It was an ugly, ugly Homecoming game, boys and girls. Squandering away all the goodwill a mid-season win against then-number 1 LSU provided, the University of Kentucky Football team lost to the steadily improving Mississippi State by the paltry score of 31-14. In one of their worst showings in two seasons, the Cats came out flat on both sides of the ball and never recovered.
The scoring of only 14 points -- one touchdown per half -- for a team that averages 42 a game -- point glaringly at the ineptitude of UK's offense. The 31 points by MSU implicate the defense - not to mention the Bulldog's 200-yard rushing attack.
Kentucky turned the ball over a WHOPPING 8 TIMES in the second half (4 fumbles, 3 interceptions and a loss of possession on 4th down... and I think I'm forgetting another one)... all-in-all, not their best performance, wouldn't you say?
Anyway, UK's much-needed bye-week is this upcoming week and hopefully they can get healthy for their 3-game stretch run.
Because of injuries, they were down to the 5th string running back and Keenan Burton did not play. However, this IN NO WAY takes away from MSU's performance. They were the better team today and they certainly deserve all the credit for causing the crucial turnovers that helped win them the game.
Now the Bulldogs are only one win away from bowl eligibility, a huge stride for Sylvester Croom and his Mississippi State football team. For UK, they have a tough road to salvage what could've been a fantastic season. Now they are just looking to maintain the momentum last year's season gave them.
It won't be easy. The next three games see the Cats travel to Nashville to play a solid Vanderbilt team; to Georgia to play a Bulldog team wanting payback for last year; ending the season with Tennessee, a team they haven't defeated in 24 years.
Also, Andre' Woodson played himself out of the Heisman discussion this afternoon.
Cats, your destiny is in your hands. Do with it what you will.
The Florida Gators escaped from Commonwealth Stadium today with a hard-fought 45-37 victory over the University of Kentucky Wildcats. In a game that saw plenty of offensive fireworks (and little defense), Tim Tebow and the Gators ultimately proved to be too much to handle for UK; particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
While the Cats never quit, they could never overcome their 1st half mistakes that saw them leave almost 21 points on the field. However, UK deserves a lot of credit for their efforts... as do the Gators, who reminded everybody their season isn't done.
Kudos to Florida who deserved to win, but they should probably thank some prominent deities they faced the Cats with an off-week to prepare... not to mention having the Cats after a taxing battle with LSU. True, that last statement sounds like a bitter loser, but after today's game, yeah, this one hurt. I'll be back later with a look back at the game.
Until then, GBB!!!
PS: I'm proud of this Cat team... more than words can say.
After a 3-overtime war, the University of Kentucky Wildcats did something they haven't done since 1964:
BEAT A NUMBER 1 RANKED TEAM!!!!!!!
That's right, the UK Wildcats beat the LSU Tigers in a 3-overtime classic by the score of 43-37. The Cats stopped the Tigers on 4th and 2 in the 3rd OT to preserve the win. Stevie Johnson, the destroyer of previous programs like Louisville, caught the winning touchdown pass.
I'm speechless right now and I haven't been able to form coherent sentences for about 30 minutes. I'll be back later with a full write-up. My God... they DID IT!!!!!
While the final score reads 38-23, 21 of SC's points came from turnovers -- two directly and one from a late UK non-4th down conversion. A hat-tip goes out to SC's defense, who played a big part in UK's 5 cough-ups, including South Carolina's first score of the game.
During the play, Woodson fumbled while being sacked. SC's Eric Norwood recovered and took it in for the TD, one of two fumble returns Norwood returned for six.
While the Gamecocks deserve credit for covering UK's down-field attack, Woodson and Burton seemed out of sync on passes beyond the dink-and-dunk variety. The two missed a number of times on deeper passes that Burton normally makes plays on. Same for Woodson who overthrew Burton once one a WIDE open play and another under throw that resulted in a Woodson interception... in the red zone, no less.
On the other hand, the defense did the best it could do. In fact, UK's defense initiated a number of 3-and-outs in the 1st and 2nd half... alas, the offense couldn't respond. In defeat, UK is now 0-15 against Coach Steve Spurrier. Awesome. Time to enter "maybe next year" mode.
A game-ball goes out the Raphael Little, who had 135 yards on 25 carries. Little also corralled 3 passes for 23 yards and was the KEY component to any of UK's positive drives.
I'll be back tomorrow with a longer write-up. Until then, GBB!!!
What's up folks. 20 minutes til game time and we are ready to go. This is my first attempt at live-blogging any sporting event and it's funny that it's a Cat game... a football one at that. Tonight UK goes travels to Columbia, SC to face Steve Spurrier and his South Carolina Gamecocks.
The principals SC: Steve Spurrier and surprisingly, his defense. The Gamecock running game, featuring Cory Boyd and Mike Davis, is pretty stout as well. The Spurrier offense is led by true freshman quarterback Chris Smelley, who steps in for senior Blake Mitchell.
UK: The Cats are led by Andre Woodson and his explosive offense. The Cats' defense is improving as well. Look for Wesley Woodyard to have a big game if they are to succeed tonight.
Your Host: Me and I'm armed with a 12-pack of Coors Light, although, I'm not sure if it's gonna be enough. Stay tuned.
Update: Mark May just picked us to win on Sportscenter and of course, ex-#### coach Lou Holth picked us to lose. Kick-off is almost upon us.
Alright!!! Erin Andrews. We can overlook the fact that she's a Gator grad...
This Just In Lou Holth SUCKS... did it ever occur to you that losing streaks can come to an end?
Here We Go!!!!!!!! I need a freaking timestamp. UK is kicking off in a soggy Columbia. Let's GET IT ON.
6:49pm (CST) Why do these celebrity introductions look like they are reading a cue card? Because they aren't trained speakers. Do something else ESPN.
SC call timeout before it's first play from scrimmage. Spurrier's got something up...
1852 UK sucks on 3rd and long...
1854 A good block on Woodyard gets SC to midfield...
1856 Jesus Christmas!!!!!!! UK dodges a bullet and forces a fumble at the goal line that goes out of the end zone for a touchback for UK... however, it's under review.
Upheld!!!
1900 Well ####... on the resulting possession, Woodson fumbles it after a sack and SC recovers and scores.
7-0 SC Ugly start.
1904 After a big run by Little, UK is forced to punt. They look sloppy... Good punt by Mastay... inside the 10. The defense needs to not give up 3rd and longs anymore, either. SC is pumped up too. UK needs to match their intensity.
1909 Good D... SC - 3 and out. My buddy Pete Yoder is here (he says what's up) and we are enjoying some Coors and UK... btw, he's an IU grad but is supportive of UK. Interesting but it works. ;)
1918 Woodson misses Little from the 7-yard line... it looks like he missed Burton in the flat as well. In positive news, Seiber hits a field goal inside 30 yards. Worse things have happened.
SC - 7 UK - 3
1923 UK is getting killed by 3rd and long. They've had the Cocks in 3rd and 6 or more a number of times... 1st down EVERY TIME.. a suspect penalty helped SC's cause as well. OVER THE HEAD.
1926 As if prophetically, UK gives up 3rd and 16... Addendum: SC calls time out on 3rd and 8 on their 11, annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd: UK holds them to a FG. Thank them all.
10 - 3 SC
1934 Woodson misses a WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE open Keenan Burton (who could've moonwalked into the end zone...) &*&%&$*#&&*$(*#... End of the 1st quarter. Woodson needs to calm down a tad, I think. You don't miss the best receiver in the SEC when he's THAT wide open...
SC - 7 UK - 3
1942 TOUCHDOWN KENTUCKY!!!!!!! A FANTASTIC catch by Jacob Tamme of####REAT throw by Woodson who had mad pressure in his face. However, Rafael Little gets the game ball on that drive. He got them down there.
UK - 10 USC - 10
1950 3rd and 20, SC.... Holy ####!!! Intentional Grounding SC. Great hit by Ventrell Jenkins. 4 and LOOOOOOOOOOONG. Nice job D!!!
2000 Bad throw by Woodson that results in an interception... and Woodson gets shaken up trying to make the tackle. And we were in the blue zone as well. ####. Even worse, it was good drive that got them down there. However, UK holds them to 3 and out.
Nicely done Defense!!!!!!!
2012 BACK!!!! Had to feed the animals... anyway, UK goes 3 and out, but a booming punt by Mastay moved SC back. However, SC is driving.
2017 After a 10-play, 89-yard drive, SC's Davis takes it in the end zone from about 2 yards out. UK's 3 and out hurt their defense who probably needed some more time on the bench...
SC - 17 UK - 10
Halftime UK's down after not playing so well on offense. They are saying SC's D played well, I say UK screwed themselves with turnovers, ESPECIALLY the one on the goal line. Throw it away, Dre... That Burton miss wasn't great, but Tamme and Woodson more than made up for it. I am optimistic about the way we've been able to move the ball, except on that possession before that last drive by SC, an impressive 89-yarder in no time. A good half for Rafael Little, who has 59 yards rushing on some STRONG carries.
I'll be back in the second half with another post.
Normally, I would do an in-depth write-up about the Cats/Cocks game but I'm under a few time constraints right now. There are a couple of really good ones out there already, including an interesting look at SC's highly-ranked pass defense.
My condensed thoughts: this will be as tough a game UK has played all year, obviously. If you've been paying attention here, you already know Spurrier's record against UK (undefeated) and if you've read some of the previous comments, you'd think UK has no business traveling to Columbia...
Anyway, I think UK's offense will do well against SC, however, I'm concerned about the defense. The Cocks are coming out of their shell offensively (these things just kinda write themselves, don't they?) and if Wesley Woodyard and company don't show up, Woodson and "The Stable" may not have much of a say.
Game time is 7:30 EST and I'll be here taking a shot at live-blogging my first Cat game of any kind. Feel free to drop by and join me... I'll be here around 7:00 to get things started correctly.
My prediction:
UK - 45 Cocks - 42
(it's worked the last two times I used it so no need to stop now)...
Until tonight, GBB!!!
BTW, Every Day Should Be Saturday (the best college football blog in the world) is in love w/Woodson, an idea I can get behind... Here's a pic of a UK Dance Team member to tide you over until gametime... Enjoy.
Well, we're just under a quarter of the way towards the
finish line of the college football regular season and it goes without saying
the University of Kentucky football team is in a position to experience a
season for the ages - well, by UK standards anyway. To wit, the
Cats are:
- 5-0 for the first time in forever...
- Ranked 8th in the AP Poll, giving them a top-10 ranking
for the first time in, well, forever*...
What is the cause of all this good fortune that has befallen
the Cats; a team that wasn't even ranked when the season kicked-off (although,
the Clemson Tigers - the team UK beat in the Music City Bowl last year -
were)?
At first glance, most people would say our successes start
and perhaps end with quarterback André Woodson (according to some, "First-name apostrophes are the new
Heisman pose") and you wouldn't get much of an argument because his 5-game
stat line is pretty damn gaudy:
Attempts/Completions: 112 -167 for a 67% completion
rate. He's also thrown for 1309 yards and 16 touchdowns with only one
interception.
However, UK's
offense is much more than Dre, although having him deliver the ball to the
under-appreciated skill players helps immensely. While we are on the
subject of passing, let's look at who Woodson throws the ball to and where they
rank among other SEC leaders:
Keenan Burton
Yes, I am the flagship member of the number 19 fan club, but my affections are
deserved. Burton
is second in the SEC in receptions a game (6 - behind Vandy's Earl Bennett) and
is fifth in receiving yards a game (84.4). However, in the all-important
receiving touchdown category, Burton
is tied for first with five. He also has a two-point conversion
reception.
Dicky Lyons, Jr
Because Burton gets a truckload of the defense's attention, Lyons and Steve Johnson split time as the
number two and number three receivers. Both
options are exceptional at what they do. Lyons' 23 receptions put him in the
SEC top-10 for receptions a game. Lyons also has
three touchdown catches, two behind league-leader Burton, and is also quick with quotable
utterances. When asked about his feelings about just-defeated Louisville a few weeks
ago, he offered these emphatic thoughts:
Stevie Johnson
UK’s other "second"
receiver, Johnson let the world know about him with his awesome game-winning
touchdown catch against rival Louisville,
but he hasn't stopped there. He had a
big game against Arkansas
and had a nifty touchdown catch against Florida Atlantic. Currently, Johnson has 16 catches for 297 and
4 touchdowns, putting him right behind Burton
for overall SEC leadership in the touchdown reception category.
Can't forget about Jacob
Tamme either. The preseason 1st team
SEC tight-end has performed just like you would expect: dependable, catches everything thrown to him
and he's a hard player for opposing linebackers to cover. I expect to see Tamme playing on Sundays next
year (think Jason Witten).
However, UK
offense attack is not limited to the passing game, as much as the world would
have you believe. The Cats can actually
run the ball as well, giving opponents a balanced attack that’s really hard to
scheme for. Observe:
Sitting in 3rd with the current SEC rushing leaders is Rafael Little. In just 82 rushing attempts (in one less game,
Darren McFadden has 105 attempts), Little has amassed 542 yards rushing and 3
touchdowns. For those of you not into
math, that's 6.7 yards a carry… and Little has a stable of help that goes by the names of Tony Dixon, Alfonso Smith and true freshman Derrick Locke (remember him, Hog fans?).
Dixon is averaging 8.1 yards a carry with 3
touchdowns, while Smith and Locke are averaging 7.9 and 7.5, respectively.
Furthermore, it would be remiss of me if I forget about
fullback John Conner (where's
Reece?We need to save SARAH!!!!!!!) who
has four touchdowns, two rushing and two receiving… not to mention, he'll block
the hell out of you if you happen to get caught in his clear-the-way-for-Little
path.
Be warned, UK’s
success isn't all offense and no defense either, a lament that last year's team
wore very well on many occasions. Case
in point, the leading tackler in the SEC is one Wesley Woodyard with 58, 12 more than the next player. Not only that, but UK’s team defense has been
holding their own as well… except when it comes to defending the run, but a
great deal of that came from the two-headed monster in Fayetteville.
Furthermore, UK
was ranked almost dead last in the NCAA when it came to defense last year. This year, they check in at an
almost-respectable 69th, 50 spots higher than they were 2006.
Before the season started, I said if UK can improve
their defense only slightly, they would have an opportunity to turn some heads
and so far, they have. However, most
don’t believe UK
is anywhere near deserving of its ranking, something I understand but still
take umbrage with.
A lot of these complainers are acting like UK came out of
nowhere this year, which tells me they weren't really paying attention last
year, except to their own teams and now that UK is prominent on a national
level (at least for this week), people are acting like we've done nothing to
deserve it.
Nothing at all.
To which I say: Bull####. UK has one of
the best offenses in the NATION and a defense that plays hard and does just
enough to give the offense an opportunity to win. We've already won two games every pundit in America expected us to lose, but yet, the argument that UK hasn't played anybody still remains.
I'm sorry, didn't everyone pick us to lose to UofL and Arkansas? What happens when UK beats them? UK still hasn't done anything yet... except, of course, win the two games a large majority didn't think they could.
However, this is another pointless argument because the opportunity for UK to prove themselves - again - presents itself a number of times throughout the year... none more, however, than the next three games, which sees UK go against South Carolina
(THURSDAY NIGHT, BOYS AND GIRLS), LSU (you know, the number 1 team in the
country), and that one team from Gainesville.
Obviously, these next three games are a
murder's row and UK
is going to have to play their best ball to go 1-2 in these match-ups. However, if the impossible continues to
happen and UK
actually WINS ALL 3, they deserve the number 1 ranking in the country.
And no, I did not stutter there. I did say NUMBER 1.
Stay tuned. Until later, GBB!!!
* Not really on both of those forevers; it just feels that
way…
Sorry for the lack of Cat posts this week -- duties at work prevented some day post (something they want me to do when I have time)... although, judging by the amount of responses to the Hope Solo post, maybe I should switch to covering women's soccer. ;)
Anyway, the Cats rolled over the Howard Schnellenberger-led Florida Atlantic Owls by the score of 45-17. Leading the way for the Cats was Heisman hopeful, André Woodson, who was
26-33 for 303 yard and 5 touchdowns, a career high. Alas, as awesome as Dré was, his streak of pass attempts without an interception ended in the second half when he threw an errant pass that was corralled in by Tavious Polo.
FWIW, Polo -- a freshman -- leads the nation with seven interceptions, meaning it takes the best to beat the best. Dré's streak ends with 325 attempts without an interception, obliterating the old record of 271, which was held by Trent Dilfer.
Also, it's kind of satisfying on the day his no-interception streak ends, he passes for his career high in touchdowns. That's a give-and-take I don't mind witnessing. Not only was Dré spectacular, his pass distribution was as well. Four of his five TDs went to four different receivers, further demonstrating just how potent the UK offense has become.
Not to be forgotten in all the André Woodson hype is the workman effort by running back Rafael Little. Little carried the ball 20 times for 117 yards. He continues to pace the Cats and SEC while making sure opposing defenses can't dial in on the passing attack.
Balance is good.
Keenan Burton Watch Number 19 was his normally-spectacular self, delivering 6 carries for 100 yards and a sick 34-yard touchdown catch. If you read this blog, you are well aware of my affection for Burton. I will unabashedly call him the best receiver in the SEC and performances like this -- fresh of his dominant second half against Arkansas -- make my argument for me. He's not just another horse in a stable of thoroughbreds, he's the leader of said stable.
More on this subject later this week. Meanwhile, enjoy the pics from his awesome touchdown:
Other thoughts For some reason, the defense was getting an amount of criticism I didn't expect. They held the Owls to seven second-half points, and those came in the fourth quarter after a long kick-off return. Personally, I don't think they played all that badly against a team that put 42 on Minnesota, twelve more than the "almighty" Ohio State...
Kudos to sophomore linebacker Micah Johnson. He led the Cats with nine tackles and an interception that was returned for UK's final touchdown. Nicely done, Micah. BTW, don't sleep on the UK linebacking corps. Led by Wesley Woodyard, they've identified themselves as a legitimate force in the SEC.
Oh yeah, in light of all the upsets today, many of the pundits are saying UK is a top-5 team. On a national scale. The first to make this declaration was ESPN's Mark May... I'm kinda speechless. More on this tomorrow.
Oh yeah, the Lones Seiber kicking experience continued its herky-jerky ride today. While UK's placekicker looks like he's FINALLY over his extra-point woes, his field goal kicking is suspect. He missed BADLY on a 42-yarder to end the first half, but looked pretty competent on a 33-yarder in the second half. I'm just waiting for the day a game comes down to the feet of Seiber. I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep my sanity...
Up next for the Cats: a Thursday night showdown with Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks. ESPN will be hosting the festivities. Coach Superior has never lost to Kentucky. Now would be a great time to end that little streak. Kick-off is 7:30 pm and I'll probably be live-blogging it here at Fox Sports... Stay tuned.
"We have a lot of heart. We know what we came from, and we don't want to go back to those days."
-Steve Johnson
Those words, spoken Saturday after a grueling road win against the Arkansas Razorbacks, sum up the feelings of UK fans when it comes to UK Football. We all know what it's like to be a perennial underachiever and we, like Johnson, don't want to return. And while there's no guarantee this won't happen, I, for one, am going to enjoy it while it lasts.
They say act like you've been there before when it comes to celebrating sports. Well guess what? We haven't (not many of us anyway). Because of that, I really don't know how to act right now. So in the mean time, I'd like to apologize to anybody that's upset by the UK fanbase and our current level of glee.
Final Thoughts From the game-saving roughing the kicker call to the arrival of Derrick Locke, there were a number of things that stayed with me after the victory elation began to die down. For instance, Woodson's second touchdown pass to Burton was one of poise and guile. Dre's hard cadence made the Razorbacks jump and instead of taking a knee for the guaranteed five yards, Woodson lofted a beautiful pass between two defenders into the waiting arms of Burton (Early who?).
Of course, the play of Burton is another thing that stood out. After getting shut-out in the first half, Keenan came on in big in the second stanza with two TD catches and another end zone grab that successfully completed a two-point conversion. Big game, Keenan. Big game.
As I mentioned yesterday, UK's defense deserves all the accolades they get after Saturday's second-half performance. After being gassed for most of the second quarter, the Wildcat D came out after the break and gave every bit as good as they got. It's things like this that make UK fans want to believe a corner has been turned.
Play call of the night: after Arkansas turned the ball over on downs, still trailing by six points, the UK offense came out and looked like they were going to try to run the clock out on the ground. However, a play-action pass to Jacob Tamme, who was tackled at the 2-yard line, eliminated any hope for a Razorback miracle.
Play calling like that is key to successful programs. When you have a team down, bury them... and that's just what UK did with Woodson's pass to Tamme. Kudos to Joker Phillips and the rest of the UK offensive staff. Nicely done.
Of course, now the target on UK gets bigger. Because of Saturday's eye-opener, UK is now ranked 14th in the country, the highest they've been since 1977.
Welcome to the other side of the coin, Cats. Let's see how you respond.
Up next for the Cats is the Howard Schnellenberger-led Florida Atlantic Owls. In case you didn't know, Schnellenberger played for UK and coached UofL. He's also a member of the UK Ring of Honor. His return to the Commonwealth should be a celebration, at least until the game starts.
After that, a Thursday night meeting with the Ole' Ball Coach and his South Carolina Gamecocks. Spurrier has NEVER lost to UK. Now would be a good time to change that.
Being a UK Football fan, has never been an easy path to travel.
There are so many examples to cite here, I could write a month worth of
posts dissecting the different levels of disappointment. However, is
the light at the end of the tunnel actually -- finally -- getting
nearer?
If last night was any indication, the answer is really
starting to look like a resounding yes. Last night, in front of a
74,000-plus energetic fans -- not to mention a team that had some
weapons previous UK teams have struggled with -- the University of
Kentucky football team went into Fayetteville, Arkansas and beat a team
many thought they wouldn't.
Proving the Colin Cowherds and Kirk
Herbstreits of the world wrong, UK took control of the game in the 4th
quarter, scoring 21 points while limiting the Razorbacks to a big, fat
zero. There were so many things that stood out to me during the game
last night, I'm not sure where to start... How about with UK's
much-maligned defense?
After letting the ridiculous duo of Felix
Jones and Darren McFadden RUN ALL OVER THEM IN THE FIRST HALF and
needing a Trevard Lindley fumble recovery touchdown away from being
potentially out of the game, UK came out in the second half and held
the Razorbacks scoreless -- save an 11-second (actual clock time)
9-point Hog explosion that could've buried the Cats.
Truthfully, Arkansas' second-half scores had nothing to do with the UK defense, so they did, in fact shut them out.
The
second half accolades don't stop there either. In the first half, both
McFadden and Jones surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark. Both players
finished the game 173 and 133, respectively. While they did give up a
lot in cumulative yards, their performance, especially in the half that
mattered elicited this response from McFadden:
"They were very physical... one of the most physical teams in
the SEC."
Leading
the way on this stalwart-like performance was, of course, Wesley
Woodyard, who had 17 tackles and a forced fumble. However, the defense
is not all Woodyard and not by a long shot. Lindley is a legit SEC
cornerback and his play at the end of the first half was huge.
Linebacker Johnny Williams and end Jeremy Jarmon had huge games as well.
Helping
the defensive cause was Arkansas quarterback Casey ####. For as good as
Jones and McFadden were, #### was as bad. If the Razorbacks had a
competent quarterback to go with their unfair backfield, they'd be
right in the middle of the LSU/USC/Florida talk as well... Sorry Hog
fans.
Woodson Breaks Record Andre' Woodson broke Trent Dilfer's D1 record of attempted passes without an interception in the second quarter last night. Woodson has now attempted 296 passes without being picked. The previous record was 271.
Woodson's play in the fourth quarter also helped lead the 21-point charge with a touchdown pass to Keenan Burton and rushing for another on a quarterback sneak. His numbers: 21-39 for 265 yards and 2 big touchdowns, both of which went to Burton.
Because of his play, Dre' has also found his name mentioned in the early Heisman conversation. For a good read on that very subject, check this post out.
Can I get a Derrick Locke?
In case you haven't heard of him, Derrick Locke is a true freshman running back who was forced into action in the fourth quarter when the first three-string running backs, Rafael Little, Tony Dixon, and Alfonso Smith, suffered various injuries. How did the freshman speedster respond? By rushing nine times for 48 HUGE yards and the other fourth quarter touchdown. Not only that, but on three of his first five or six runs, Locke took hits from the Arkansas defense that were worthy of being on "Jacked Up."
After these hits, Locke just got up and returned to the huddle. No jawing, no demonstrative return of the ball to referee or anything resembling that behavior. No, Locke just took the next hand-off and produced positive yards with his play.
The emergence of Locke tells me a couple of things: we are fine at running back and it's going to be fun to watch him and Smith grow and compete for carries. Figuring out who is going to be starting is going to be a great problem to have...
Keenan Burton watch After a zero receptions in the first half, Number 19 came out in the second half and almost immediately made his presence known by capping off a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown. The fun didn't stop there. In the fourth quarter, trailing 27-28, Woodson found Burton with a sweet toss between two defensive backs for a 32-yard go-ahead touchdown on a free play from an Arkansas offsides.
The penalty was declined.
With his two touchdown catches, Burton moved into second place in the all-time UK record books with 20. He trails leader Craig Yeast by 8.
OK, it's getting late and I'm going to stop here. I'll be back tomorrow with some closing thoughts and hopefully some pics or vids from the game. Thanks a million for all the comments in my last post. It was a great night to celebrate. ;)
Now we get to see just how well the University of Kentucky football team handles success, something that's not an everyday occurrence in the Commonwealth. After last Saturday's victory over arch-rival Louisville, UK Football has a nice little buzz about it. However, the Arkansas Razorbacks are eager to knock these good vibes out.
In an interesting twist, the ranked team in this match-up is not Arkansas. On Monday, UK found itself ranked 21st in country, the first time the football team has been ranked since 1984. The Hogs, on the other hand, found themselves outside of the Top-25 following their 38-34 loss to Nick Saban's Alabama rebuilding project -- a fact that undoubtedly fuels the Razorback fire as the Cats come to town.
On the surface, this match-up will probably be billed as Darren McFadden, the do-anything-and-everything running back for Arkansas against André Woodson... and this isn't necessarily wrong. If either team wants to succeed, their stars are going to have to play big. However, from a UK fan's perspective, the match-up I'm focusing on is the how UK defense does against McFadden, the deserved Heisman favorite.
Can Wesley Woodyard and company do anything to slow McFadden down; a task that so many different defenses have failed at (including LSU)? The short answer is if UK plays defense like they did the first half against Kent State two weeks ago, no, they will not be effective against McFadden (and I haven't even mentioned Felix Jones yet).
Hopefully, the UK defense understands the magnitude of the Arkansas running attack and just how damn effective it can be. You see, not only do the Razorbacks have the All-World McFadden; they also have Felix Jones, a fast, bruising back who will be making a claim for All-SEC in 08-09. When you add in the Razorback “Wildhog” formation where both backs are on the field with McFadden at QB, allowing him to pass, run, or hand-off, it’s easy to see why the UK defensive coaching staff is going to have its hands full.
As it stands, I’m expecting Woodyard to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 tackles... but that still won’t be enough to “stop” this tandem. Hopefully it’s just enough to contain them to the point where they don’t run all over the Cats.
When you consider the fact that the Razorback running game might be their best defense against UK’s offensive attack, it makes stopping the run even more important, especially if Arkansas’ secondary is still having trouble defending the pass.
By now, the UK offense is no longer a big secret. Coaches and teams alike know what the Cats are capable of doing when they have the ball and they are going to do their best to keep it out of Woodson’s hands. Armed with a bevy of receivers and a running game that often gets overlooked, UK is in a position to give as good as it gets when it comes to scoring the football.
While everybody is rightfully focusing on UK quarterback when it comes to giving praise, the UK running attack, led by Rafael Little, is awfully potent as well. If the Razorbacks get caught thinking the Cats are one-dimensional, Little, Dixon, Smith, and Connor will make some plays that will change the game. Of course, if Arkansas stacks the line to take away Little and company, Woodson will have a field day throwing the ball to Lyons, Johnson, Tamme, and of course, Keenan Burton. When scheming against UK’s offense, it’s almost a pick-your-poison type of strategy.
With all of that in mind, this game, like last week’s UK/UofL match-up, has the makings of another shoot-out. While I know the Cats can’t stop the Wildhog attack, I do think they are capable of making Arkansas pass the ball... although, considering Casey ####’s 3-touchdown performance against the Roll Sabans, I’m not sure if that’s the best option either. However, the Razorbacks will probably be missing receiver Marcus Monk, a fact that should help UK defend the pass. Of course, if worse comes to worse, Houston Nutt could line up McFadden in the flat and let Felix Jones throw him the ball.
As it stands, I don’t think either defense is going to have a lot of luck stopping either offense. Both teams will be able to score and score plenty. This match-up has all the ingredients for a, “whoever has the ball last wins” style of game. Can McFadden carry his team to victory over UK or will the Woodson/Little attack be too much for Hogs?
My prediction: I’m going with the same outcome I picked last week, with the same score.
UK – 45
Arkansas – 42
Other notes Even though he has a sprained ankle, Keenan Burton is expected to play tomorrow. Look for number 19 to give the Arkansas secondary trouble… and if they double team him, watch out for Lyons, Johnson, and Tamme.
Apparently, Lones Seiber will never get over his extra-point troubles. He missed one again on Saturday against UofL and had another one partially blocked (even though it made it through). I cannot understand this at all. He’s been money on field goals this year so this extra point #### needs to stop NOW.
I’ll be back tomorrow with a post-game write-up. Until then, GBB!!!
For his sterling performance against UofL Saturday, Dré also received the Sporting News College Player of the Week award to go with his SEC Player of the Week award. To quote the Guinness guy's, "BRILLIANT!!!!!"
Next up for the Cats - an angry Darren McFadden and the rest of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. Get your game face on.
Until later, GBB!!!
PS: Why the hell does Fox Sports have UK listed as the Lexington Wildcats? Is University of Kentucky Wildcats or just Kentucky Wildcats that hard to program into a Web 2.0 drop-down list?
