Connect with us

Football

Another Week of Ranting After Kentucky’s 14-3 Loss to Georgia

Published

4 years ago

on

We have hit the bye week of this Kentucky football season and the Cats are 2-4. That is disappointing to say the least. What’s more disappointing than that is the fact Kentucky’s offense hasn’t look good for the majority of the season.

Coming into this year, there was a ton of hype that I have talked about extensively. But, like many other years, we have been let down.

What makes that so aggravating is this team may be one of the best Kentucky has ever had. They have a good QB room, a great RB, a great O-Line and D-Line, a good defense, and a great punter. The only position I think Kentucky is below average is at the WR spot. But, with all of those positions being strong, they are still 2-4.

Advertisement

The big problem though is obviously the offense. The defense has been out on the field a ton this season and I am surprised a couple guys haven’t passed out. Honestly, I would punch every offensive guy in the face and Eddie Gran if I were the defense, because the offense hasn’t shown up.

We were told during the week that the offense would “shake things up” and we would see Chris Rodriguez more. Well, one of those things happened today. C-Rod had 20 carries for 108 yards, which against a defense as good as Georgia, is really good.

But, Rodriguez isn’t going to win you games. He sure is going to help you out a lot, but there are ten other men on the field for a reason. You have to mix it up a little bit. Get the other team off-balance.

Mark Stoops commented on that, saying “We tried to mix it up a little bit, we called some big plays, but Georgia did a great job of taking those away.”

Advertisement

Georgia’s defense is great, but I can’t believe they held Kentucky in check the whole game. Gatewood dropped back 25 times. You’re telling me not once was there a guy open deep? I think that means one thing, which is our wideouts cannot get open. We’ve talked about this before, but I think it’s true. And that would be why they target Josh Ali so much.

However, I do think a lot of the struggles fall on Eddie Gran. Kentucky has a talented offense and I just cannot believe they can’t do anything to move the ball consistently. You have to mix things up, especially against a team like Georgia. You can beat the South Carolina’s and Missouri’s of the world by playing ground-and-pound football, but Georgia won’t let that happen. You have to surprise them with something to get them off-balance.

I know Gatewood completed 19 passes, but he only had 91 yards. A lot of the throws were short for 2-5 yards. I didn’t see many passes past the first down marker. Maybe I missed them, but I didn’t. Doing that, you aren’t going to beat anyone good.

Eddie Gran doesn’t need to go, but if Kentucky doesn’t look better against Vanderbilt, something has to change. You have a bye-week and the worst SEC team in the next two weeks. There has to be a sign of life in the offense.

Advertisement

Let’s be positive for a minute though. The defense played great. They only allowed two touchdowns the whole game. The first drive for Georgia in both halves, and after that first drive, I thought we were in for a blowout. But they stepped up and Kentucky had a chance. Kelvin Joseph and Phil Hoskins came away with two big interceptions and overall the defense played really well.

The offense is completely broken, so something has to change. The Cats are now 2-4 and are probably going either 3-8 or 4-6, which would be a huge disappointment after the preseason hype, but this whole season has just not worked out so far.

I am not quitting yet. If they come out and suck against Vanderbilt, I say we all throw in the towel and shift our focus toward basketball. But, if they come out and look good against Vanderbilt, who they need to blowout, I’ll be excited again.

Advertisement
Related Topics:
Advertisement

Football

Louisville Football Player Charged With First-Degree Strangulation, Days After Committing Game Losing Personal Foul

Published

3 days ago

on

November 18, 2024

By

Louisville Cardinals defensive back Tayon Holloway (20) reacts to his defensive play.
Eric Canha | Imagn

On Monday, Louisville football defensive back Tayon Holloway was detained and charged with first-degree strangulation and fourth-degree assault.

This comes just days after the former four-star prospect committed a costly personal foul to put a 2-7 Stanford team in field goal range and upset Louosillve 38-35 with a walk-off field goal.

As expected, Holloway has been indefinitely suspended from the team.

Advertisement

“The University of Louisville is aware of the arrest of football student-athlete Tayon Holloway,” the university said in a statement. “As we gather more information, Tayon has been suspended indefinitely from all team activities.”

Things Cardinals seem to be in a downward trend as the Commonwealth Cup nears, November 30th.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Football

Kentucky snaps four game losing streak defeats Murray State 48-6

Published

5 days ago

on

November 16, 2024

By

Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops talking to Murray State football coach Jody Wright.
Jordan Prather | Imagn

Kentucky gets a much-needed victory over Murray St 48-6 to snap its four-game losing Streak. Brock Vandagriff led the way for the Cats, going 12-19 for 183 passing yards and two touchdown passes to Hardley Gilmore IV and Ja’Mori Maclin. 48 Points is the most points Kentucky has scored in a game since 2021 when the Cats scored 51 points against Louisville.

The defense held Murray St. without a touchdown. For the second time this season, Kentucky’s defense has held an opponent without a touchdown.

Freshman Standout today:

Advertisement

For the second time this season, Kentucky breaks the 40-point mark as three freshmen make impacts for Kentucky. Jamarion Wilcox had 13 carries and 124 yards with a touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

Receiver Hardley Gilmore IV had two receptions for 72 yards and caught the 52-yard touchdown pass from Brock Vandagriff on the game-opening drive.

Four-star quarterback Cutter Boley started the second half for the Cats, going 10-14 and passing for 130 yards with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, both touchdown passes to sophomore receiver Anthony Brown-Stephens.

Defense Bounces Back:

Advertisement

After giving up over 475 yards of total offense each of the last three games, Kentucky’s defense holds Murray State to 256 total yards of offense while also having three takeaways from the Murray State offense

Defensive Lineman Tre’vonn Rybka led the way for the defense with five tackles and the only sack of the game for Kentucky’s defense. Jordan Lovett had two takeaways in the first half for Kentucky and one in the red zone in the second quarter. Jackson Schultz had the final takeaway, picking off Jim Ogle’s pass late in the fourth quarter.

Box Score

With the win today over Murray St., Kentucky moves to 4-6 (1-6 SEC) with two games remaining. They look to keep their bowl eligibility alive as they travel to Austin, Texas, and face the No. 3 ranked Texas Longhorns at 3:30 pm on ABC. 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Football

Mark Stoops Responds to Retirement Rumors, “Zero Percent Chance I Do That”

Published

1 week ago

on

November 11, 2024

By

Kentucky football coach Mark Stoops responds to retirement rumors amidst disappointing season. "Zero percent chance I do that."
Jordan Prather | Imagn

To say there is unrest in the Kentucky Football fanbase would be an understatement. With a 3-6 record overall, and 1-6 in the SEC (15th out of 16) things look bleak, and there is still a quarter of the season to go. Considering the regression from the previous two seasons as well, it’s difficult to be optimistic about the future.

Over the last few weeks, rumors have circled that head coach Mark Stoops has considered retiring at the end of the season. Optics wise it makes sense, his older brother Bob Stoops surprisingly retired from Oklahoma at just 56, and Mark, now 57, has expressed a desire to spend more time with his children.

At his weekly press conference, Stoops was asked directly if there is any chance that he would walk away from Kentucky and retire at the season. To which he responded, bluntly:

Advertisement

“Zero percent chance I do that. Next question.”

Mark Stoops is still owed more than $44 million on his contract. That’s A LOT of money to leave on the table and is the reason that the decision will be Stoops’ to make, as Kentucky cannot afford the buyout.

If Stoops holds true to his word and returns next season, NIL fundraising efforts may be the most difficult it has been for him. However, he hopes it sparks motivation to donate.

“I’ve seen it at other SEC schools,” Stoops said. “I want to stay away from that. I really get tired of — I don’t want to be like I am whining, I am crying. It is reality. You have to have dollars.”

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending