Mark Stoops "very impressed" with his team in first spring practice
- Thread starter wildcatman26
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IIUC, Stoops is impressed by the team's offseason conditioning, and adapting to the new offensive coordinator and position coaches is the focal point at the beginning of the drills.
Not the best example considering the economy has been on an upward trend for years now.
If that were true it would be a great example since uk is on an upward trend since Stoops has been here.
Words you will never hear:
Head Coach: "well, they reported out of shape, our freshmen are pretty disappointing, to tell you the truth, the upperclassmen have failed to step up and show any leadership, most of the players have actually watched a lot less film than last year, and the new coaches I hired that I thought would be so hot . . . meh."
Head Coach: "well, they reported out of shape, our freshmen are pretty disappointing, to tell you the truth, the upperclassmen have failed to step up and show any leadership, most of the players have actually watched a lot less film than last year, and the new coaches I hired that I thought would be so hot . . . meh."
You have to learn to understand coach speak. If he had said "they did some good things" like previous years, that means they did a lot of things poorly. Anytime he doesn't say this then I suspect it was a pretty good practice.
Spring is upon us, which means once again UK fans eat the hype in droves.
Bigger, faster, stronger!
Bigger, faster, stronger!
Well, we are bigger, faster and stronger. The issue becomes coaches directing the team to move in the right direction.
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We've been "bigger, faster, and stronger" every year since this forum began.
Not once have we played an SEC game and out-muscled, out-ran, or been that much bigger than our opponent. We've won SEC games, and yet we have never pounded opponents, intimidated them with our size, imposed our will on them, or left them in the dust with our speed. And yet we supposedly "grow" in these areas from one offseason to the other.
Never again will I buy into this hype. Korem was supposed to be revolutionary and was instead a colossal failure. Vandy out-ran and out-toughened us. Even during the Brooks years we never physically pounded an SEC opponent.
Bigger, faster, stronger is spoken every year at this time and it never materializes.
you folk dont want to be here, go somewhere else, I believe in coach and he has a heck of a hill to climb, but he and we, who are true ky fans will be at games, behind coaches, and love our team, each and every yr. Only one team each year can win a National Championship. But all I ask is to play hard and love my university. If the players and Coaches do that than I AM ALL IN>>>>
to be honest very few SEC games display that type of mismatch, most SEC contests are fairly even hard fought battles. There are of course some exceptions.
I agree but what we CAN do is light someone up. We did it on occasion with Couch and with Woodson, and even with Hartline. A good QB is the equalizer.
What we can also do is to occasionally get a stud like Dupree, or Boom, or Cobb, to make things more even.
We can never compete with the Alabamas and the Georgias and Tennessees player for player in recruiting. We are never going to out muscle or out run or out talent these guys. The best thing we can do is to close the gap as much as we can with the 10th through 85th best players on the roster, and hope that we can get the occasional Couch or Cobb to equalize it. Stoops is giving us the best recruiting classes in our history, or at least since Curci, to try to do this.
Yeah, bigger, faster, and stronger was particularly noticeable in 2012 and 2013.
Joker's first year we had TWO four stars (both JCs) that played, while our eight SEC opponents AVERAGED 38 four star commits the previous four years (minus Vandy, but including MSU and Ole Miss), PLUS five stars.
Anyone that can't see the clear and undeniable growth in our talent level is------well, I guess in denial would be the nice term, but then it is way too nice.
A lot of beautiful blue on here, and one obnoxious red blob------and your posts match your color.
That excuse just doesn't get it anymore.
This will be season 4, time see some results of major improvements in support for the program.
Coach Brooks dug us out of the probation years with much much less to work with.
It's time to meet expectations.
Rich had years upon years of head coaching experience, connections who fit his systems and would likely follow him to coach any day of the week (and they were damn good), and they game planned like madmen. The coaches focused (I would guess) almost solely on planning and development. Rich leaves, the developed guys graduate, and there is no talent to utilize. Suddenly, 2-10.
Stoops is trying to build a base, be a first time head coach, recruit like crazy, put together a competent coaching staff (for the first time), prove himself, AND develop. Two different scenarios, especially when you look at how powerful the SEC is now versus when Brooks took over. The SEC was good, but I argue that it was not the dominant mini-NFL we have today.
I agree that we need to start seeing some results, but we have a gauntlet schedule this season and we need to give Stoops every bit of support to succeed. He's done more for this program's long term success in three years than Rich did in his entire tenure (let us look at the renovations, recruiting, and new practice buildings). If I had to bet, I would say that it's easier to see results sooner when you focus on one acute facet while coming out of a pit than when you're trying to pour a foundation and use some scaffolding. Js. That's my two cents.
Gotta go by recruiting years if your left with what Joker left. Brooks had more talent even with probation than what Stoops inherited. Stoops cut loose like 25 players and 1 guy went to a division 1 school in legree and he barely plays. Stoops first recruiting cycle was 2014 those players are going to be RS SOPH and true juniors this year. So you think Stoops should have won 7 8 games with what Joker left and a bunch of freshman?
Ah yes, the bigger, faster, stronger mantra - much maligned, much misunderstood. It is fact and it is also ever-elusive. Each individual player goes through this transformation and the results are undeniable. When a kid gets on campus as a 6-3, 205 yearling and leaves as a Senior as a 6-3 250+ man he has, in fact, gotten bigger, faster and stronger. The team, collectively, must also get bigger, faster, stronger to compete in the league and they, in fact, do attain those goals as a group. The disconnect with some fans is they don't take into consideration that the team is never static. IOW, the players change from year to year both in physical ability and participation. Those that became bigger, faster, stronger are lost to graduation annually and must be replaced by more of the same. The true test is that if the overall level of bigger, faster,stronger is being raised on a consistent basis. I challenge anyone to deny that the team would pass the eye test under Stoops watch as to being bigger, faster and stronger than before he arrived.
Everybody understands coach speak and off season hype just fine. It's just that some see their job as fan to be optimistic and supportive despite the past instead of seeing their position as a fan to sit back on their throne like Henry The 8th eating a big Turkey leg saying, "now do something to make me happy and proud so I can vicariously bask in your glory".
For the record, I'm guilty of both
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Most UK fans wanted rich fired after year 3... Joker left us less talent than what Brooks inherited.
Pretty sorry "upward trend". Tell that to the millions who have simply dropped out. Beginning in mid 2017 you will see what an upward trend really looks like.
It is plain and simple for Stoops, get a competitive OL and Dl and better than average QB. I believe we are fairly close on the OL, could be okay with Barker, but not yet sold on DL. I also believe though we have greatly improved talent level at DB and LB. Last year coaching cost us some wins, if we don't get in our own way this year, six or more wins seems attainable.
Regardless of scores, I thought we were clearly outmuscled last year by MSU/TN/GA. This year I expect same except replace MSU with AL.
I think you're in the minority there. I think most expect a winning season sooner or later, and if not, will fall away.
Outside AL over AU, don't see much if any difference than any other season. Net, I think you can describe them all as gauntlets.
Compared to a down SEC East and eight home games, I don't think we'll ever get a slate that easy any time soon.
Huh. Recruiting yea and you have nowhere to go but up after joker was here so I guess it's true. I just don't feel like it's that much upward. But a little bit I guess. He's an atrocious in game head coach IMO.