Early UK Game Talk

[SpotHogCard]

I know it's early but some of the things but here are some of the things I think need to do to beat UK.


Stop the run, stop the run, stop the run. if we can force Levis to pass the ball, there is a good chance we can get a pick or two.

Creative running game, CSS is good at that.

DO NOT "turtle up"

Please don't go to the "prevent you from winning" defense.

Spy Levis

I don't think we will get a lot of pressure on the QB, so gap control becomes a priority

When Rodriguez .runs the ball, strip it if possible, he is prone to fumblitis.

Their CBs are slow and bad, get one one matchups with motion as often as possible.

When they are caught playing zone D, pass the ball out of the backfield, or motion into a jailbreak screen.

 

[CardsFirst]

I know it's early but some of the things but here are some of the things I think need to do to beat UK.


Stop the run, stop the run, stop the run. if we can force Levis to pass the ball, there is a good chance we can get a pick or two.

Creative running game, CSS is good at that.

DO NOT "turtle up"

Please don't go to the "prevent you from winning" defense.

Spy Levis

I don't think we will get a lot of pressure on the QB, so gap control becomes a priority

When Rodriguez .runs the ball, strip it if possible, he is prone to fumblitis.

Their CBs are slow and bad, get one one matchups with motion as often as possible.

Pass the ball out of the backfield.

Doesn’t hurt that we have a couple extra days to prepare

 

[PHCARD]

I would like to kick Duke a$$ first....then I can move on to KY. But I love their 3 (4 counting Mizz) game pansy a$$ schedule to get themselves to 6+.

 

[SpotHogCard]

I would like to kick Duke a$$ first....then I can move on to KY. But I love their 3 (4 counting Mizz) game pansy a$$ schedule to get themselves to 6+.

I don't think Duke is a threat. They are awful in every phase of the game.

I think Male could beat them honestly.

 

[PHCARD]

I don't think Duke is a threat. They are awful in every phase of the game.

I think Male could beat them honestly.

And I know that too. Just doing coach speak. You know the fans have moved past and onto the rival game, but you sure as heck don't want the players moving on mentally either. A "W" has a purpose.

 

[LeFors4Ever]

I don't think Duke is a threat. They are awful in every phase of the game.

I think Male could beat them honestly.

But their coach is retiring and the "win one for the gipper" games always scare me to death!

 

[Morgantown Card]

But their coach is retiring and the "win one for the gipper" games always scare me to death!

Duke may be terrible this year, but they have a great coach - which may factor in should Satterfield go into "prevent us from winning" mode in the 2nd half. Plus the game is on the road, PLUS the whole "gipper" concept you mentioned. So I agree, the staff & team can't get all cocky and overlook Duke just because they boatraced a ****** Syracuse team a few days ago. IMO, a 19 point spread is insanity given how inconsistent this Cardinal team has been this year.

 

[SpotHogCard]

I understand, but we are fans. Our conversations have zero bearing on team preparation or game planning.

 

[Morgantown Card]

I understand, but we are fans. Our conversations have zero bearing on team preparation or game planning.

Haha yes! We can talk about 5 years from now if we want to.

 

[LeFors4Ever]

Duke may be terrible this year, but they have a great coach - which may factor in should Satterfield go into "prevent us from winning" mode in the 2nd half. Plus the game is on the road, PLUS the whole "gipper" concept you mentioned. So I agree, the staff & team can't get all cocky and overlook Duke just because they boatraced a ****** Syracuse team a few days ago. IMO, a 19 point spread is insanity given how inconsistent this Cardinal team has been this year.

And just our history of highs and lows worries me lol

2019
Blown out 10-45 by Clemson, then beat UVA 28-21, then lose 27-52 at Miami, 2 strong wins against NC State & Cuse, then blown out by sUcKs

2020
Lose 27-46 embarrassingly to Georgia Tech, then the next week go to ND and lose only 7-12, and then come out and smack Florida State 48-16. The 17-31 loss at UVA, then the 30-0 win against Cuse, but then dropping the BC game, then blowing out Wake to end the season.

I will say, this Satterfield era has proven to show they have a short memory. The week to week consistency is crazy, don't know what to expect!?

 

[2330859]

It has a lot more to do with the matchups; some of our weaknesses played right into some of our opponents. This year BC a served as an example; their QB was ineffective and allowed our defense to concentrate on the running game. Some of those recent UK wins were all about our defense inability to contain their running game. The second half showed our lack of defensive depth; resulted in the lopsided final score.

I know UK will be favored, but this is the first time in the last few years where we have the ability to compete on the LOS.

 

[PHCARD]

In other words…Let’s ROLL!

 

[WildCard]

I know it's early but some of the things but here are some of the things I think need to do to beat UK....

I would roll the dice and dare UK to win with their passing game. I would take my chances and play a lot of Cover 1 to get another run defender on the field (4-2 and 3-3 looks). Double up Robinson when the opportunity is there. Relative to the OP's point I would invite a passing game by UK.

Scoring may be difficult. Hopefully score enough to win. Passing game attack BETWEEN upper and lower pass defenders.

Peace

 

[Louis III]

Their defense allows 360 yards and 23 points a game. Honestly they have really only played one dynamic offensive team this year and gave up 45 points and 460 yards. That tells me we have a very solid chance of being around 30+ points and a even more solid of winning.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood_rivals307205]

Cards are gonna have real problems dealing with Robinson. Feels like it's become a bad matchup the size and physical way they've played the Cards lately has been unforgiving.

Cards need to use the tools they got to win. If Malik is stuck trying to outrun 6 dudes on 3rd and whatever it's gonna be a long day. If Malik can get the ball to Ford and Harrell could be a great game. Got to get Harrell involved that kid is next level good.

 

[CardsFirst]

Cards are gonna have real problems dealing with Robinson. Feels like it's become a bad matchup the size and physical way they've played the Cards lately has been unforgiving.

Cards need to use the tools they got to win. If Malik is stuck trying to outrun 6 dudes on 3rd and whatever it's gonna be a long day. If Malik can get the ball to Ford and Harrell could be a great game. Got to get Harrell involved that kid is next level good.

The CUSE had the third ranked running offense in the country coming into last Saturday. That obviously is questionable given the competition. SuCk is ranked lower and they played some horrible teams. Their secondary is questionable for sure and MC I hope can capitalize on that. We shall see. Here’s to hoping. They game should be interesting.

 

[Thecycle27]

How Louisville dealt with a physical team like Clemson tells me they can have success against UK. Louisville offense is pretty good.

UK is probably better than stats say on offense. The Louisville secondary will be the key which is a concern. They have to speed up the QB’s decision making. Ten days to prepare a game plan. Have to stop the run if they can run it then it gets real tough.

 

[2330859]

Nice post WC! I agree with your assessment about “making UK throw the football”, as history has demonstrated that allowing the cats to run the ball successfully results in dominating time of possession. With that being said, Levis, Ali and Robinson have been quite effective at keeping the opponent’s pass defense honest. I hate to admit it, but Stoops decision to make the change in OC saved them from a disappointing season this year.

 

[PHCARD]

Nice post WC! I agree with your assessment about “making UK throw the football”, as history has demonstrated that allowing the cats to run the ball successfully results in dominating time of possession. With that being said, Levis, Ali and Robinson have been quite effective at keeping the opponent’s pass defense honest. I hate to admit it, but Stoops decision to make the change in OC saved them from a disappointing season this year.

Wasn't OC change one of their many no brainers this last year? Trouble, trouble everywhere?

 

[LeFors4Ever]

From a gambler's perspective,

It's about the trenches. Kentucky will be possibly the best offensive line we've seen all season. (Clemson's is very talented, but a terrible unit together) Now they can be exploited in the secondary and we can score, but realize that they've played a lot better wide receiving groups than ours.

They've struggled to get a pass rush against quality SEC offensive line play, so it comes down to if we can hold them off. If Malik has time, we'll score a lot. But, if they pressure him it's going to be a long day. A secondary can only hold for so long. They're awful on the big play and we can light it up on the big play

None of their wins are great, although Florida at the time they beat them was a much better team before they fell apart (similar to us in 2016). LSU is good, not great. The rest are average to below average. I'd say none of their losses are bad as Georgia is #1 in the country, Miss State is a top 25 team, and Tennessee is one of the hotter teams since their QB change. So it's really hard to say where Kentucky stands, I think they're good not great. They're more talented than us overall, but they have some weak spots where Malik can take off. I don't think we're anywhere near the UT or Miss State offense, but we're a group that can score some points.

You'd always rather them pass than run, but Will Levis is a solid QB. To be honest, their running game fumbles a lot and maybe trying to strip them could force them into mistakes. Wan'dale Robinson is a early round draft pick (WHY DIDNT BOBBY RECRUIT HIM!?!?!?!) and they have some solid tight ends. I just don't like our defense overall.

Now I think it's a shootout. They're probably the favorite, but slightly favorites. We're at home and sUcKs hasn't played well on the road. The edge I give them is experience, as they play a lot more upperclassmen and we're younger. Hopefully our guys are mature enough for this matchup. Will be a fun one for sure, lets stay healthy this week!

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood_rivals307205]

I'd add cold weather/windy/wet/ ice sleet whatever the bad playing conditions can be an advantage to UK. I don't follow it super close even though I post a lot I like the banter. It seems to me some of Louisville's strengths with passing game and speed on both sides of ball get neutralized with the date on the calendar the game is played. I don't have any deep research to support that, but it feels like it's been a factor that's worked against Louisville lately.

 

[2330859]

MSU dominated UK with a strategic passing game; 35 out of 38 is unbelievable. Additionally, Levis interceptions and RB fumbles contributed to their loss. I trust Satterfield spends some time examining the tape of that Bulldog performance, as I a believe there is a lot to glean from the way Leach structured his game plan on both sides of the football.

 

[PushupMan]

Senior day for Duke (their last game is on the road at Miami).

 

[PushupMan]

It has a lot more to do with the matchups; some of our weaknesses played right into some of our opponents. This year BC a served as an example; their QB was ineffective and allowed our defense to concentrate on the running game. Some of those recent UK wins were all about our defense inability to contain their running game. The second half showed our lack of defensive depth; resulted in the lopsided final score.

I know UK will be favored, but this is the first time in the last few years where we have the ability to compete on the LOS.

FWIW, Sagarin currently has UofL as a very slight favorite against UK: Cards at 75.83, Cats at 77.32, with home field advantage equal to 1.99.

 

[2330859]

I saw something that I find both interesting, as well as encouraging as we head into Saturday’s contest with UK.

The quality of UK’s schedule raises some valid questions about how successful their season has been up to this point, as UK has only defeated one team with a winning record, and that opponent (Chattanooga) has not beaten any D1 team in the top 100.

Admittedly, most of those opponents are right around the 5-5 record, and while UGA certainly qualifies as a major challenge, the presence of UL Monroe, Vanderbilt, New Mexico State and Chattanooga tells you their AD still must doubt the Program’s ability to sustain success without scheduling cupcakes.

 

[LeFors4Ever]

I do like looking at the recent history of the game, the last 10

Charlie:
LOSS 2010: They had Cobb and Charlie held it close, their 4th straight 16-23
WIN 2011: We went in to Lex and held on to end the game to end the streak. 24-17
WIN 2012: They came in and we knocked them out. Charlie went easy on them 32-14
WIN 2013: Stoops first year they played us pretty tough, we didn't cover and I lost that day 27-13

Bobby 2.0:
WIN 2014: BEST game in the series in my opinion. They had it all going, Devante/Bolin took over and we won. 44-40
WIN 2015: The Lamar era began and never looked back. Down 21-0, benched Bolin, we just destroy them. 5 straight! 38-24
LOSS 2016: Our 2nd half collapse continued. Cost us an Orange Bowl trip. Streak ended. 38-41
WIN 2017: A Lamar special. They didn't have a chance. 44-17
LOSS 2018: Let's not talk about this one. 10-56

Satt:
LOSS 2019: They just were better. They humbled us big time. Satt wasn't ready 13-45


My hope was that they'd overlook us going into this game with their big season. Their 3 losses will have them focused as this will be their big game to finish a strong season. Early forecast says, 46high/35low temps and rain and showers in Louisville the day of the game. Do not want a game like that.

From the digging I did on that game from their side, their worry has been their nose-tackle McCall has been out since the Florida game along with his backup getting hurt too. They've also been missing a linebacker Jordan Wright who is one of their better pass rushers. They think both will be healthy, but it's TBD. The thinking is that if they don't have those guys, they won't own the LOS like they've been doing recently.

Their strength again is a big and brutal offensive line with 2 of their tackles being NFL draft pick potential. They have a 1,000 yard back in Rodriguez. Their QB is probably going to be the best we've seen them have in over 10 years and Robinson (WHO SHOULD BE A CARD!) is probably the most versatile receiver we've faced all year.

I'll watch them tomorrow morning to get a better feel for it as I haven't really watched them much at all this year other than flipping channels. It looks like a game where Malik will have to be special again and he can exploit their defense. I just don't know how well our defense can hold up against their line and overall talent, because we still are missing some of our better guys on that side too.

ACC/ESPN need to give us game times a week in advance. I bought tickets, but need to make plans about travel and such.

 

[Morgantown Card]

I wonder if Malik's Lamar-like performances recently will give this game more media attention nationally? UK has a historic 9-3 season on the line, and UofL's turnaround is a great story with Malik leading 70 freshmen to a 7-5 finish after looking like a 2-10 type team early on. Pretty stoked.

 

[LeFors4Ever]

I wonder if Malik's Lamar-like performances recently will give this game more media attention nationally? UK has a historic 9-3 season on the line, and UofL's turnaround is a great story with Malik leading 70 freshmen to a 7-5 finish after looking like a 2-10 type team early on. Pretty stoked.

Here are the big games of the weekend. Some are Thursday/Friday games
EGG Bowl on Thanksgiving
Ohio State vs. Michigan
Michigan State vs. Penn State
Auburn vs. Alabama
Oregon vs. Oregon State
Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
Cincy vs. ECU (Cincy's playoff hopes are a big story.

We'll be in the range of games with
Nebraska vs. Iowa
UNC vs. NC State
ND vs. Stanford
Wake vs. BC
Baylor vs. Texas Tech
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota

A loaded weekend of some great football, we may not be that important in the grand scheme. A Cards win can make it the best weekend!

 

[Morgantown Card]

Yeah, our game doesn't compete with any of that. LOL.

 

[luv2hit63]

Being reported that stoops has been contacted by LSU and is #1 on their list. That has to sit well with their team 8 days before playing your in state rival.

 

[Morgantown Card]

Being reported that stoops has been contacted by LSU and is #1 on their list. That has to sit well with their team 8 days before playing your in state rival.

I have nothing bad to say about Stoops as a football coach, he has brought UK unprecedented success in a tough conference (let's be real ok?). But LSU isn't going to give Stoops 8 years or whatever to take them back to the CFP and LSU will FARRRR that sonofabeyitch after 3 years.

 

[KenSucky]

Just saw that kenSucky owns the longest winning streak against OOC opponents in the sEZ at 13. Time to break that next week. GO CARDS!!!