Barker named Starter Per KSR

wbryant316

Junior
Jun 9, 2005
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Warm up game against a Tomato Can, Dozens of fans will be there to watch. Then on to Louisville. This is the most unorganized group of people.
 
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JasonS.

All-American
Oct 10, 2001
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CHAMPCAT11

All-American
Jun 16, 2009
10,001
7,566
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Warm up game against a Tomato Can, Dozens of fans will be there to watch. Then on to Louisville. This is the most unorganized group of people.

I'm as down on this team as much as anyone but in this instance I think it's totally the right decision. Barker should be able to have a big game at home against a team that's way overmatched (if you can believe UK can overmatch any team) and at least get some reps in a real game situation. I assume Stoops will keep him in the game and won't pull him. Then we just have to take our chances against UL. Not a perfect scenario by any means but way better than letting Towles continue to unravel. Plus, I think the players will play harder for Drew.
 

wbryant316

Junior
Jun 9, 2005
39,743
313
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Here is my concern and two cents. I understand that a change needs to be made. There were at least 4 drops in that Vandy Game that he threw a great ball. Barker will play great against Charlotte but Louisville just as strong of a D as Vandy does. If the team will rally around Barker that is great but agree above the problem is Stoops and his unorganized coaching style.
 

screwduke

All-Conference
Mar 23, 2015
2,658
2,032
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This is the right move. Shouldn't have taken this long though. Win these next 2 with Barker and the bowl game (assuming we make one) then there will be some optimism going forward, but still plenty of questions.
 

Soupbean

All-American
Jan 19, 2007
5,945
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Here is my concern and two cents. I understand that a change needs to be made. There were at least 4 drops in that Vandy Game that he threw a great ball. Barker will play great against Charlotte but Louisville just as strong of a D as Vandy does. If the team will rally around Barker that is great but agree above the problem is Stoops and his unorganized coaching style.

This is my concern as well. Have to do with Drew at this point but it's going to put him in a real tough situation against UL. Last game, must win, against a D that absolutely ball hawks every throw. Drew's down fall at this point (and its not his fault as he hasnt' had time to work through it yet) is he's a little Farveesque in that he plays fired up and has a gunslinger mentality. That could lead to some pics against an aggressive defensive. I hope everyone doesn't give up on him if he does because again it takes time to work through and learn to manage that.

On the other hand if Drew is able to manage the pressure and his decisions and play well and pull one out against UL, look out because that will show huge potential going forward and could reignite this program. Just a lot of pressure on the kid.
 

dorkmeister

Junior
Oct 25, 2006
6,668
396
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I hope this brings the locker room back together. The last thing we need is a new starting QB with a divided team It looks like the players got who they wanted at QB. Now we just need to win 2 games with this decision. At least this will keep the fans coming back
 

CatDaddy4daWin

All-Conference
Dec 11, 2013
6,147
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I'm just curious what changed their minds so much that they went from having Towles in at the end because he had 'the hot hand' to immediately naming Barker the starter this week. Guys don't have a freakin clue.

Dawson hire is starting to look like Ron Hudson all over again. Luckily, Brooks manned up and changed direction. Hope that Stoops has the ballz to do this as well. We cannot go through another offensive year like this next year. There is talent on that offense and they are not being utilized by really terrible, predictable playcalling.
 
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Crushgroove

Heisman
Oct 11, 2014
7,331
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I'm just curious what changed their minds so much that they went from having Towles in at the end because he had 'the hot hand' to immediately naming Barker the starter this week. Guys don't have a freakin clue.
It's very simple. They know they're about to lose the fan base and they know why. This is a move to appease the fans and sell tickets. No other logical reason to explain this behavior.
 

jnewc2_rivals30628

All-Conference
Nov 22, 2006
6,564
3,919
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It had to be done and hopefully this will spark the team and maybe get Barker in a little bit of a rhythm, but as someone else said I still have questions as to whether it will fix Stoops' and Co. numerous coaching blunders and what appears to be (by far) the worst all around special teams in the nation.
 
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Mr Schwump

Heisman
Nov 4, 2006
29,563
23,097
18
Stoops needs to leave Dawson alone and let us see what he can really do. Go Cats!!

Very true, this is where the problem is folks.

Let's see what Barker can do but the first incompletion or INT he throws some here will be screaming for Phillips.
 
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Apr 1, 2011
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It's very simple. They know they're about to lose the fan base and they know why. This is a move to appease the fans and sell tickets. No other logical reason to explain this behavior.

Yeah, I wondered if this might be the case when I saw it on KSR.
 
Oct 1, 2001
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Mr. Barker has leadership and poise beyond Mr. Towles. That is not a knock on Pat's experience and ability, but a factor in this team's character. After all, Steve Spurrier didn't put a full court press on his recruitment of Drew for nothing.
 

Ugoff

Heisman
May 7, 2009
16,403
21,489
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Players will put out some effort, and we'll crush hapless Charlotte. People will cheer and call it progress, but the inmates are running the asylum.
 
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RR30

Heisman
Sep 15, 2013
65,291
44,587
113
That's why cries for dumping the OC and DC ASAP are goofy.

I think both should be let go. Neither are contributing towards recruiting, and both groups have regressed (again). At least the defense has (barely) improved statistically across the board.
 

jauk11

Heisman
Dec 6, 2006
60,631
18,638
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Stoops needs to leave Dawson alone and let us see what he can really do. Go Cats!!

It is really difficult not to say anything when you know everything and can fix everything. And no, I am not talking about everyone on here, some amazing knowledge in a lot of cases, but I think a lot of our posters only qualify as experts in their own mind. I try to support our coaches and particularly our PLAYERS as long as they are our coaches and players, but even I have to admit a lot of things have to change. I just hope experience will help a lot, but learning from your mistakes is a tough way to learn.

But I don't have the inside info to recommend wholesale changes and doubt if many on here do------and sometimes I think the least qualified on here are the most outspoken.

It also makes me wonder what they hope to accomplish, Stoops WILL be here next year whether he should be or not, and I think a lot of this speculation is harmful to the program and recruiting. No doubt a lot of our commits committed because of Stoops or one of the assistants, and while Stoops will be here next year a lot of commits have to be thinking that the assistant coach they wanted to play for won't be here.

I wonder what the very intelligent players Dad that posts at times has a thought on this, but then I really think he would be too wise to comment on this flustercluck.
 

Johnfarrel

All-American
Oct 9, 2001
5,239
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Hard to figure some folks. Got the QB change they wanted and still conplaining. The change was the right thing to do-now let's wait and see how it plays out.
 

JHB4UK

Heisman
May 29, 2001
31,836
11,258
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Stoops needs to leave Dawson alone and let us see what he can really do. Go Cats!!
Yeah that 2nd down from the 1 throw to nobody at all was brilliance. So was the fade route to the short side of the field to a doublecovered receiver resulting in an INT.
 

JHB4UK

Heisman
May 29, 2001
31,836
11,258
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Why bench him the rest of the game after the Int then?

This staff is very puzzling.
They definitely are puzzling. And frustrating. And infurating.

he was benched after the late 1st half 4th & 1 throw up the sideline to Bone, and the subsequent Vandy trickeration TD to make it 21-10. Only logic I can guess the coaches had was that it was more likely to overcome an 11 pt 2nd half deficit against an excellent defense with Towles than Barker. Maybe if we go into half 14-10 Barker stays out there.
 

Crushgroove

Heisman
Oct 11, 2014
7,331
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Yeah that 2nd down from the 1 throw to nobody at all was brilliance. So was the fade route to the short side of the field to a doublecovered receiver resulting in an INT.
To be fair, I thought I'd read that fade route was an audible by Towles.
 

BIGBLUEQ

Senior
Jun 22, 2003
1,321
549
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Very true, this is where the problem is folks.

Let's see what Barker can do but the first incompletion or INT he throws some here will be screaming for Phillips.

Hell, I was screamin' for Phillips last week against Vandy. He couldn't have done any worse that Towles and Barker.
 
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