Kentucky OC Eddie Gran says QB Stephen Johnson ‘will be the guy’

akaukswoosh

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  1. Barker: He has thrown four touchdowns to five interceptions in three games.:grimace:
 

greginky1957

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In another thread someone said Wright. I know we have Davis Mattingly also. Is the transfer from UC eligible?
 
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I would assume it is Luke Wright. He played garbage time against NMSU. Apparently there is some kind of loophole that makes him eligable immediately. Something along the lines That since he was a walk-on and not recruited by UC. He can transfer once and play immediately.
 

reflaine

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Depends on game situation. If game is out of hand yes you don't burn red shirt. But if Johnson goes down and be down for extended time and your still in game you have to play best player. If that's hoak you hope he goes out and performs well. This season is not completely lost yet. And the coaches are coaching for their lives. I'm sure if it is given a choice to hoak and he thinks he can help us win now he will put his self in game and burn the redshirt.
 

UKWildcats#8

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Depends on game situation. If game is out of hand yes you don't burn red shirt. But if Johnson goes down and be down for extended time and your still in game you have to play best player. If that's hoak you hope he goes out and performs well. This season is not completely lost yet. And the coaches are coaching for their lives. I'm sure if it is given a choice to hoak and he thinks he can help us win now he will put his self in game and burn the redshirt.

The season may not be completely lost, but it would be a dumb mistake to pull the RS.
 

dallasg23

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Wright or mattingly will get the garbage time. Hoak I feel like would be the "damn Johnson is hurt" guy and we have a chance to win.
 

WildCard

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If Barker is out for any length of time back up QB will present something of a "problem". Garbage time is not the issue; an injury to Johnson is the issue. You want to preserve Hoak's redshirt but you have to prep your next best QB for possible play should Johnson get injured. Johnson being out for a play or two is one thing, but missing a game or 2 is another.

Peace
 
Feb 21, 2006
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BS on all this prep your next best QB!

You don't pull a red shirt to finish a 5 maybe six win season. You throw the walk ons and emergency wr/athlete into the mess until DB is able to play again.

Then if DB gets hurt again and is out for the season, you pretty much throw in the towel. Let the walk on rip it down field, run some trick plays, go for it on 4th down, on side kick every time, fake field goals, etc...f*** it, things were shaping up to get ugly anyway, have a ball with it.

Also, the last thing you want is a QB situation where Hoak gets a little run shows a couple brief glimpses and then you have a three way QB race next year.
 
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It would all depend on the situation. If by some miracle the defense fixes their problems or at least become respectable. If we do win our next 2 winnable game. Then a bowl wouldn't be impossible, would it be likely no but not impossible.

So if Johnson were to go down a2nd DB is still out the coaches would go with who they thought gives them the best chance to win. Don't forget this is their jobs and lives on the line. If they do not get this ship turned around they won't be worried about burning a players redshirt. They wouldn't be around to benefit from his redshirt senior season.

Stoops won't want to leave the next coach coming in set-up to succed. Unless he manages to pull it out here and leaves for greener pastures. Because if the next coach is successful as soon as he does leave. It proved that his coaching was the problem all a long. To me Stoops doesn't appear to be a man that wants to admit he is wrong.
 
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Beatle Bum

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Supposedly it will be Hoak. And, if he loses his redshirt, especially if he's thrown out there in garbage time, I am going to be livid.

Livid. Why? I understand the "garbage time" comment, but why would you be livid if he goes in as the next man up?
 
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Beatle Bum

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Wright is the backup

Not necessarily, according to Gran. There is a difference between who gets mop-up and who is going to okay if Johnson goes down. Gran praised Wright's knowledge. And, said it is close between Hoak and Wright.
 

Beatle Bum

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On backup reps at QB:
Right now, Gunnar (Hoak) is going right now and getting the backup work. Luke (Wright) is ready to go, has done a great job, mentally especially. It’s really close between the two of them and so both of them got to be ready just like Landon Young was ready, just like Benny Snell was ready. Those two have to be ready to come in and play.”


On if he’d be comfortable burning Hoak’s redshirt in game situation:
“I think sometimes it can happen in a game and sometimes when it happens right there immediately, you have to make those decisions, you have to already have talked about them. There’s a certain point where you say no and there’s a certain point where you say yes.”
 

megablue

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I remember when Jerry Claiborne played Mark Higgs for only about half a season one year. Of course, Higgs was so good that he immediately helped the team, but I always wished he'd have had another full year and would've been red-shirted due to the injury. It's a pretty tough call when you're trying to win games and are short-handed.
 

ukcat94

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It would all depend on the situation. If by some miracle the defense fixes their problems or at least become respectable. If we do win our next 2 winnable game. Then a bowl wouldn't be impossible, would it be likely no but not impossible.

So if Johnson were to go down am DB I still out the coaches would go with who they thought have them the best chance to win. Don't forget this is their jobs and lives on the line. If they do not get this ship turned around they won't be worried about burning a players redshirt. They wouldn't be around to benefit from his redshirt senior season.

Stoops won't want to leave the next coach coming in set-up to succed. Unless he manages to pull it out here and leaves for greener pastures. Because if they next coach is successful as soon as he does leave. It prices his coaching was the problem all a long. To me Stoops doesn't appear to be a man that wants to admit he is wrong.

He has said many times that the struggles "start with me". Complain all you want and be negative but don't go after these coaches on a personal level.

As far as the QB situation goes, I think Luke Wright is the backup assuming Barker is out long-term (hope he isn't). While Luke isn't as athletically gifted as the other two nor does he have as strong of an arm he does know the offense better than anyone given he has been with Gran and Hinshaw since he got to college at UC. So worst case scenario Johnson gets hurt, they could at least roll out a run heavy offense and trust that Wright could hit simple/quick routes and still execute the RPO.
 
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He has said many times that the struggles "start with me". Complain all you want and be negative but don't go after these coaches on a personal level.

As far as the QB situation goes, I think Luke Wright is the backup assuming Barker is out long-term (hope he isn't). While Luke isn't as athletically gifted as the other two nor does he have as strong of an arm he does know the offense better than anyone given he has been with Gran and Hinshaw since he got to college at UC. So worst case scenario Johnson gets hurt, they could at least roll out a run heavy offense and trust that Wright could hit simple/quick routes and still execute the RPO.

First off that was far from attacking the coaches, complaining and being negative. As you say he has stated the struggles start with him. If it has been the same struggles since he has been here what's that say about his coaching ability. Now that's going after the coach. Sad part is its the truth. To have the same problems in year 4 as in year 1. It is in the coach.
 

Johnfarrel

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Coming in as a backup on short notice is different from being the designated starter a week ahead of time. NMSU did not expect and had not prepared for Johnson. South Carolina will prepare for him. He will now have a week to think about it all being on him.
I believe he has the maturity to handle it, but things will be different from last week.
 
Jan 14, 2003
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You do your best to not burn Hoak's RS. If you don't think there is much difference in him and Wright at this point then play Wright. But if you think Hoak is your best chance to win should Johnson go down, then I think you play him. Particularly in light of the fact that Barker may have some injury that precludes him from playing for a while, or could flare up again later.

It's a must win game. Some seem to have already thrown in the towel, but this team can still win 6 and go to a bowl if they win this game. Would have to win 3 of 4 in the stretch of Vandy/MissSt/UGA (home) and Mizzou (road). None of those teams have looked too impressive. I don't think you give up a season to save one guy a year. Winning 6 would take some stench off where we're at right now, and could positively impact recruiting. I think you have to give it your best shot.
 

sensible

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Why does it matter if they pull his RS? You think he will still have the support of the fanbase as a 5th year senior????