I once heard a story that Kirby Smart had been mentored not to schedule FCS (1-aa) teams with winning traditions--present day teams like EKU, Furman, NDSU, W&M, Richmond, etc.
Reason: They will not be cowered by the big name or stadium and play you closer than CW thinks they should....maybe even score a humiliating victory. Shoot, some of our best jokes at the expense of rivals come by way of FCS missteps (former SOCON members App St over Michigan, Ga Southern over Florida, former CAA hotshot JMU over Va Tech, and triple option trap The Citadel over USCe (twice), Arkansas, and Ga Tech).
The Smart mentoring advice held that the preferred opponents were mid-to-lower level P5/G5 (because your big-time FBS team will take them more seriously) OR bad FCS teams.
FCS has a scholarship disadvantage to be sure (85-to-63), but their starters are often FBS quality...especially with the transfer portal influx for playing time.
Fortunately for UK, the Cats have never lost to a 1-AA team since the split back in the 1978. Yesterday was a close call.
I'm not saying "Don't schedule EKU" (or Youngstown St, or Furman, or NDSU, etc). Big Time P5 FBS teams need extra home games and small-time FCS programs need their annual big-school paycheck games for survival.
What I AM saying is we better prepare for every team like they are a team that can beat us.....because they can.
Saturday was the classic "overlook the little guy/FCS trap" situation.
It is on the coaching staff to dial in the team to prepare for EVERY team. Let's put EKU behind us, prepare to put take on Akron, put them down quickly and convincingly, and send the message to the CFB world that we're a team to be taken seriously...that takes all of our opponents seriously.
GBB!
Reason: They will not be cowered by the big name or stadium and play you closer than CW thinks they should....maybe even score a humiliating victory. Shoot, some of our best jokes at the expense of rivals come by way of FCS missteps (former SOCON members App St over Michigan, Ga Southern over Florida, former CAA hotshot JMU over Va Tech, and triple option trap The Citadel over USCe (twice), Arkansas, and Ga Tech).
The Smart mentoring advice held that the preferred opponents were mid-to-lower level P5/G5 (because your big-time FBS team will take them more seriously) OR bad FCS teams.
FCS has a scholarship disadvantage to be sure (85-to-63), but their starters are often FBS quality...especially with the transfer portal influx for playing time.
Fortunately for UK, the Cats have never lost to a 1-AA team since the split back in the 1978. Yesterday was a close call.
I'm not saying "Don't schedule EKU" (or Youngstown St, or Furman, or NDSU, etc). Big Time P5 FBS teams need extra home games and small-time FCS programs need their annual big-school paycheck games for survival.
What I AM saying is we better prepare for every team like they are a team that can beat us.....because they can.
Saturday was the classic "overlook the little guy/FCS trap" situation.
It is on the coaching staff to dial in the team to prepare for EVERY team. Let's put EKU behind us, prepare to put take on Akron, put them down quickly and convincingly, and send the message to the CFB world that we're a team to be taken seriously...that takes all of our opponents seriously.
GBB!
