Comparative Scores From Prior Seasons.

[The-Hack]

Since Stoops came in 2013, and for a time prior, we’ve been playing 8 SEC games, Louisville, two G5 games and one FCS opponent, yearly, excluding the Covid season of 2020, when we played only SEC teams and the TS/Gator Bowl.

We’ve played our two G5 games and our FCS to open 2023, the first time all three have come at the front of the schedule.

I have compared the total score differential favoring Kentucky annually, to compare to 2023 totals. Some might want to try to compare overall quality of these relatively minor opponents, but that would take many hours of research (to compare EKU-2023 to EKU-2015 to Chattanooga-2021, etc.).

As I begin this list, I remember only one loss among these G5/FCS opponents; Southern Miss in ‘16. Similarly, there is only one true road game among them, again, Southern Miss in 2017.

2023: 3-0, 73 point advantage, UK
2022: 3-0, 62 point advantage, UK
2021: 3-0, 80 point advantage, UK
2019: 3-0, 78 point advantage, UK
2018: 3-0, 64 point advantage, UK
2017: 3-0, 22 point advantage, UK
2016: 2-1, 47 point advantage, UK
2015: 3-0, 62 point advantage, UK
2014: 3-0, 96 point advantage, UK
2013: 2-1, 59 point advantage, UK.

So, re-arranging them, highest-to-lowest point differential favoring UK:

2014, 96 point advantage;
2021, 80 point advantage;
2019, 78 point advantage;
2023, 73 point advantage;
2018, 64 point advantage;
2022, 62 point advantage;
2015, 62 point advantage;
2013, 59 point advantage;
2016, 47 point advantage;
2017, 22 point advantage.

So our point totals from our (presumably) three weakest opponents for 2023 actually exceed the average point differential against similar opponents in our 10-3 seasons of 2018, and 2021, an average of 72 points.

 

[Tf2217]

Oh yeah we're scoring more but the overall consensus is even though we are "blowing teams out" there's still a lot that looks ugly. Even more so in typical stoops years even though the scoring margin is better overall.

We played like pure garbage basically every first half. Can't do that to our selves in conference can't really be a second half team in football and be effective.

 

[The-Hack]

there's still a lot that looks ugly.

True.

And oddly, par for the course.

Entering Athens in 2021, we were ridiculaly upside down on turnovers, as I recall, at a minus 12.

I remember calculating that being 6-0 while minus 12 was about a one in a one-hundred thousand proposition . . . likely poor math, but still . . . .

I’ve always liked teams in any sport that could win ugly, or when not playing their best ball. It tends to point to a brighter future.

I don’t know if the numbers, above, mean very much, but statically, our performance against our lesser opponents this year is pretty close to our best in 10 seasons.

Surely we can play some clean football this season!

 

[SosaUK1987]

True.

And oddly, par for the course.

Entering Athens in 2021, we were ridiculaly upside down on turnovers, as I recall, at a minus 12.

I remember calculating that being 6-0 while minus 12 was about a one in a one-hundred thousand proposition . . . likely poor math, but still . . . .

I’ve always liked teams in any sport that could win ugly, or when not playing their best ball. It tends to point to a brighter future.

I don’t know if the numbers, above, mean very much, but statically, our performance against our lesser opponents this year is pretty close to our best in 10 seasons.

Surely we can play some clean football this season!

What’s the turnover ratio this year? If you know?

 

[The-Hack]

What’s the turnover ratio this year? If you know?

I don’t. But I think we’re upside down, again.

 

[SosaUK1987]

I don’t. But I think we’re upside down, again.

I do too.

 

[bthaunert]

I do too.

I think we are even so far at 5 and 5

 

[SosaUK1987]

I think we are even so far at 5 and 5

Thank you kind sir.

 

[satcheluk]

What’s the turnover ratio this year? If you know?

Even

 

[backinky2018]

This is a good post, b/c the truth is that how UK fares against the weak sister opponents (not including UL), doesn't seem to offer any sort of hint about final record or what kind of season we have. The one 10 win team barely beat Chattanooga. So, as frustrating as parts of the first three weeks have been, the real games start this week. IMO, we can start to make some judgments after the next two weeks.

 

[Wildcats1st]

It’s called playing to your competition. It’s a hallmark of stoops coaching. We just don’t pound trashy teams. It’s a little different this time because all three trash games opened up the season instead of being scattered throughout. I don’t know if that will help us or hurt us in the long run but you can’t gauge stoops success on non conference gimmes unless we lose like we did to so miss.