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What is your greatest gripe or concern with the overall FB Program?

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mtn cat1

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2003
4,258
1,523
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Viewing the program from the perspective of expectations: Stoop's lack of HC experience has certainly been in evidence over his first three seasons; that same refrain can be attributed to the first two & one half's of this season; the most damming evidence is that the team should have given a better accounting of themselves last season and through the first three games of this season!!!!The drastic improvement defensively over the last 2&1/2 games exemplifies this conclusion!!!

How many more games would we have won last season if Stoops had been in charge of the defense? The SMU game to open the season would have been a W had Stoops been in charge of the D!!!!!! I surely do not fault fans for venting their displeasure from what they have witnesses on the field!!!!

What say you????
 
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CB3UK

CB3UK

Hall of Famer
Apr 15, 2012
62,982
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Holy crap stop the presses....UMM has a valid point :D. Hes right. We can't afford not to take risks on or off the field unfortunately. I know we want to be represented well, but we'll have to take a coach who can win with baggage in order to get this thing where it needs to be. No proven winner without issues has any incentive to gamble their future on this HC position. We showed glimmers of creative playcalling v Bama. We can't run it up the gut and play 3-4 with our personnel. I would love to get to the point where we could. Stoops has shown signs of correcting his mistakes. Im still sour on him but there's a shred of hope. These next 3 games will ultimately decide the Stoops era.
 
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5

51stFan

Junior
Dec 30, 2005
405
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ulismyman said:
That we play conservative on both sides of the ball...UK football should play more with a nothing to lose mentality...
Click to expand...

When you have a head coach that for some reason brings in high octane offensive coordinators and then worries about slowing the thing down to keep the score down, you have a problem. Multiple quotes from Stoops and others have proven this, so don't claim he hasn't done just that.
 
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M

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
13,467
13,027
113
It is not a gripe, but we will not compete in the SEC on a regular basis until we have SEC-level players in far greater numbers than we typically have. My definition of "compete" is simply to expect to win at least four (4) SEC games a year on a regular basis and only winning three (3) is unacceptable. We should get a minimum of six (6) wins every year ...
 
K_TIME

K_TIME

Heisman
Jan 2, 2003
18,143
25,076
113
The biggest issue is player development at UK "feels" well behind other teams we play. Too many 4* never pan out and even those that play...don't improve as years go on.

QB is the main position on field that isn't developing and it's killing UK.
 
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U

ukwazoo

All-Conference
Sep 8, 2001
11,317
3,991
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I can't list just one...

#1 - The AD's/program's unwillingness to pursue the best coach available...ever. Shows they are not serious about football. If they pursue the best and he turns them down, that's good enough for me. Show me you tried.

#2 - Our next-to-no-tolerance policy with regards to the players getting into trouble. This ensures we won't be able to compete with other SEC schools who suspend players for a half.

I could easily compile a list of 100 gripes, but those two trump everything.
 
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L

law1127

All-Conference
Dec 20, 2004
2,737
2,886
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Stoops has disappointed in his inability to consistently motivate the players ,to compete with the intensity necessary to win! The lay down on SoMiss was the epitome of a team rolling over! The humiliating effect on the fans, is still being felt ,and has severely damaged Stoops tenure ! That and unimagnitive schemes on both O and D,to offset lack of talent.
 
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S

Stu_Padaso_rivals383274

Freshman
May 9, 2013
156
70
0
Honestly, I think our issues revolve around our linemen. None of which seem to be all that good. I think that's the glaring weakness that we have on both sides of the ball. Opposing defenses are living in our backfield and our D-Line gets very little push...

To me it's the biggest weakness we have currently. We have the skill position players and a pretty good defensive secondary, but the lines on both side are sub-par. Get those things corrected and I think you'd see a much better football team.
 
rick64

rick64

Heisman
Jan 25, 2007
23,365
31,132
113
Just the lack of consistency. We get one or two decent or good season by UK standards, then be sub .500 for another season or two.
 
T

truebluewildcat_rivals34254

All-American
Feb 21, 2006
8,403
9,162
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It would have to be staffing around the HC. Not only the coaching staff immediately involved with the team but the support and athletic department staffing as well.

I've always thought some sort of football specific committee should be formed and stocked with former coaches, players, NFL front office personal, etc.

Also, the AD needs to not only focus on who to name HC, but who else to have in place around that HC, and this is one of many areas where a football advisory committee could come in and help find and evaluate solid candidates.

As far as assistants and coordinators go, I know it is very common for coaches to have most of the say in the matter and that they will bring in friends and people they've worked with before. That's not cutting the mustard here at UK.

Mumme, Morriss, Brooks, Joker, and now CMS. Save a few individual assistants here and there, none of those HCs ever had a full competitive football staff around them.

The most frustrating thing about CMS is that he has some connections to a great Miami football staff from the early 2000s, and he hasn't used them. In addition, he and MB haven't taken advantage of all the natural turnover that occurs every year around the country.

Randy Shannon, Greg Schiano, Ed Orgeron, Gene Chizik...and on and on...there have been solid coaches with legit resume's, cred, and experience on the market and UK hasn't seemed interested.
 
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S

StubbornPenny

All-American
Nov 2, 2009
10,562
9,892
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What bugged me most is not being able to line up and showing no effort. We seemed to have gotten those two things under control lately, and that's good. Still, we should of had that from snap one.

UMM, is actually right. We need to be like the Northwestern of the SEC, but I think we could be even better (they've had a couple of 10 win seasons, and also some clunkers, I think we could be more consistent). When everyone else is playing one style, we've got to have a totally different look and set of matchups. Build and offense for running QB's, direct snaps, trickery, misdirection, and exploiting matchups. Build a defense around takeaways and hard hitting, none of the "bend but don't break" stuff. We'll lose a few that way, but we'll win a few too. Do what no one else in the SEC does, so they aren't prepared for it.
 
Deeeefense

Deeeefense

Heisman
Staff member
Aug 22, 2001
44,075
51,040
113
The gripe I have had, is what I have had ever since they turned down Snelly back in the early 80s.
LACK OF URGENCY
It seems whoever is running the athletic department just tries to "manage" the football program, whereas other SEC teams, pushed by their boasters and fans see anything less than success on the gridiron as a crisis situation that calls for urgent, significant actions. Even UofL which we have always looked down on, displayed a strong sense or urgency and went out and got the right staffs to propel their program forward..

I'm tired of leadership that simply reacts, instead of leads, and all the excuse makers that nod their heads in approval.

Barnhart, with all his flaws has probably done better than his predecessors, but still he does things that illustrate a lack of urgency regarding football. For instance why does he still take 10 minutes out of a football pregame show to talk about Olympic sports that no one cares about? There are plenty of other times to talk about that. If that is so important to him why doesn't he have a presser or radio interview weekly about that? No instead he wants to cram it down the throats of 200,000 football fans to dampen their excitement about a huge event that only occurs 12 times a year.

Stuff like that just sends the message that football is just a status quo event, no big deal.
 
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A

Anon1668578572

Redshirt
Dec 14, 2005
682
10
18
The administrations failure to bring UKs facilities up to "SEC" level over the years (and refusal to pursue top coaches. (This can be tied together)
Overall apathy they have shown and not "expecting" to compete.
 
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D

docholiday51

Heisman
Oct 19, 2001
22,011
26,718
0
Maybe it is lack of commitment to football on the part of the administration,maybe it's the conference we are in,maybe it is geography or a combination of all these factors + a few others.We have spent 60 years trying to get to average status in football,now before about 6 posters jump in and say that the problem is trying to be average,that is not what I said.We have spent most of that time trying to take the first step toward being a good football program.

As to coaching issues we have tried name coaches,top assistants,coaches who were successful at other levels,defensive minded coaches,offensive minded,we have hired from outside and promoted from within. We seem to be in a perpetual state of rebuilding and in the words of Bob Dylan and Rod Stewart,forever young.

All this brings me to the title of this thread my biggest gripe and concern is that with UK football nothing ever changes,the name of the coach changes about every 3 or 4 years but whatever his name is he starts with a 2-10 season and spends the rest of his time here trying to climb out of a hole that was left by the previous coach.

There is no easy answer or quick fix,if there was we would have stumbled across it by accident in the past 60 years at least once. Stoops has made maybe more than his share of mistakes so far,like everyone else before him he started 2-10 but got to 5-7 the next two years,he may have shot himself in the foot in game one this year,he will be lucky to get to 5-7.

It is not that I am Stoops biggest fan but I don't want to go back to 2-10 next year,maybe this season will play out a little better than we think,that remains to be seen.In the big picture he has done as well as just about any other coach(in his first 3 years) we have had in the past 60 years.If we go 3-9 this year he should be gone,other than that all things considered it makes more sense for him to return
 
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K

Kats23

All-American
Nov 21, 2007
8,683
5,913
63
Where we are going as a program. In year 4 are we exponentially better with Stoops? Sure, we have more stars by the player's names. We're recruiting at a decent level. But in year 4 we have 5 SEC wins. 3 of those belong to USCjr. 1 to Mizzou 1 to Vandy. We haven't had a decent upset in that time. We've watched the team regress as the season goes on the prior two years. Beaten by a CUSA team. Winless against our rival. Team Chemistry issues, coach chemistry issues. The gap has widened against our bigger SEC foes.

We're happy playing better against Bama.
 
3

3Ringer

Freshman
Feb 1, 2011
539
79
0
For me, it's the lack of discipline in all 3 phases of the game, plus the lack of player development since Stoops stepped on campus. I don't care how many stars are beside your name, if the coaches can't get them to perform, it's meaningless (see Elam, Matt). The excuses are the same every year...youth, inexperience, injuries, new coordinators, players leaving the program. But these things happen everywhere, not just at UK.

The extension MB gave Stoops is one of the most laughable things in college sports. But I don't really see it as a buyout. Stoops gets that money in installments whether he's coaching here or not. Bring someone else in who can develop these kids before our recruiting goes in the tank, too. The performance by the players and his demeanor on the sideline show me everything I need to know....Stoops is in WAAAAAY over his head.
 
H

Hjack

All-American
May 22, 2002
79,219
5,607
0
Conservative play-calling and lack of an overall high-competence staff.

I know that Mumme had and has a lot of haters, but his early teams were a terror to coach against. Eventually, the smart coaches learned that he only had a few plays and didn't seem to change much, but his type of 'balls to the walls' offense drove them nuts, and was extremely fun to watch.

I had friends on three of the SEC coaching staffs, and they told me that for about 2 years, they dreaded and were scared to play UK. (When is the last time you ever heard this?) His 'air-raid' was just fun to watch, and terrible to coach against. And Mumme was kind of unpredictable, if not necessarily competent.

With all that being said, Mumme tended to surround himself with incompetent friends, and was too hard-headed to change. He refused to fire his defensive coordinator /friend (name escapes me), and therefore the total lack of defensive prowess was one of his many ultimate downfalls. Not to mention the infamous Basset.

Rant finished. Just don't like our conservative play, and leaky defense.
 
B

BigBlueManSouthCentralKY

Heisman
Jul 26, 2003
21,180
11,161
0
A few things, but one that really bugs me every game is playing to just keep it close. Then once in a blue moon when we do jump on someone for a half we put the brakes on.

And I really can't understand why we can't get a big time recruiter, because in the SEC, you will always be running up hill to stay out of the dungeon if you are always playing with inferior athletes. If Oregon can do it, why can't we?
 
D

docholiday51

Heisman
Oct 19, 2001
22,011
26,718
0
Hjack said:
Conservative play-calling and lack of an overall high-competence staff.

I know that Mumme had and has a lot of haters, but his early teams were a terror to coach against. Eventually, the smart coaches learned that he only had a few plays and didn't seem to change much, but his type of 'balls to the walls' offense drove them nuts, and was extremely fun to watch.

I had friends on three of the SEC coaching staffs, and they told me that for about 2 years, they dreaded and were scared to play UK. (When is the last time you ever heard this?) His 'air-raid' was just fun to watch, and terrible to coach against. And Mumme was kind of unpredictable, if not necessarily competent.

With all that being said, Mumme tended to surround himself with incompetent friends, and was too hard-headed to change. He refused to fire his defensive coordinator /friend (name escapes me), and therefore the total lack of defensive prowess was one of his many ultimate downfalls. Not to mention the infamous Basset.

Rant finished. Just don't like our conservative play, and leaky defense.
Click to expand...
That would be Mike Major and Basset will hound us for a long time
 
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R

richbrookstomato

Heisman
Sep 13, 2003
23,905
33,655
0
-UK Football ABSOLUTELY has to play mistake free football with the very best fundamentals.

-Developing players, blocking, tackling, correct alignment, knowing your assignments, NO turnovers, limited penalties and coaches making the correct in-game adjustments.

-UK Football has to have a coach that can stress these areas because we are NEVER going to out-recruit the SEC Big Boys.

-Our AD MUST be totally sold out to making UK Football an ACTUAL contender.

Until we see these things come about, UK Football will continue to be mediocre to bad.
 
M

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
13,467
13,027
113
docholiday51 said:
That would be Mike Major and Basset will hound us for a long time
Click to expand...
I was never totally convinced that Mumme was entirely focused on winning games here at UK. He was primarily about 1) his paycheck and 2) seeing how many offensive statistics he could produce. There was no excuse for him to leave starting quarterbacks in for as long as he did when the game was clearly out of hand. He did it to rack up passing statistics. I have sources that told me he would be in communication with statisticians during the games asking about yardage totals.
 
S

Soupbean

All-American
Jan 19, 2007
5,945
8,109
0
K_TIME said:
The biggest issue is player development at UK "feels" well behind other teams we play. Too many 4* never pan out and even those that play...don't improve as years go on.

QB is the main position on field that isn't developing and it's killing UK.
Click to expand...
This is mine as well and think it can go hand in hand with Ulisismyman and others point about playing with a nothing to lose mentality.

I think I can speak for most beaten down long suffering fans and if not I'm going to anyway . . . but the one thing we all want from a coach is to coach with a no fear free wheeling attitude. We can take getting beat but man it gets old getting beat playing it straight and hoping for different results year after year.

Mumme was goofey as hell but he at least understood this on his side of the ball. And it doesn't take an air raid approach to be balls to the walls. It's worked at other places you that had no business winning games or building a program. It was the key to success at Baylor, TCU, Oregon, and other places.

IMO its the only way you are ever going to take lesser and compete with more. You have to turn them loose on both sides of the ball to get the most out of the talent you have. Can't understand why coaches can't see they have nothing to lose that way. It may not always work but the fans would give them a lot more leeway that way. Well some of us would.
 
D

dallasg23

All-Conference
Aug 15, 2013
3,360
4,330
113
The failure to put players in the position to be successful. And the demonizing of fans who are frustrated with watching losing football year in and year out.
 
U

UKCatNnc

All-Conference
Sep 30, 2005
6,163
1,736
0
51stFan said:
When you have a head coach that for some reason brings in high octane offensive coordinators and then worries about slowing the thing down to keep the score down, you have a problem. Multiple quotes from Stoops and others have proven this, so don't claim he hasn't done just that.
Click to expand...
I don't think it is about keeping the score down. I think it is about giving the defense more time to rest.
 
M

murpack

Redshirt
Oct 16, 2004
641
11
0
Sawnee Cat said:
Incompetence
Click to expand...

I have been following Kentucky football for fifty years. My biggest gripe is there hasn't been any long term vision for the program. There is no identity. There is an old saying, "If you don't know where you are going, then any road will do." That sums up the last fifty years as I see it.
 
B

BBNDMV

Sophomore
Dec 18, 2014
189
150
0
truebluewildcat said:
It would have to be staffing around the HC. Not only the coaching staff immediately involved with the team but the support and athletic department staffing as well.

I've always thought some sort of football specific committee should be formed and stocked with former coaches, players, NFL front office personal, etc.

Also, the AD needs to not only focus on who to name HC, but who else to have in place around that HC, and this is one of many areas where a football advisory committee could come in and help find and evaluate solid candidates.

As far as assistants and coordinators go, I know it is very common for coaches to have most of the say in the matter and that they will bring in friends and people they've worked with before. That's not cutting the mustard here at UK.

Mumme, Morriss, Brooks, Joker, and now CMS. Save a few individual assistants here and there, none of those HCs ever had a full competitive football staff around them.

The most frustrating thing about CMS is that he has some connections to a great Miami football staff from the early 2000s, and he hasn't used them. In addition, he and MB haven't taken advantage of all the natural turnover that occurs every year around the country.

Randy Shannon, Greg Schiano, Ed Orgeron, Gene Chizik...and on and on...there have been solid coaches with legit resume's, cred, and experience on the market and UK hasn't seemed interested.
Click to expand...


Reiben, now pay attention. THIS is the way to gripe. Continue Jackson. (saving private ryan)
 
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