Cats lose as expected; performance unbelievably bad

[UKErik]

*My first thought....for the love of God, please don't accept a bowl bid. I can't imagine any bowl would want Kentucky, but there's allegedly a chance. Yeah yeah, UK gets 15 practices. So? They've been practicing since August. The result? UK's offense is 100% inept. UK's defense can't defend anything. Call me crazy, but I'm not totally sure Kentucky is even practicing NOW!

*I said earlier this week that I had no confidence in Shannon Dawson preparing Barker for this game. I guess the crystal ball was working that day. Barker couldn't have played worse had he wanted to. As I type this, Louisville has more kickers on their team than Barker has passing yards in the 2nd half. Actually, the number of women on U of Ls team exceeds Barkers 2nd half passing yardage.

*Speaking of Shannon Dawson, what a joke. The 3rd and 12 play when SECN showed the all-22 view showed a play that was dead before the snap. Ball was on the right hash. Two WR's on each side of the formation. UK ran the two left guys outside the numbers and deep (in other words, out of the play). The two right side guys were in the same spot and seemed to almost collide. Often this season, UK has seemed to have nobody open. It's tough to criticize Dawson because we don't see the entire field, but his pass concepts must be deficient.

*LOL at UK defending the read option.

*On a day when Louisville did all they could do help UK jump out to an insurmountable lead, Kentucky said no thanks. The Cats led 24-7, but it probably should have been more like 35-7.

*The Cards have five straight wins in this series. With Petrino at Louisville, that streak could extend into double digits. Folks, Petrino's team GAVE Kentucky opportunity after opportunity today. They spotted Kentucky a three touchdown lead......and the Cardinals won going away.

*In general, the game wasn't very competitive. If you watch the replay and go snap by snap, U of L won FAR more snaps than Kentucky. FAR MORE!!!! Cards TO's gave UK hope on a day in which they were hopefully outclassed.

*Congrats to the Cards and their fans on owning this series. Louisville has had the Governor's Cup since 2011, and they won't be giving it back anytime soon.

GBB!!!

 

[Catz92]

Stoops and the program are done for quite a while-very sad

 

[Krisys]

This coaching staff is a joke. They are so inept im amazed they're able to tie their shoes without getting dizzy. Fire the entire ******* staff and hand a blank check to someone worth a damn or shut this mess down for good.

 

[UKWinsAgainYep]

Just shut down the program. I've been watching this for 30 years.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Yeah, as scary as it is to say...the final score was not indicative of the level UL dominated the game overall. I'm sure we will see the same posters making the same delusional predictions in 2016 though. Hope springs eternal for whatever reason on this board. We play @AL, @UT, @FL and @UL...4 sure losses before we een take a snap next year. Does anyone think Stoops will win 6 of the other 8? I have my doubts.

 

[devils58]

Erik, until uk hires a legit ball coach it'll never change. Stoops and his staff are the worst in game coaches in the SEC

 

[screwduke]

No way this coming recruiting class sticks. Not a f******chance. If I were drake I'd be considering going to a real program with non grade school coaches.

 

[domino79]

All systems failure. The only spectacular thing about this program and staff is how they lose. Give you enough hope, then fail in extraordinary fashion.

 

[jnewc2_rivals30628]

Excuses that we'll soon start to hear from sunshine pumpers in the offseason:

"Guys, he just needs more time!"

"Our schedule is tough! No one would win more than 5 against our schedule!"

"Everything will be better if we get rid of the assistants! It's not Stoops' fault his guys can't coach!"

 

[gamecockcat]

Absolutely no adjustments in the second half. Kept running the same basic set of plays even though they were going nowhere time after time. Defense has never been taught how to defend read option. What exactly do they do in practice- teach them how to hold?

 

[ukalum1988]

^^ Sadly Erik, you pretty much nailed it. Yet another epic all systems failure.

Not much else to say

 

[katwest]

:flush:

 

[4UK]

No way this coming recruiting class sticks. Not a f******chance. If I were drake I'd be considering going to a real program with non grade school coaches.

Honestly, for their sake, I hope the do get a chance to go somewhere else. I don't ever want to see a kid's dream crushed, and this program is dead.

 

[The_Godfather_rivals]

Who in their right minds will fork over any money for those suites next season?

UK is about to finally hit the IU level of football fandom in that people will just completely tune out even when the team might be decent.

 

[Cats_2010]

Sadly I called a two TD victory for UofL when UK was up 24-10.....Louisville mistakes gave us the lead but there was not much I was seeing I liked on offense or defense once Jackson got going. Unbelievable we have a staff that cannot prepare a defense to stop a dual threat QB and Jackson as good as he is running is at this stage a very poor passer. I have no faith is stoops or his staff...wish somehow we could keep marrow for recruiting and bring in another whole new staff....this staff SUCKS and to even call them a coaching staff is an insult to the term.

I am done with have any expectations for this program and my expectations were never very high. Mostly would just like to see a well coached team who gives their all and plays fundamentally sound football and is competive. I fully expect next years team to win anywhere from 3-5 games once again. 6 wins will be unattainable. Thanks stoops and staff......thanks for nothing!!!!

 

[screwduke]

Honestly, for their sake, I hope the do get a chance to go somewhere else. I don't ever want to see a kid's dream crushed, and this program is dead.

Schlarman is the worst o line coach I've ever seen. I wouldn't want Drake to be coached by that clown.

 

[Dallas-Wild]

Erik you knocked it out of the park brother.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

And yet folks keep shelling their money and keep going. And on top of all that, the AD gives the head coach an extension.
Barnhart needs to go along with the whe football staff. UK needs to get on the next plane to Philly and give Chip Kelly a blank check. But, they won't.

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

Excuses that we'll soon start to hear from sunshine pumpers in the offseason:

"Guys, he just needs more time!"

"Our schedule is tough! No one would win more than 5 against our schedule!"

"Everything will be better if we get rid of the assistants! It's not Stoops' fault his guys can't coach!"

I find that hard to believe. I'm what you'd call a sunshine pumper but I'm absolutely done defending this pathetic staff. They are literally a couple plays away from being 2-10 this year.

It hurts so much because I love football and want to see us win so bad. But I'm afraid as long as Mitch is in control it's just not gonna happen. Giving the extensions he did just shows how stupid he is and doesn't have the right mentality to be an AD. He cares too much about hurting people's feelings or being right. Overall he's been a good AD but with regards to football he's made one good hire, Brooks, and that was more by accident than anything.

We will never see a better schedule than this year. No reason a good coach couldn't have won 7 or 8 games, heck maybe even 9, with the talent on this team. There is talent here now, but it has been so mismanaged, they barely beat freaking EKU.

Next year is going to be ugly. It would not surprise me to several of our best players transfer. Schedule is much harder. Probably looking at a 3 or 4 win season unfortunately. Then we get to start over again. Or maybe Stoops gets a 5th year and this continues to drag on.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

And yet folks keep shelling their money and keep going. And on top of all that, the AD gives the head coach an extension.
Barnhart needs to go along with the whe football staff. UK needs to get on the next plane to Philly and give Chip Kelly a blank check. But, they won't.

LOL. Why would he come here? If he gets fired he can go to the USC Trojans, Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers or even the TN Titans in the NFL with Mariota...which all can outbid or match UK football's offer except Miami probably.

 

[Catfan in Tn.]

Erik, until uk hires a legit ball coach it'll never change. Stoops and his staff are the worst in game coaches in the SEC

That was proven before the half. Poor clock management and I thought that Stoops was going to pee his pants for being so excited for getting the 3 when we should have had a td.

 

[Mr Schwump]

FWIF, my season record pick was 5-7 so on face value I shouldn't be surprised. But I didn't anticipate so many routs by unranked teams or such total incompetence in all areas. I actually thought they'd be competitive...silly me. For the second straight year a UL third team QB, that's a THIRD TEAM QB, accounted for over 300 total yards vs Stoops D. Don't know if that's ever happened.

On the plus side, we've finally gotten rid of about all vestiges of Joker's program. On the minus side we apparently have a long list of players waiting to take their place. This program, that showed promise, has sunken to yet another low.

 

[UK90]

Just shut down the program. I've been watching this for 30 years.

Only 30? Then you're lucky, that means you missed fun times like the 0-11 season in 82. I've been watching for closer to 40 years and, trust me, it does not get any better the longer you go back in time (unless you're willing to go back to a few years in the 1940s).

UK football is the never-ending nightmare. Sincerely starting to think the program is just plain cursed. But thank god for basketball.

 

[Jgreenewpb_rivals17209]

UKErik, I think Stoops and Barnhart are in over their heads. Let's look at the key coordinators and assistants that have been hired. Just not enough experience IMO to make this a first class football program. Congrats to Louisville for at least getting an EXPERIENCED defensive coordinator. Seems to me that Barnhart and the administration continue to shackle the football program with mediocre assistants, inadequate recruiting budgets, etc. After this season, I see little reason to keep most of the assistants and honestly even the coordinators. No proof that either coordinator can compete in the SEC. Might be a good recruiting staff but they are not getting results from the players. Hoping like hell we have some players that were redshirted that might make next season worth watching. Tired of seeing players on the field looking to the sidelines and each other not knowing what to do. Sheesh!! What I would give to have Coach Brooks here....

 

[UK90]

For the second straight year a UL third team QB, that's a THIRD TEAM QB, accounted for over 300 total yards vs Stoops D.

That is nuts. Maybe next year UL will beat us with a random kid pulled off a local intramural team starting at QB.

 

[KY1WING]

Just shut down the program. I've been watching this for 30 years.

Look back ... It wasn't that long ago that both WKU and UL were ready to shutter their programs. Maybe it takes that to do what it actually takes to field a viable program.

 

[kt4dores]

Stoops and his staff are the worst in game coaches in the SEC

Mason and company say S'up

 

[Deeeefense]

Now that we have that settled, the question becomes, where do we go from here? Stoops absolutely cannot keep this same staff together for another season. You simply cannot have a coaching staff that watches the opposing QB run essentially the same play for chunk yardage repeatedly for an entire half and do NOTHING to attempt to stop it. That is incompetence purely and simply - and there is a lot more I can fill a page up with but that's the obvious and most egregious one. The situation with the OC is a bit murkier although I know other members will strongly disagree with that.

What I think is essential are the following:

1. Replace Elliot - DJ is a nice fellow and a was a good line coach but he is way over his head as a DC.
2. Hire a dedicated QB coach to work with the QBs. If that's a new OC/QB coach fine, if not they will have to find room for him becasue our QBs are just poorly coached.
3. Give the new DC responsibility for linebackers, replace Buh with a special teams coach

I think Stoops is still smart and competent enough to fix this mess but he cannot do it by maintaining the status quo

 

[crazyqx83_rivals88013]

this program is absolutely awful. we cant even beat a team at home who cannot even compete in the acc. fold the program.

 

[Anjiejo]

I've been saying for a long time that coaching is more important here than recruiting. Now that doesn't mean recruiting isn't important, but if you can't develop them you will be exposed.
In my opinion stoops has the recruiting ground (Midwest) to succeeded here.Now he needs to put a staff together that can win..Head coaching is more getting people in the right position to be successful then being able to coach up players. So stoops success will depend on him putting a staff together that can coach/develop along with recruiting.
On one hand you don't want to change coordinators all the time and on the other hand you also can not be as poor as we have been.
If stoops doesn't make changes then i he needs to go when they go.. You can't ignore the complete disaster in the Eku/vandy/ul and even ull games.You can't blame talent in those games.
I would like for stoops to make changes then go and buy a bowl game if at all possible simply to get a jump for next season with the new oc. Go away from the air raid if you aren't running it anyway. Hire someone like coley keep Dawson as qb coach and get a oline coach that can develop our lineman...
Also he needs a experience dc who he can trust and let him run the def.move eliot to dline if you have to. If its not working you have to make changes to imporve it.
p.s. Also need to take a very serious look at our off season program..right now it looks bad..

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

LOL. Why would he come here? If he gets fired he can go to the USC Trojans, Miami Hurricanes, LSU Tigers or even the TN Titans in the NFL with Mariota...which all can outbid or match UK football's offer except Miami probably.

True, but maybe Kelly would like to turn UK into a true contender like he did Oregon.

 

[Anjiejo]

I've been saying for a long time that coaching is more important here than recruiting. Now that doesn't mean recruiting isn't important, but if you can't develop them you will be exposed.
In my opinion stoops has the recruiting ground (Midwest) to succeeded here.Now he needs to put a staff together that can win..Head coaching is more getting people in the right position to be successful then being able to coach up players. So stoops success will depend on him putting a staff together that can coach/develop along with recruiting.
On one hand you don't want to change coordinators all the time and on the other hand you also can not be as poor as we have been.
If stoops doesn't make changes then i he needs to go when they go.. You can't ignore the complete disaster in the Eku/vandy/ul and even ull games.You can't blame talent in those games.
I would like for stoops to make changes then go and buy a bowl game if at all possible simply to get a jump for next season with the new oc. Go away from the air raid if you aren't running it anyway. Hire someone like coley keep Dawson as qb coach and get a oline coach that can develop our lineman...
Also he needs a experience dc who he can trust and let him run the def.move eliot to dline if you have to. If its not working you have to make changes to imporve it.
p.s. Also need to take a very serious look at our off season program..right now it looks bad..

And what I mean by (head coach is more about putting a staff together than coaching up players) is there is no way a head coach has time to coach more than one position...therefore its critical to have very good assistance.. That's one reason I think coach cal is so successful.. All your successful coaches have great assistance in place.. Most successful businesses are because of great staff hires..

 

[RUPPsRevenge1]

But we beat them in recruiting. Doesn't that count on the scoreboard?

 

[yoshukai]

Mason and company say S'up

Going into this season I would have agreed . Not now .

 

[Jon(-24)]

*My first thought....for the love of God, please don't accept a bowl bid. I can't imagine any bowl would want Kentucky, but there's allegedly a chance.


GBB!!!

By my count, 4 or 5 5-7 teams are getting in (4 if K-State beats WVU next week, 5 if they don't). I pray we're not one of em too. If we are, I'll watch, I'll get my hopes up thinking we can beat some po dunk 6-6 MWC team only to see us get railroaded out of the beef O brady's bowl or something equally embarrassing, but I got a feeling we're going bowling. Fans are sick and tired of this crap, but the fan base will travel better than Old Dominion. Our only hope in avoiding the embarrassment of being a 5-7 bowl team is the bowls left to choice from the losers are on the west coast and choose local teams.

My gut take on the 5-7 Bowl teams:

K-State (if they lose next week)
Nebraska
East Carolina
Kentucky
Minnesota

Mizzou's got a chance with Pinkel retiring

Buffalo, Rice and San Jose State might be picks if there's a bowl in NY, Texas or Cali left to pick between a local fan base that won't have to travel far and a bigger fan base being asked to travel for a disappointing team.

 

[Chuckinden]

Oh Lort!!! Don't let them invite us to a bowl. Just give us a participation trophy instead. It would be the same thing.

 

[Shavers48]

But we beat them in recruiting. Doesn't that count on the scoreboard?

And morality!!

 

[ukalum1988]

Oh Lort!!! Don't let them invite us to a bowl. Just give us a participation trophy instead. It would be the same thing.

Agreed. If MB/CMS have any self-respect, they would quietly request the bowl committees not to invite UK. First and foremost, we simply don't deserve a post-season game.

The only remotely positive aspect of going to a bowl would be the extra practices, but even that is dubious. After all, we've been practicing all season and getting worse as we go (not counting Charlotte), so with the same staff, etc. why should we expect a better result?

 

[Jon(-24)]

Agreed. If MB/CMS have any self-respect, they would quietly request the bowl committees not to invite UK. First and foremost, we simply don't deserve a post-season game.

The only remotely positive aspect of going to a bowl would be the extra practices, but even that is dubious. After all, we've been practicing all season and getting worse as we go (not counting Charlotte), so with the same staff, etc. why should we expect a better result?

Mitch and Stoops would spin a bowl as progress even when it's obvious it isn't. Both are losing support rapidly, I think they would both be more likely to beg to play in the BFE bowl than request not to be considered.

 

[UKCatNnc]

Thanks again UKErik. I am also with you on this one. The football team needs some good coaching. They lack a lot of football fundamentals that good coaches would have instilled in them. I hope we don't go to a bowl game. I don't want to suffer through another embarrassment this year. Take care.