Too slow or out of position. Killing us. Jones to MLB and move Edwards up. Or try Brown with some speed.
Middle Linebacker
- Thread starter BigBlueManSouthCentralKY
- Start date
I've posted about Love's play numerous times. Every week I hope he'll show me something, but every week it's the same: too slow, easily blocked, bad angles, poor instincts. He only comes off the field when we go to our dime package. I just can't understand why they can't put Kash in for a series or two a game and see what he can do.
Johnson just threw for 290 2 TDs and no picks.
Yes he had the two fumbles but ....
Can we save the weakest player garbage for another day?
Johnson was clutch in the last min.
Yes he had the two fumbles but ....
Can we save the weakest player garbage for another day?
Johnson was clutch in the last min.
It was a very true statement regardless of the last minute.
And Love's effort on the QB TD run... the guy whiffs more than any lber, reminds me of Rey Maualuga without the occasional huge hit when he does connct.
The reason we are UK and not Bama. We are flawed and have to learn and build some work arounds. He does do good job playing A gap short yardage and 34 is covering C to C.
Because he is the best we have (apparently). I have read numerous times that the coaches see these players in practice and knows who can play and who can't.
If he is so good that Kash can"t get a series or two per game, I guess some of us need to lower our expectations for Kash.
All true. But let's be realistic. A large chunk was on a trick play. He has the ball security of a kicker/punter. I've never seen a regular ball carrier get stripped so easy and often. It's to the point he literally needs to get what he can and dive on the ground before being stripped.
That being said, he's very resilient. Made good decisions throwing. Looked decent in the 2nd half. And came up huge at the end to get us in fg range.
The QB run was hard to watch seeing the MLB so out of position. If you are missing just one, out of speed and conditioning, in the SEC, probably not going to be very effective. But missing both is costing us on a lot of plays.
51 went to wrong gap and 2 others did plenty of watching in back 5
Do you have the goal line TD by the QB? Just as bad.
I can deal with Jones' over-aggression and over playing much more than 51's late reaction and open field misses.
Apparently Kash simply isn't ready, but one more solid lber next to Jones and we would look even better.
I've been disappointing with Love's play thus far. All you heard coming from the coaches how he "gets it" and that he was going to be a strength for our defense. All I have seen from him are missed assignments and a lot of missed tackles. Hope he gets his act together soon.
Are we just identifying his mistakes? That one and the goal line were obvious. MLB is a hard position to play. The idea that Love makes mistakes has no moment in the discussion as to whether Kash will be really good. Kash is a true frosh. MLB has to be one of the hardest positions for a true frosh.
Love has been on the field a ton with Kash only getting some random series here/there. I agree that Love is the weakest link on D and we need to replace him with Kash as soon as we can. But it appears that will be next year given how far into this season we are.
OAK, what do you expect the coaches to say? Their not going to rip Love, and it's obvious to the coaches that Kash is not ready at this stage. Next year will probably be a lot different.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
I don't expect the coaches to rip him, but the way the talked about him last season on the scout team and coming into this season, I thought he would have played much better thus far. I'm sure next year we will see him split some time with Kash, but I highly doubt Kash is ready to be a starting ILB as a true freshman.
Because Firios is coming off a season ending injury last year. There is no depth at the MLB position on this team. If Firios would have been healthy all last season and got those minutes and then a full spring/summer/fall camp loads he would have been the 2nd string.
TACKLES GP-GS Solo Ast Total
Jordan Jones 7-7 47 20 67
Mike Edwards 7-7 31 23 54
Courtney Love 7-7 17 22 39
Marcus McWilson 7-1 13 23 36
Denzil Ware 7-7 16 17 33
Josh Allen 7-5 18 15 33
Blake McClain 7-6 16 13 29
Derrick Baity 7-7 24 3 27
Chris Westry 7-7 20 7 27
J.D. Harmon 7-0 14 10 24
Naquez Pringle 6-1 10 13 23
C. Miggins 7-7 11 10 21
Alvonte Bell 6-2 9 8 17
M A. Middleton 7-5 8 7 15
De'Niro Laster 5-0 7 7 14
Eli Brown 7-0 8 5 13
K. Randolph 7-0 6 5 11
Kobie Walker 3-2 2 8 10.
T.J. Carter 5-0 2 4 6
Kash Daniel 7-0 3 2 5
Marcus Walker 4-0 2 2 4
Matt Elam 6-6 1 3 4
Tymere Dubose 5-0 3 1 4
Nico Firios 7-0 1 2 3
Kengera Daniel 3-0 1 0 1
Jordan Jones 7-7 47 20 67
Mike Edwards 7-7 31 23 54
Courtney Love 7-7 17 22 39
Marcus McWilson 7-1 13 23 36
Denzil Ware 7-7 16 17 33
Josh Allen 7-5 18 15 33
Blake McClain 7-6 16 13 29
Derrick Baity 7-7 24 3 27
Chris Westry 7-7 20 7 27
J.D. Harmon 7-0 14 10 24
Naquez Pringle 6-1 10 13 23
C. Miggins 7-7 11 10 21
Alvonte Bell 6-2 9 8 17
M A. Middleton 7-5 8 7 15
De'Niro Laster 5-0 7 7 14
Eli Brown 7-0 8 5 13
K. Randolph 7-0 6 5 11
Kobie Walker 3-2 2 8 10.
T.J. Carter 5-0 2 4 6
Kash Daniel 7-0 3 2 5
Marcus Walker 4-0 2 2 4
Matt Elam 6-6 1 3 4
Tymere Dubose 5-0 3 1 4
Nico Firios 7-0 1 2 3
Kengera Daniel 3-0 1 0 1
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To think our MLB only has 39 tackles on the season is pretty sad. Im willing to bet of those 39, no more than 5 were made within 3 yards of the LOS.
That's why he needs a breather :cheers2:
Watching the replay, Loves play was even more atrocious than I could see live.
Personally responsible for giving up basically every major run play.
Personally responsible for giving up basically every major run play.
I know Elams job isn't to make tackles but man that's a disappointing stat. Especially comparing them to Pringle, his backup. I'd like to see the breakdown of number of snaps played. Wait...no I don't. It'd be way more disappointing.
How Maualuga is still in the league is a mystery. Whiffs more than Adam Dunn.
If you watch the replay, I cannot believe how slow Love is...
I'm sorry, but he is one of the worst middle linebackers I've ever seen starting at UK.
There is no way he is even close to a SEC linebacker. I can't believe we can't get someone better than him in the middle.
He may be the slowest I've ever seen at LB at UK.
I'm sorry, but he is one of the worst middle linebackers I've ever seen starting at UK.
There is no way he is even close to a SEC linebacker. I can't believe we can't get someone better than him in the middle.
He may be the slowest I've ever seen at LB at UK.
I bet the coaches re-watched this play plenty of times, or I hope they did. Just so many bad reads and plays by our D.
We play a RPO offense with a running QB.
Our defense is lined up in a 3-4 with our OLB (Allen) covering the inside WR in trips. On the play we have backups in at CB (Harmon) and safety (Randolph).
If you look at the play only 2 players (Allen and Harmon) amongst the back 8 reads the play correctly. The CB and safety covering the 2 outside WR's are excused, since they cannot be expected to be in position of make a play. Let's look at the other 6.
Allen reads and reacts to the play, and looks initially to position himself to force the play inside and/ or make a tackle. However, he slows down and gets ready to tackle way too early, and by doing so he takes himself out of the play. The other 3 LB's all buy into the fake (or read) and comes crashing down towards the LOS, thus giving the QB an easy read to keep the ball. The safety (Randolph) is way to slow reacting to the play and when he reacts he takes a wrong angle and takes himself out of the play. The opposite CB (Harmon) is the only player that IMO plays good on the play and he almost gets there in time to make a tackle. He gets a passing grade, Allen gets an incomplete for a halfway play and the other LB's and Randolph gets a failing grade on the play.
What I would have expected
Against this RPO offense I would have expected our LB's to be told to read and react in order to play angels if the QB keeps the ball. I would also have expected our safety to react a lot faster on the play.
We still have a lot of work to do on defense, and a player like Lamar Jackson will have a record breaking day with defense play like this.
The MLB makes the defensive calls. Love may have the best handle on doing that. His physical skills may not the best but grasp of correct defensive calls may be better than who would replace him. Not sure true Freshman Kash could handle that. I don't think the coaches are playing him just to give him playing time.
I don't want to rip on Love because he is trying and he's a great kid but he does have need to get better because we are missing production from a key spot in the defense.
I think the coaches like his leadership and he's getting the benefit of the doubt because of that and the fact they like him and want him to do better. That's fine, maybe he will but it still wouldn't hurt for the other guys to get some looks to spell him some. It worked with Elam's spot.
We don't know if Kash or Nick or anyone else would be better or not but I do like what I see out them on special teams and the few downs they've got earlier in the season. They at least seem to have the number one thing I'm looking for at that position and that's a tenaciously attacking mentality with physicality.
I think the coaches like his leadership and he's getting the benefit of the doubt because of that and the fact they like him and want him to do better. That's fine, maybe he will but it still wouldn't hurt for the other guys to get some looks to spell him some. It worked with Elam's spot.
We don't know if Kash or Nick or anyone else would be better or not but I do like what I see out them on special teams and the few downs they've got earlier in the season. They at least seem to have the number one thing I'm looking for at that position and that's a tenaciously attacking mentality with physicality.
Allen and Randolph make poor angles underestimating speed of qb, there live he was extremely fast especially for his size.
Love has to scrape to that outside gap and ready to make a play, he is simply not there. But Allen reads it right and is there but again bad fundamentals on angle.
Sometimes you can get away with one mistake but 2 and 3 mistakes lead to big plays.
Dave
Love has to scrape to that outside gap and ready to make a play, he is simply not there. But Allen reads it right and is there but again bad fundamentals on angle.
Sometimes you can get away with one mistake but 2 and 3 mistakes lead to big plays.
Dave