they were so desperately searching for, and they did it by sheer grit.  They ground through the frustration, the discouragement, the cynicism.  The team earned that win as surely as I sit here this evening, and they'll take that with them as the season moves forward.  Will there still be bumps?  Absolutely.  But I will strive to remember this season: friction is a necessary precursor to polish.