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!!!

The season is FAR from over.

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:

"Number nine my ####..."

Apparently, Lyons is pretty prophetic as well.

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.

Until later, GBB!!!

"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?).

Woodson's heady play is what makes him so attractive to NFL teams. Just ask the Chicago Bear fan club (in the comments).

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.

Photo Courtesy of ESPN

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.

Until next time, GBB!!!!

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. ;)

Until later, GBB!!!

Thanks to 21 4th-quarter points, the University of Kentucky continued its feel-good ride by defeating the Arkansas Razorbacks in a TOUGH road game by the score of 42-29...

The majority of UK's 2nd-half damage was provided by Keenan Burton, who had 4 HUGE catches in the second half -- 2 that went for touchdowns and another that went for a 2-point conversion. Aiding UK's cause was Arkansas quarterback Casey #### who was 13-28 for 158 meaningless yards and 2 interceptions.

Much like last week, I'll be back tomorrow with a full write-up and all the pics you want to see. Before I go, I do wanna give a shout-out to my boss, Aaron Chronister, who is a big Arkansas fan:

HOW 'BOUT THEM CATS???!!!???

Until tomorrow, GBB!!!

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!!!

Notes from a one of the best victory hangovers I can recall since I've been watching sports (and that's a lot): Thanks for all the comments in last night's post celebrating the UK win, because believe me, that's exactly what I did.

UK's victory over the 9th ranked University of Louisville Cardinals helped slay some demons -- Devery Henderson and the demon who bestowed 30 years of futility against top-10 teams to name a couple. The outcome of the UofL game was, to me, more satisfying than UK's 96 NCAA Basketball Championship, and that's not just hyperbole talking.

Consider this, when the Cats won in 96, it had been 18 years since UK had cut the Final Four nets down. The football team hasn't beaten a top-10 team since 1977, and like I said earlier, that's a whopping 30 years between such victories. Besides, it's not like our basketball team wasn't successful in that 18 year period, we just couldn't finish the deal.

On the other hand, our football program (I say "our" because I went to UK), save for a couple of seasons here and there, has, well, sucked for lack of a better term. Anyway, enough of the fluff piece. What follows are some player highlights, things of interest and some wrap-up thoughts concerning UK's big win:

Andre Woodson
Dre had a fantastic game, throwing for 275 yards and 4 touchdown passes. He also extended his pass attempts without an interception streak to 257, now tops in the SEC. His performance against UofL, who was playing a lot better defense than they did against MTSU, cannot be understated. His TD passes to Conner, Tamme and of course Johnson were things of beauty. He took what the defense gave him and responded in a big way.

In fact, Andre's performance against UofL has led to a A####mp;T All-America Player of the Week award nomination... and even though it's only the 3rd week of the CFB season, people are starting to mention the word "Heisman" and "Woodson" in the same sentence. I'm going to leave that alone for a while because there are some BIG games left to play.

Rafael Little
Number 22 had a big, bruising game against the Cards. Little rushed 27 times for 151 yards and a big touchdown. Louisville had no answer for Little's powerful runs up the middle and if UK's passing game wasn't so effective, he would've had over 200 yards, easily. Not only that, but he was quite effective when he was asked to block during passing downs.

Little continues to perform like the best running back no one knows about. However, in a conference that features Darren McFadden, the oversight is understandable.

Wesley Woodyard
The captain of UK's defense had a commanding game delivering 13 tackles, a big pass break-up and a huge stop of UofL tight end Gary Barnidge at the 2 yard line on a HUGE 4th down play in the game's final quarter. Woodyard was all over the field and had a hand in just about every other stop of note.

In fact, the entire defense deserves credit because believe it or not, for a maligned unit like UK's defense to hold the high-powered Cardinals to 34 points is a victory unto itself -- a victory that was secured by Marcus McClinton's tackle of Harry Douglas at the Kentucky 11... of course, when the Brian Brohm's batted-down pass landed in Douglas' hands, the entire Commonwealth undoubtedly flashbacked to LSU and the aforementioned Devery Henderson. NOT THIS TIME!

Woodyard's post-game reaction says plenty about UK's victory:

"I was telling the guys I've lost this game the last three years, so I never got to touch that trophy before," UK's senior linebacker said. "It was great to finally get it."

Keenan Burton Watch
Playing on a sprained ankle, number 19 turned in one of his normally-brilliant games, catching 9 passes for 99 yards. Many of Burton's catches were of the acrobatic type, making his performance all the more impressive when you consider his injury. In 3 games, Keenan has 257 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns, 1st on the team.

Maybe someday, the Mel Kiper's of the world will recognize Keenan's ability.

Jacob Tamme
Tamme's touchdown catch in the 4th quarter was sick. He out-jumped Louisville's defender in the end zone and just made a great play. I can only hope UK continues to use one of the best middle-of-the-field threats in Division 1.

You can't stop Tamme. You can't even contain him!

Steve Johnson
I've had some fun with Johnson's traffic stop earlier in the season, but after Saturday's 2-touchdown performance, there's only one thing people want to talk about when his name is brought up: the 57-yard game-winning touchdown that took the crowd by storm.

Welcome to the UK history books Steve. You certainly deserve it.

Touchdown KENTUCKY!!!!!!!!!!

WTF Moments
The UK special teams played like garbage. They allowed a 100-yard kick-off return and Lones Seiber's extra-point struggles continued. He missed one and had another block... however, the blocked one actually made it over the uprights. Of course, these maddening struggles were magnified because Seiber was 2 for 2 on field goals, hitting from 36 and 31 yards.

Coach Brooks obviously shares this frustration because you could visibly see him telling Seiber to kick his extra points higher to prevent them being blocked. Now if he can just keep them from shanking to the right...

Another WTF moment came when UK had a 4th and 1 in the first half and decided to run the option. Going for the conversion was the smart choice because UK was on the UofL side of the 50. Using a slow-developing option to accomplish this goal was not. Please remove all option plays from the UK playbook.

Going Forward
UK cannot afford to let this victory go to their head. Next week, they have to take a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas to face a pissed-off Arkansas Razorback team who is coming off a tough loss against Nick Saban's Alabama team. I'm expecting an angry Darren McFadden to let out his frustrations against a UK defense that has had some interesting times with good running backs.

Can UK overcome their elation in time to prepare for hornet's nest that will be the Arkansas Razorbacks? If not, this Cloud-9 feeling will come to an end pretty quickly. Thankfully, we have an offense that can score on anybody. Let's hope they all come to play next Saturday.

Besides the Razorbacks, UK has a lot of tough games remaining on their schedule and if they really want this win over UofL to signify a turning-point for the football program, they have to capitalize on what they've started.

What do you think? Can UK continue forward or will they falter in the eyes of the SEC?

Until later, GBB!!!

It's almost time folks. It's almost time. You see, around this time of year, two Universities that are better known for their basketball programs take to the gridiron for what is becoming a very entertaining rivalry; so much so that neither school resorts to the "wait until basketball season" excuses anymore. Both fanbases want their team to win. Very badly.

UK fans no longer care if the UK basketball team has won three in a row against their old coach. No, they want the satisfaction of beating a very good UofL football team; a Cardinal team that has had their way with the Wildcats the last four years.

As for UofL fans, they obviously want their program to continue dominating the Cats on the football field. They want to keep that "Miles Ahead" mentality that ex-coach Bobby Petrino instilled in them, especially when it came to the rival Cats. There's also the idea that UK fans are arrogant and this is the Card fans' way of shutting us up.

But, will UofL's dominance over UK continue on Saturday?

This is a very good question; one that's kinda hard to answer from a non-biased fan point of view. Both teams are led by NFL-ready quarterbacks; UK with Andre Woodson and UofL with the deadly Brian Brohm. Both teams have great running games and ridiculously talented wide receivers.

Aside:

For some reason, Mel "Widow's Peak" Kiper STILL has LSU's Early Doucet as the best receiver in the SEC, with no mention of Keenan Burton anywhere... In fact, he's got Doucet ranked ahead of Woodson as an overall NFL prospect. Apparently, The Widow's Peak is in good with Doucet's handlers already (if you need reference to what I'm saying, just ask Chris Simms)...

/Aside

However, both teams have suspect defenses; a fact that could lead to a Playstation-type of final score... something like 73-70.

So what's going to happen? Right now, I have NO idea. I wouldn't be surprised if both UK and UofL scored every time they got the ball. Looking at the first two games each team has played, I just don't see a lot of defensive stops on Saturday, if any.

Based on that, I'm pretty serious about my above prediction of 73-70. Although, I don't know who's going to come out on the winning side of that margin... For what it's worth, the UK coaching staff thinks their best defense will be to keep UofL's offense off the field, an idea I can certainly get behind.

Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow with a more extensive look at Saturday's game, which has all the makings of being a very entertaining showdown.

Question:
What you would you rather watch? Michigan and Notre Dame -- two teams with 0-2 records, fighting for an incredibly entertaining 6-3 victory -- or two of the best quarterbacks and offenses in the nation go at it? Not much of decision if you ask me. ;)

Until later, GBB!

PS: I just discovered that Fox Sports has the UK team tag as "Lexington Wildcats" instead of "Kentucky Wildcats". Nicely done guys. Nicely done.

After a sluggish first half, the University of Kentucky Wildcats used a 42-point second half to dispatch a pesky Kent State team, 56-20. The Cats' second half performance was a sharp as the first half was uninspired. The UK defense began the game like they were hungover, while the offense, after scoring 14-first quarter points, looked like garbage in quarter number two.

These performances, combined with a 14-14 tie, prompted Coach Rich Brooks to rip his team during the half-time break. Apparently, both parties were listening.

The defense, which gave up 200-plus first half rushing yards, came out in the second half and started playing like a D1 team defense should, giving up only 6 points and a little over 100 yards on the ground. Senior linebacker Wesley Woodyard led the Cat defense with 15 tackles, including a crushing pass break-up.

The UK offense got in on the second half improvement project as well by putting 42 points on the board, including a 51-yard strike to one Keenan Burton (not a bad way to celebrate a newly-arrived Keenan Burton jersey if I say so myself). The Wildcat scoring attack was primarily provided by the ground game, which punched in an eye-opening six touchdowns.

The UK running attack again proved to be a potent balance to the Andre Woodson/Keenan Burton aerial attack. Leading the way on the ground was Rafael Little with 102 yard on 13 carries. UK also got a pleasant surprise from fullback John Connor, who had two carries for 21 yard and two touchdowns -- his first as a Wildcat.

Preseason AA Andre Woodson had a pedestrian game, going 15-22 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, one to Burton and one to Steve Johnson. Conversely, Dre was sacked four times and a couple of those were caused by him standing in the pocket too long. In brighter news, all of those sacks took place in the first half.

Kent State's successful first half could have been even more damaging to the Cats if they hadn't turned the ball over three times. The Golden Flashes only punted one time before the halftime break. Most troubling about UK's defensive performance was a great deal of Kent State's success came when their quarterback Julian Edleman broke containment and scrambled for big yards, meaning UK still can't stop running quarterbacks.

This must be addressed if we want to do anything successful against Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators... an idea that looks less and less likely.

Keenan Burton Watch
Keenan had a great game, catching the ball seven times for 109 yards and the aforementioned 51-yard touchdown strike. Burton's performance allowed him to continue his assault on the UK receiving record book:

Other Notes
Rafael Little passed the 2000 yard rushing/1000 yard receiving mark for UK, making him only the fourth person in SEC history to complete this accomplishment.

After struggling last week, UK place kicker Lones Seiber made all of his extra-point attempts against Kent State, hopefully signifying the end of his XP struggles. One certainly hopes so.

Next up for the Cats: Brian Brohm and Number 8-ranked The University of Louisville Cardinals. This has the makings of an absolute shoot-out, especially when you consider just how well each team's defense performed this weekend. I think it's safe to say UK's offense is better than Middle Tennessee State's and UofL's offense is better than Kent State's.

Should be fun. ;) Until later, GBB!

Last night, the University of Kentucky Wildcats kicked off their 2007 football season in style by dispatching their Division 1AA (actually, it's now the Football Championship Subdivision, which is one of the most unfortunately named sports designations. EVER.) foe, a feat, as the world now knows, the 5th-ranked Michigan Wolverines could not match.

Instead of struggling with their opening season slaughter lamb; the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, a neighboring school that's only 30 minutes from Lexington, the Cats had no problems putting a convincing 50 - 10 victory on the board. In a game that featured a great ground attack and steady play from preseason AA quarterback Andre Woodson, the Cats showed no signs of having a hangover from their new-found 2006 successes, a designation many UK football seasons don't get.

Woodson threw for 3 touchdowns while going an efficient 20-29 for 250 yards and no picks. The lone “dark spot” on last night performance was an under-throw of a wide-open Steven Johnson (the same Steve Johnson who had an interesting adventure earlier this week). Had Woodson made the throw, he would’ve had 4 touchdown passes.

The Cats passing attack kicked off the season with a #### with Woodson completing a 51-yard touchdown pass to Dicky Lyons, Jr on their first offensive play from scrimmage. From there, the rout was on… unlike our friends in Ann-Arbor.

However, the passing attack was not the star of yesterday’s beatdown. No, the game ball goes to the Cats under-appreciated three-headed running attack that features Rafael Little, Tony Dixon and Alfonso Smith, a set of weapons UK fans are not used to seeing. The 3 Amigos combined for 266 and 4 touchdowns.

Leading the attack was Rafael Little, who had 12 carries for 135 yards and a TD. His lone mistake was muffing a punt that led to EKU’s only touchdown. Dixon proved to be a great counter-punch to Little by providing 9 carries for 77 and 2 TDs. Closing out the rushing onslaught was Smith who had 7 carries for 53 yards and yet another TD.

Smith also had a receiving touchdown; indicating to the rest of the SEC that UK’s offensive attack isn’t just Woodson and his receivers. If you don’t pay attention to our running game, it’s gonna getcha. :)

In yet another bright spot, the defense showed up, forced some 3-and-outs and actually played like it belonged in the D1 conversation (not to be outdone by the FCS, D1 is now called the Football Bowl Subdivision, making my above declaration incorrect. This is the stupidest title for a sports designation...). Sophomore Micah Johnson led the attack with 7 tackles and a pass deflection that led to an interception.

All-in-all, the EKU gamed served as a good starting point for the 2007 season that sees UK play a brutal schedule. The season gets in gear in two weeks when the explosive Louisville Cardinals and Brian Brohm come to town for their annual shoot-out; an affair the Cards have had the upper-hand in as of late. /understatement

However, if the Cats get caught looking ahead to the Card game, they’ll get smacked in the mouth by their next opponent, Kent State — the same Kent State that went into Ames, Iowa and smacked Iowa State in the mouth. Next week’s game against the Golden Flashes kicks off at 6pm EST. Make sure you get to Commonwealth early for your tailgating activities.

Keenan Burton Watch
Number 19 was playing on a non-100% leg because of a practice scrape/bruise and he still had a productive game. His line: 5 catches for 49 yards and a TD. With Saturday’s haul, Keenan is now one catch away from tying Derek Homer for fourth on UK’s all-time receiving list. He’s also needs 60 yards for 3rd place on UK’s career receiving yardage list. Looks like 2007 will be the season Keenan re-writes a great deal of UK’s receiving record book.

WTF People?
What the hell is going on with Lones Seiber, UK’s place-kicker? He MISSED an extra-point, while having another one BLOCKED. Performances like these can cost teams in close games. He has to do better or it’s the sidelines for Lones.

In brighter news, Sieber tied his career long FG make by hitting a 48 yarder in the first quarter. This makes his extra-point performance all the more frustrating. Thankfully it didn’t come back to haunt UK like Michigan’s place-kicking did against Appalachian State (who is HOT, HOT, HOT... make sure you watch the video). I just hope he got that stuff out of his system because if he didn’t, Coach Brooks will have a decision to make, and quickly.

This was a good start Cats. Keep it up.

Until next time, GBB!

For me, this is a rhetorical question, but I'm curious as to what other CFB fans think. If you've followed my beginning posts, it's easy to tell I am a big fan of number 19, but am I putting him on too high of a pedestal? Well, let's take a look at the numbers and see what they say.

Here is a list of last year's SEC receiving YPG leaders, except for players that either graduated or moved on:

RECEIVE YDS/GAME Team Cl G Rec Yds TD Long Avg/C Yds/G

2. Earl Bennett........ VU SO 12 82 1146 6 77 14.0 95.5
3. DJ Hall............... UA JR 12 62 1056 5 78 17.0 88.0
4. Sidney Rice......... SC SO 13 72 1090 10 46 15.1 83.8
5. Keenan Burton..... UK JR 13 77 1036 12 73 13.5 79.7
7. Tony Burks.......... MS JR 12 35 850 5 78 24.3 70.8
9. Marcus Monk....... AR JR 14 50 962 11 56 19.2 68.7
10.Kenny McKinley... SC SO 13 51 880 5 44 17.3 67.7

As you can see, Vandy's Earl Bennet is the returning leader, however, Burton has twice as many touchdowns has Bennet does... In fact, Burton is the leading touchdown reception leader in the SEC and that includes the now-departed, first round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints: Robert Meachem, who led UT with 11 TD receptions last year... but that's still one less than Burton.

In this year's pre-season All-SEC Team, Burton was left off in favor of Bennet and LSU's Early Doucet. While the Bennet selection is acceptable and justifiable, the fact the Doucet was picked over Burton is kinda shocking.

Last year, Doucet -- who was also a junior -- posted these receiving numbers: 59 receptions, 772 yards and 8 touchdowns -- certainly a productive season; but these numbers pale when compared to Burton's 77 recpts, 1036 yrds and 12 TDs (not to mention a 100-yard kickoff return against U of L).

Not only that, but Burton was third in the SEC for kick return average, a top-ten list Doucet didn't even make.

After comparing the numbers, the question is why was Doucet picked over Burton? My answer is this: LSU is a much more attractive team than UK is, especially on a national scale and it's a deservedly so situation. However, just because you have the better program (what about basketball though? ;) doesn't mean your lead receiver is automatically better than UK's...

If anything, Alabama's DJ Hall deserves to be there over Doucet as well.

Of course, like they say, pre-season lists don't mean much. It's the post-season All SEC teams you are looking to make and if Keenan duplicates or exceeds his junior year output, the voters will have a hard time keeping him off of the 1st team list... and maybe even the national one.

Oh well, isn't this what the last two weeks before CFB starts are for? To debate whether or not player A is better than player B and so on? Good thing we don't have a long time to wait until we find out what's what... Before I end this post, I'll leave you with a highlight video that goes a long way in supporting my position.

Introducing number 19, KEENAN BURTON.

Until later, GBB