He can't let his man blow it up. Apparently coaches agree. He and the other tes are now finding some pine time while kattis is showing he's willing to block.
Tes have been great in the pass game but their run blocking has been unbelievably bad
At 2022 season's midpoint, selected issues to examine
- Thread starter Rembrandt90
- Start date
He can't let his man blow it up. Apparently coaches agree. He and the other tes are now finding some pine time while kattis is showing he's willing to block.
Tes have been great in the pass game but their run blocking has been unbelievably bad
Just find it interesting all the analysis of O line play, the only plausible acceptable answer anyone is willing to give is it is a result of bad coaching.
Why is saying it is bad players so unspeakable?
Lots of citing of recruiting rankings as justifying someone is supposed to be a great college football player. As if we never see a guy fail to live up to his ranking. From the SEC football I've watched this yr, I don't know if any of our regular 5 O linemen would start for anyone else. Certainly not the winning ones.
And if these are our best 5, I can't imagine how bad the guys who don't play must look.
To be fair, they are on their 3rd O line coach in 3 yrs. All are playing a scheme they weren't recruited to play. Hopefully the improved play from State carries over to the rest of the season.
If we limp home 8-4 it will be Stoops best coaching job ever, overcoming the staff turnover, the injuries, the bullshit suspensions. Fingers crossed.
Why is saying it is bad players so unspeakable?
Lots of citing of recruiting rankings as justifying someone is supposed to be a great college football player. As if we never see a guy fail to live up to his ranking. From the SEC football I've watched this yr, I don't know if any of our regular 5 O linemen would start for anyone else. Certainly not the winning ones.
And if these are our best 5, I can't imagine how bad the guys who don't play must look.
To be fair, they are on their 3rd O line coach in 3 yrs. All are playing a scheme they weren't recruited to play. Hopefully the improved play from State carries over to the rest of the season.
If we limp home 8-4 it will be Stoops best coaching job ever, overcoming the staff turnover, the injuries, the bullshit suspensions. Fingers crossed.
Again, just watch the play.......
1. The safety was completely uncovered on the edge and he was full bore to the backfield the moment the ball was snapped.
2. Dingle was in motion from weakside to strong side and when the ball was snapped...he was right at Buford's back at the tackle box.
3. Dingle attacked the uncovered safety to block him but the safety had outside leverage and all Dingle could do was hope to push him as far outside as possible...he had no shot to get on front of him or push him inside.
We should have gotten out of that play the moment the safety flanked to the LOS and showed pressure.....it's not on Dingle. But i agree we are demanding better TE blocking which is why Upshaw is nowhere to be found anymore and Cummings is less and less. Dingle and Bates are getting most of snaps and Kattus is sneaking in there more and more.
Well...
1. Cox and Horsey have not been poor players in their past...but now are struggling. Especially Cox.
2. Manning has been a solid interior guard at Auburn....now he wasn't playing well.
So, the only common denominator is coaching, and scheme is it not?
I'll concede the tackles just are not very good and Burton is probably playing a year earlier than he should have been. But we have the worst Oline in SEC by a lot and 13 in scoring in SEC....and we turn the ball over a ton. That is bad stuff no matter how you slice it.
I have a hard time swallowing it's a great coaching job to go 8-4 with a NFL QB for the first time in a long time, the WR upgrade we've never had in a while and lights out D.....and we drew Ole Miss from the West. Sloppy special teams, mounds of offensive penalties, etc.. have lost 2 games we should have been able to win to be honest.
Maybe the OL is starting to come around some. Leach said he thought our OL whipped their DL consistently the whole game.
1. They were good players.....at left & right guard. They ain't playing those positions. Are they good LT & C?
2. Manning had lost his starting job at Auburn last season, that's why he was in the portal.
How is drawing undefeated & very possible SEC West champ Ole Miss this yr good luck we should have taken advantage of?!? From the games I've watched i think the Rebs run all over Bama. Good scheduling luck for 2022 would have been UK getting Auburn. And even they are feisty.
Look coaches deserve criticism, and this yr its deserved. But the calls from some fans & the basketball blog to fire the O line coach & OC after 6 games are beyond foolish & stupid. Liam Coen hired Yenser, do you people not remember the timing right!?!? My biggest problem with the O line coaching is not getting Goodwin ready to play LT, they have had him on campus since January. He should have been out there SOME against the 3 OOC teams in Sept. 5 star O tackles don't pick UK much, not using him somehow some way is a wasted opportunity.
You are correct in his first mistake being alignment. He should've adjusted his split to make sure he could get there. He missed several blocking assignments on the year and this is one too. Kattis is sneaking in there because they can't trust dingle to block. Sucks because he's great in pass.
I definitely agree the play call should've never been made. We didn't need that to beat them. Also agree there should've been a TO soon as they lined up. Can't expect Dingle to make that block given what we saw from him this season.
Yeah..I agree. But Yenser didn't have to move them. It was his choice...and it has not panned out.
- I get Horsey probably had to go tackle once Goodwin showed he wasn't ready
- But Cox didn't have to move to C....that was 100% Yenser's call. We could have put Q. Wilson a Center and kept Cox and Guard. Also, I'd argue there isn't a big adjustment from Center to Guard. Fortner did it and fit like a glover.
Ole Miss will get to play Bama to see who is best....but I think Bama will kill them to be honest. But we'll see.
Goodwin is a mystery why he isn't playing. It appears Flax, Wohlbaugh and Buford are ahead of him....and Wohlbaugh is terrible and I dont' buy Goodwin isn't better than him. Especially seeing Buford has been looking very good...why Yenser ever played Wohlbaugh is a mystery.
All in all....I see an Oline that has been really bad. Tons of penalties all year round (which is discipline issues). I do see an Oline improving and maybe Yenser is getting them to gel and better days are ahead.
Typically, I do not predict outcomes of college football games. It is very rare for me to predict a UK loss, since I believe our coaching staff has earned our trust.
However, on this thread, I have said I do not believe UK will beat Tennessee this week. My thought process goes like this. A year ago, Tennessee beat UK in Lexington. This time, the game will be played in Knoxville. Tennessee is currently the #3 ranked team in the country but may still be underrated. The Vols recently beat Alabama. I believe Tennessee has the best WRs in college football, and might also have the best QB. If Hendon Hooker is not the best QB in college football, he is the hottest one. Although the Vols play fast, they seldom make mistakes. Instead, they force their opponents into making mistakes. And although their defense might not be the best in the SEC, they are better than last year.
Having said all of that, it would be incorrect to say UK has no chance to win. UK could pull off the upset. I don't expect it, but I can see how it could happen. If you like UK to win this game, you have to believe "rivalry" games are prone to producing surprises. UK is coming off a bye week, which gave our coaches an extra week to prep for Tennessee. And since Tennessee recently beat Alabama, the Vols could be due for a letdown. They didn't look flat against Tennessee-Martin last week, but that level of competition might not provide sufficient challenge for a letdown to happen. You wouldn't expect a letdown to happen against UK in a "rivalry" game. But no team brings their A game 12 times in a season.
In order to pull off the upset this week, IMO UK must accomplish three things in this game-
NO TURNOVERS. UK has not been as turnover-prone as last year, but we have still made a bunch of mistakes and committed some real unfortunate turnovers this year. Turnovers cost us the Ole Miss game. This week, we cannot afford to turn the football over.
DEFENSE. UK's defense is ranked 2nd in the SEC in total defense, 3rd in pass defense, and 4th in stopping 3rd down conversions. These are great stats. Unfortunately, Tennessee is 1st in the SEC in total offense, passing offense, and scoring offense. But something's got to give in this game. With two weeks to prepare, maybe UK's defense excels this week and keeps Hendon Hookmer off his rhythm. In order to win against Tennessee's explosive passing game, that will be a total necessity.
SUSTAIN LONG DRIVES. A year ago in Lexington, UK's offense sustained a number of long drives, dominated time of possession, and almost beat the Vols if not for a disastrous, poorly timed second-half interception thrown by Will Levis. If we can control the clock again this year, while avoiding mistakes and turnovers, we can keep Hooker and his receivers on the sidelines as spectators. Unfortunately, Tennessee's defense ranks #2 in the SEC in defending against the run. But the Vols have not been very good so far defending against the pass. So it will not be enough to feed the ball to CRod. Coach Scangarello will need to employ a balanced game plan, and Will Levis will need to complete some vertical passes and play his best game of the season.
So, sustain long drives (like last year, but without turnovers this time) and play a great defensive game, and UK could pull off a big upset tomorrow. It would take an incredible effort for 60 minutes, but it would be a season-turning win for us. I am not counting on it, but It is not impossible.
However, on this thread, I have said I do not believe UK will beat Tennessee this week. My thought process goes like this. A year ago, Tennessee beat UK in Lexington. This time, the game will be played in Knoxville. Tennessee is currently the #3 ranked team in the country but may still be underrated. The Vols recently beat Alabama. I believe Tennessee has the best WRs in college football, and might also have the best QB. If Hendon Hooker is not the best QB in college football, he is the hottest one. Although the Vols play fast, they seldom make mistakes. Instead, they force their opponents into making mistakes. And although their defense might not be the best in the SEC, they are better than last year.
Having said all of that, it would be incorrect to say UK has no chance to win. UK could pull off the upset. I don't expect it, but I can see how it could happen. If you like UK to win this game, you have to believe "rivalry" games are prone to producing surprises. UK is coming off a bye week, which gave our coaches an extra week to prep for Tennessee. And since Tennessee recently beat Alabama, the Vols could be due for a letdown. They didn't look flat against Tennessee-Martin last week, but that level of competition might not provide sufficient challenge for a letdown to happen. You wouldn't expect a letdown to happen against UK in a "rivalry" game. But no team brings their A game 12 times in a season.
In order to pull off the upset this week, IMO UK must accomplish three things in this game-
NO TURNOVERS. UK has not been as turnover-prone as last year, but we have still made a bunch of mistakes and committed some real unfortunate turnovers this year. Turnovers cost us the Ole Miss game. This week, we cannot afford to turn the football over.
DEFENSE. UK's defense is ranked 2nd in the SEC in total defense, 3rd in pass defense, and 4th in stopping 3rd down conversions. These are great stats. Unfortunately, Tennessee is 1st in the SEC in total offense, passing offense, and scoring offense. But something's got to give in this game. With two weeks to prepare, maybe UK's defense excels this week and keeps Hendon Hookmer off his rhythm. In order to win against Tennessee's explosive passing game, that will be a total necessity.
SUSTAIN LONG DRIVES. A year ago in Lexington, UK's offense sustained a number of long drives, dominated time of possession, and almost beat the Vols if not for a disastrous, poorly timed second-half interception thrown by Will Levis. If we can control the clock again this year, while avoiding mistakes and turnovers, we can keep Hooker and his receivers on the sidelines as spectators. Unfortunately, Tennessee's defense ranks #2 in the SEC in defending against the run. But the Vols have not been very good so far defending against the pass. So it will not be enough to feed the ball to CRod. Coach Scangarello will need to employ a balanced game plan, and Will Levis will need to complete some vertical passes and play his best game of the season.
So, sustain long drives (like last year, but without turnovers this time) and play a great defensive game, and UK could pull off a big upset tomorrow. It would take an incredible effort for 60 minutes, but it would be a season-turning win for us. I am not counting on it, but It is not impossible.
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Typically, after losses-
I wait a while to post because the atmosphere of the board instantly becomes unrealistically negative and all perspective is instantly lost.
Negative posters come out of the walls. You know what I mean. The guys who never post after a win, or only post negative stuff after wins.
However, in this case, the need for perspective is so obvious that we need to turn the discussion.
First, let's stipulate some unpleasant givens-
Last night was one of the least competent performances a UK football team has mustered in my lifetime. Granted, TN is probably the best team in the SEC and possibly even the best team in the country right now. GA vs. TN is really going to be interesting, and I will watch that game as an interested student of college football. Granted, TN has the best receivers in the country. Granted, Josh Heupel is a very innovative coach. Granted, playing on the road in the SEC is always difficult. And, granted, for some reason, UK has never played well under Stoops following bye weeks.
But OTOH-
UK entered this game with one of the best defenses in the conference. In recent weeks, some of the known problems on our offense were starting to look incrementally better. Our QB has been discussed by people in the industry who know what they are talking about as a 1st round draft choice and a potential overall #1 pick. TN's defense has been vulnerable to the pass all season. And, of course, UK has one of the best RBs in the country.
So here are my conclusions for today, and I would just hope that the quality of dialog and observation on this board improves on an exponential scale soon-
I am still a big fan of Mark Stoops, because no one can credibly deny all that Stoops has accomplished here. In the beginning, Stoops admitted coming to UK because he greatly respected the BBN. Now it is time for the BBN to show some cojones and perspective. Attempts to downplay or deny Stoops' accomplishments are tantamount to admitting a lack of objective knowledge about college football. However, more to the point today, there are problems on Stoops' coaching staff this year. Refusing to acknowledge those are similarly tantamount to lacking rational problem recognition.
UK's defense did not play well yesterday, and I was concerned by breakdowns in the 2nd half that could be seen as letting up. Still, Stoops has done a very solid job of building the foundation of his defensive roster, and his 2023 recruiting class (contrary to what some doom and gloomers say) is about to strengthen UK's defensive roster even more. UK's defense should be in good shape for years.
However, UK's offensive roster is in some trouble, and I believe three different OCs in three years is the reason. We are in good shape in our WR room and that, too, will get even better with the 2023 class. But the OL is an obvious problem. It can be salvaged if Kiyaunta Goodwin, Nik Hall, Grant Bingham, and Austin Ramsey pan out. But my eyes tell me current OL problems are not getting addressed. Last night, Horsey held up admirably. But Manning had his worst game as a Wildcat. Although a serviceable run blocker, Flax was beaten like a redheaded stepchild all night by TN's pass rush. I am not overstating this. The illegal procedure penalties continue to pile up. Granted, Neyland Stadium was loud. But with a bye week, there was sufficient time to prepare for this. It can be done. Winning teams prepare.
To state the obvious, Will Levis is not progressing as an SEC QB. The arm talent is undeniable. But Levis does not have the game day decision skills of a top Power 5 QB. Granted, Neyland Stadium in 2022 is one of the toughest venues in which to prove out. But these problems are not new. Levis has trouble with presnap recognition. He holds onto the football in the pocket and then throws into the strength of coverages. This leads to interceptions. These issues are repetitive, and call into question offensive game planning and prep. Levis clearly misses Wandale, who was a problem eraser in 2021. Now he still has quality receivers, but he cannot seem to get on the same page with them. Not just last night. Levis appears to be regressing. Fairly, you have to give some credit to TN's defense, but some of it is on Levis. And some of it has to be on Scan. You just can't get around that anymore, because the same problems can be seen every week.
Circling back to the offensive roster, the only positions that appear secure for the future are WR and TE. Our WR room is in the kind of great shape that has not happened since Keenan Burton, Stevie Johnson, and Dickie Lyons Jr. Actually the current WRs have an even higher ceiling. Our TEs have missed some blocks, but mostly those have been mistakes of inexperience by younger players. The future of the TE room also looks bright. Our young RBs are better than the gloom and doomers say, but still a step or two down from CRod. That must be addressed. Jamarion Wilcox would be a start, and Stoops also needs to hang onto Khalifa Keith. The future of the QB room concerns me more and more, as I am no longer comfortable with the narrative that Levis' tenure at UK will be attractive to top QB transfers. I am not suggesting Sheron is a bad player. I am not suggesting Destin Wade cannot be developed. But their futures under rotating OCs should concern everyone, because both Sheron and Wade are raw talents who need development for a period of time in a stable offensive system that suits their athletic tools. Stoops needs a new QB for 2023, and I don't know yet how that will happen.
This leads us back to the coaching staff. I have no concerns about Brad White or Mike Stoops. I am warming up to Anwar Stewart. But Stoops' offensive staff concerns me. In terms of very basic skill sets, our OL is not improving. Not just last night. I am talking about the flow of the 2022 season. I just can't see Yenser surviving. I would love to be wrong, but the regression of the OL is stunning and broadly obvious. The offense cannot get better until the OL gets better. If the OL was going to get better, we would not be seeing this continuing procession of illegal procedure penalties, because they are the most basic evidence of insufficient prep. And it is really beginning to concern me that Kiyaunta Goodwin, who enrolled at UK last January, is still invisible. Goodwin's work ethic has been praised. His talent is unquestionable. He isn't redshirting. One can only wonder what Goodwin must be thinking now. On the merits, I don't see how Yenser can survive. Sorry but, given the evidence before our eyes, I just can't see that. And one other thing, while we are addressing the OL. This isn't Drake Jackson's fault. Drake isn't the responsible party. Like the players, Drake is here to learn from Yenser.
Scan has a multiyear contract with UK. Say what you will, but that is a form of security. It must be tough to be the 3rd different OC in three years. I fully get that. But Stoops has a difficult decision ahead. You can't win football games without putting points on the board. You can't put points on the board without solid development and prep. Scan's offense is not getting the job done. The numbers speak for themselves, but trust your eyes. Mistakes and turnovers are piling up. It might not be entirely Scan's fault, but our offense is regressing. It is the OC's job to oversee and fix the offense. If not the OC, then who? So Stoops has a decision to make.
This brings me to special teams. Another blocked extra point and another blocked punt last night. It has gotten surreal. For god's sake, please, please hire a proven special teams coordinator. This couldn't possibly be more obvious.
After losses, this board is never rational. But throwing Stoops under the bus is simply not intelligent or realistic. Still, the time is rapidly coming for a rebuild of our offensive coaching staff. Marrow is safe, and Settle ought to be safe. I have no strong feelings one way or the other about Scott Woodward, but he is obviously not Stoops' first concern. At least, Woodward is showing some recruiting skills. But we desperately need a proven OL coach, and Stoops really must think through the problems that have been produced by three different OCs in three years.
And we have to have a proven special teams coach.
None of this can get fixed before the offseason. Meanwhile, I believe people predicting the imminent collapse of our football team are probably in need of a different hobby. Stoops is the winningest football coach in UK history. While Stoops obviously didn't get it done during the bye week, people are obsessed and off track if they can't find the good sense to give TN and Heupel some credit for what happened yesterday. This is a historically great TN team. That is easy to see. But it isn't the only issue. UK will have another bowl season, but this is not a football team in the improvement mode. Far from it. Stoops must retool his coaching staff, find a new QB in the offseason, and fix UK's OL and special teams somehow. Let's be supportive, because our coach has earned it. If you don't think so, then you need something else to obsess about in your life. Seriously. And, believe me, I am not a happy camper this morning. I get all the frustration, but I have a perspective.
I wait a while to post because the atmosphere of the board instantly becomes unrealistically negative and all perspective is instantly lost.
Negative posters come out of the walls. You know what I mean. The guys who never post after a win, or only post negative stuff after wins.
However, in this case, the need for perspective is so obvious that we need to turn the discussion.
First, let's stipulate some unpleasant givens-
Last night was one of the least competent performances a UK football team has mustered in my lifetime. Granted, TN is probably the best team in the SEC and possibly even the best team in the country right now. GA vs. TN is really going to be interesting, and I will watch that game as an interested student of college football. Granted, TN has the best receivers in the country. Granted, Josh Heupel is a very innovative coach. Granted, playing on the road in the SEC is always difficult. And, granted, for some reason, UK has never played well under Stoops following bye weeks.
But OTOH-
UK entered this game with one of the best defenses in the conference. In recent weeks, some of the known problems on our offense were starting to look incrementally better. Our QB has been discussed by people in the industry who know what they are talking about as a 1st round draft choice and a potential overall #1 pick. TN's defense has been vulnerable to the pass all season. And, of course, UK has one of the best RBs in the country.
So here are my conclusions for today, and I would just hope that the quality of dialog and observation on this board improves on an exponential scale soon-
I am still a big fan of Mark Stoops, because no one can credibly deny all that Stoops has accomplished here. In the beginning, Stoops admitted coming to UK because he greatly respected the BBN. Now it is time for the BBN to show some cojones and perspective. Attempts to downplay or deny Stoops' accomplishments are tantamount to admitting a lack of objective knowledge about college football. However, more to the point today, there are problems on Stoops' coaching staff this year. Refusing to acknowledge those are similarly tantamount to lacking rational problem recognition.
UK's defense did not play well yesterday, and I was concerned by breakdowns in the 2nd half that could be seen as letting up. Still, Stoops has done a very solid job of building the foundation of his defensive roster, and his 2023 recruiting class (contrary to what some doom and gloomers say) is about to strengthen UK's defensive roster even more. UK's defense should be in good shape for years.
However, UK's offensive roster is in some trouble, and I believe three different OCs in three years is the reason. We are in good shape in our WR room and that, too, will get even better with the 2023 class. But the OL is an obvious problem. It can be salvaged if Kiyaunta Goodwin, Nik Hall, Grant Bingham, and Austin Ramsey pan out. But my eyes tell me current OL problems are not getting addressed. Last night, Horsey held up admirably. But Manning had his worst game as a Wildcat. Although a serviceable run blocker, Flax was beaten like a redheaded stepchild all night by TN's pass rush. I am not overstating this. The illegal procedure penalties continue to pile up. Granted, Neyland Stadium was loud. But with a bye week, there was sufficient time to prepare for this. It can be done. Winning teams prepare.
To state the obvious, Will Levis is not progressing as an SEC QB. The arm talent is undeniable. But Levis does not have the game day decision skills of a top Power 5 QB. Granted, Neyland Stadium in 2022 is one of the toughest venues in which to prove out. But these problems are not new. Levis has trouble with presnap recognition. He holds onto the football in the pocket and then throws into the strength of coverages. This leads to interceptions. These issues are repetitive, and call into question offensive game planning and prep. Levis clearly misses Wandale, who was a problem eraser in 2021. Now he still has quality receivers, but he cannot seem to get on the same page with them. Not just last night. Levis appears to be regressing. Fairly, you have to give some credit to TN's defense, but some of it is on Levis. And some of it has to be on Scan. You just can't get around that anymore, because the same problems can be seen every week.
Circling back to the offensive roster, the only positions that appear secure for the future are WR and TE. Our WR room is in the kind of great shape that has not happened since Keenan Burton, Stevie Johnson, and Dickie Lyons Jr. Actually the current WRs have an even higher ceiling. Our TEs have missed some blocks, but mostly those have been mistakes of inexperience by younger players. The future of the TE room also looks bright. Our young RBs are better than the gloom and doomers say, but still a step or two down from CRod. That must be addressed. Jamarion Wilcox would be a start, and Stoops also needs to hang onto Khalifa Keith. The future of the QB room concerns me more and more, as I am no longer comfortable with the narrative that Levis' tenure at UK will be attractive to top QB transfers. I am not suggesting Sheron is a bad player. I am not suggesting Destin Wade cannot be developed. But their futures under rotating OCs should concern everyone, because both Sheron and Wade are raw talents who need development for a period of time in a stable offensive system that suits their athletic tools. Stoops needs a new QB for 2023, and I don't know yet how that will happen.
This leads us back to the coaching staff. I have no concerns about Brad White or Mike Stoops. I am warming up to Anwar Stewart. But Stoops' offensive staff concerns me. In terms of very basic skill sets, our OL is not improving. Not just last night. I am talking about the flow of the 2022 season. I just can't see Yenser surviving. I would love to be wrong, but the regression of the OL is stunning and broadly obvious. The offense cannot get better until the OL gets better. If the OL was going to get better, we would not be seeing this continuing procession of illegal procedure penalties, because they are the most basic evidence of insufficient prep. And it is really beginning to concern me that Kiyaunta Goodwin, who enrolled at UK last January, is still invisible. Goodwin's work ethic has been praised. His talent is unquestionable. He isn't redshirting. One can only wonder what Goodwin must be thinking now. On the merits, I don't see how Yenser can survive. Sorry but, given the evidence before our eyes, I just can't see that. And one other thing, while we are addressing the OL. This isn't Drake Jackson's fault. Drake isn't the responsible party. Like the players, Drake is here to learn from Yenser.
Scan has a multiyear contract with UK. Say what you will, but that is a form of security. It must be tough to be the 3rd different OC in three years. I fully get that. But Stoops has a difficult decision ahead. You can't win football games without putting points on the board. You can't put points on the board without solid development and prep. Scan's offense is not getting the job done. The numbers speak for themselves, but trust your eyes. Mistakes and turnovers are piling up. It might not be entirely Scan's fault, but our offense is regressing. It is the OC's job to oversee and fix the offense. If not the OC, then who? So Stoops has a decision to make.
This brings me to special teams. Another blocked extra point and another blocked punt last night. It has gotten surreal. For god's sake, please, please hire a proven special teams coordinator. This couldn't possibly be more obvious.
After losses, this board is never rational. But throwing Stoops under the bus is simply not intelligent or realistic. Still, the time is rapidly coming for a rebuild of our offensive coaching staff. Marrow is safe, and Settle ought to be safe. I have no strong feelings one way or the other about Scott Woodward, but he is obviously not Stoops' first concern. At least, Woodward is showing some recruiting skills. But we desperately need a proven OL coach, and Stoops really must think through the problems that have been produced by three different OCs in three years.
And we have to have a proven special teams coach.
None of this can get fixed before the offseason. Meanwhile, I believe people predicting the imminent collapse of our football team are probably in need of a different hobby. Stoops is the winningest football coach in UK history. While Stoops obviously didn't get it done during the bye week, people are obsessed and off track if they can't find the good sense to give TN and Heupel some credit for what happened yesterday. This is a historically great TN team. That is easy to see. But it isn't the only issue. UK will have another bowl season, but this is not a football team in the improvement mode. Far from it. Stoops must retool his coaching staff, find a new QB in the offseason, and fix UK's OL and special teams somehow. Let's be supportive, because our coach has earned it. If you don't think so, then you need something else to obsess about in your life. Seriously. And, believe me, I am not a happy camper this morning. I get all the frustration, but I have a perspective.
One other thing. I expected to lose the TN game, and I said so ahead of time even though I didn't like saying it. But I never expected to see our football team give a poor effort. I didn't expect our players to give a performance characterized by mental mistakes and more illegal procedure penalties, especially after a bye week. IMO, that it happened like that forces Stoops to put everything up for critical review now.
Business managers simultaneously analyze their businesses in three different time frames, short, medium, and long. In the long and medium terms, UK's football program is succeeding and improving. The fact that some fans can't seem to grasp that just shows that they don't think like top managers think. Top managers do not make important decisions emotionally or impulsively. But, in the short time frame, UK's football program is stuck in a bad offensive phase. The OL and ineffective game prep appear to be highest on the blame list, although our QB is certainly not helping his draft status. The entire football program doesn't need to be blown up, as some are suggesting today. Top managers don't act recklessly. But the offense has to be fixed, and that will require a number of effective moves no matter where Stoops ultimately feels the most blame lies. I am glad Mike Stoops is there for Mark to confide in, and I am sure there will also be some substantive conversations between Mark and Bob Stoops. Mark has that advantage. Let's hope it helps.
And, dear god, please send us a proven special teams coach.
Business managers simultaneously analyze their businesses in three different time frames, short, medium, and long. In the long and medium terms, UK's football program is succeeding and improving. The fact that some fans can't seem to grasp that just shows that they don't think like top managers think. Top managers do not make important decisions emotionally or impulsively. But, in the short time frame, UK's football program is stuck in a bad offensive phase. The OL and ineffective game prep appear to be highest on the blame list, although our QB is certainly not helping his draft status. The entire football program doesn't need to be blown up, as some are suggesting today. Top managers don't act recklessly. But the offense has to be fixed, and that will require a number of effective moves no matter where Stoops ultimately feels the most blame lies. I am glad Mike Stoops is there for Mark to confide in, and I am sure there will also be some substantive conversations between Mark and Bob Stoops. Mark has that advantage. Let's hope it helps.
And, dear god, please send us a proven special teams coach.
National pollster and focus group expert Frank Luntz was on TV this morning, talking about polarization in our country. I met Luntz and participated in his focus groups. This morning, Luntz said-
"In the end, we have to look people in the eye and tell the truth, regardless of the consequences."
If you are committed to emoting and infighting today, then stop here. There are always a few posters who think about rational considerations for the future. This is a tip of my blue cap to them.
At this season's midpoint, I posted the OP out of concern about issues I discussed at that time.
Some pundits and fans are painting yesterday's unacceptable loss as the worst of Stoops' career. Some are even rank-ordering Stoops' losses. The thing about disappointment is that it fades over time. UK's losses to Western Kentucky in 2013 and Southern Miss in 2016 were painful. Vandy in 2015 and TN in 2018 and 2022 were very painful. Our 2017 MCB loss to Northwestern was painful because Benny Snell was ejected in the 1st half. The generational losing streak to FL doesn't sting anymore, because Stoops has grabbed the upper hand. Now, the FL fanbase is learning about pain. IIRC, UK has produced four 10-win football seasons. Stoops owns two of those. For perspective, this is worth keeping in mind.
Vandy hadn't beaten any SEC opponent in several years. Sometimes you have to give fair credit to an opponent. It stings. But success is as much about managing your limitations as basking in your successes. To his credit, Clark Lea gets that. This is no comfort to me today. I am very disappointed, but I am in an analytical mood today.
2022 SEASON STATUS
UK is 6-4. We will be heavy dogs against GA next week. Jaquez Jones is out, and Levis and Square are not healthy. Levis took big hits yesterday. There have been rumors that his right shoulder is injured. After yesterday's performance, I believe that.
Our special teams are the worst I have ever seen. Almost every week, a UK punt or FG attempt is blocked. Yesterday's blocked FG provided the winning margin for Vandy, just as points left on the field by UK's placekicking team provided the final winning margin for Ole Miss. Our punter is out for the season.
There are rumors of divisions inside UK's locker room. After three OCs in 3 years, and with older players losing roles to younger players, I see how that could happen. Our team imploded yesterday. Morale must have been bad before yesterday, and worse now.
In his postgame remarks, Mark Stoops was at a loss for words. This is the most discouraged he has been during his tenure. For successful football coaches, intense disappointment is the first stage in making improvements. This is the most important crossroad Stoops has faced since 2015-16. Stoops will be forced to deal with complicated decisions. He has given everything to this job, including his marriage. He is a tough, well connected guy from a football family. Stoops will keep his business close to the vest.
Yesterday, QB Malik Cunningham left UL's game against Clemson with a shoulder injury and did not return. Earlier in the season, Cunningham suffered other injuries including a bad blow to the head. If he plays at all against UK in the finale, Cunningham won't be 100%. Which is familiar. Levis hasn't been 100% physically since September. Yesterday, Vandy's backup QB beat us. It's a long season. It is way too early for anyone to predict what will happen when we play UL at Kroger Field, especially if Deandre Square is available to play. That game will still be important because it will determine our bowl alternatives.
This was widely proclaimed to be Stoops' most talented team. 7-5 or 6-6 is not what anyone wants. Our coaches don't want that. Football is a team sport. We have key injuries. Our special teams have blown two games. Our OL is not playing winning football. In competitive sports, this stuff can happen. You can now see the stress and strain on the coaches, especially Stoops. The players are failing, and they know it. This is the time of the season when finger pointing is hard to stop. Our coaches will protect our players. So far, our players have protected one another.
BOWLS
UK's leverage over the bowl selection process has been compromised. Stoops MUST get UK to a bowl because that will give his football players an additional month of practices when they are needed most in order to prep for 2023. Bowls also provide TV coverage that gets into minds of hs players and transfers.
If UK loses to GA and UL, we would be lucky to get invited to the Liberty Bowl. If UK beats GA and UL (yes, I know), we might be talking about the MCB or the Gator Bowl. Splitting the two games means MCB or Liberty. I believe there is a time conflict between the MCB and the UK-UL basketball game. FWIW.
RECRUITING
Losing 4 of our most recent 6 games is bound to hurt recruiting. This could be rectified by winning out, however unlikely that may be. Moorman and Keith have already decommitted, and Koby Keenum is said to be on the verge of decommitting. In case you haven't noticed, all three are offensive players. It's no coincidence that UK's offense is a mess. Scangarello and Yenser have not established themselves as recruiting assets. This hurts the class. Stoops must hold onto Stuart, Anglin, Godfrey, Porter, Brown, and Ramsey, our top out of state commits. Godfrey and Brown recently verified that their commitments are firm. It has gotten difficult to add more quality prospects to UK's 2023 class, although Stoops worked magic in the past with Josh Allen, Calvin Taylor, and Quinton Bohanna who were not high on UK's priority list until later in the recruiting cycle.
OTOH, this situation could be promising for the transfer portal, as long as Stoops sells the narrative that things will get better and incoming transfers are stepping into great opportunities. In the past, he has done this well.
I will not address NIL because last week's news says the issue is already being optimized.
RETURNING 2023 ROSTER
Senior starters Levis, CRod, Smoke, TRob, Bates, Horsey, Manning, Jones, Square, Wright, Ajian, and Smith will graduate. I doubt Jefferson comes back.
I expect a larger number of outgoing transfers than usual. Stoops may lose significant transfers because of poor morale or fear of losing playing time to younger players.
COACHING STAFF
Stoops must rebuild his coaching staff. Marrow, White, Stewart, Collins, and Mike Stoops are safe. Woodward is probably safe although a new OC might want to choose his WR coach. Settle is one of the best RB coaches in the industry. The most vulnerable coach is Zach Yenser. UK cannot succeed with a bad OL, and younger linemen like Kiyaunta Goodwin, Nik Hall, and Grant Bingham need to believe that UK's OL coach can develop them into star players. IMHO, Yenser must be replaced by an experienced SEC OL coach who can recruit. I have become convinced Stoops must hire a new OC. Scangarello has a multiyear contract, which means a buyout. Four OCs in 4 years is a bad look, and will temporarily complicate player development. But change is necessary because UK's offensive recruiting and player development are stuck in neutral. Unfortunately, Coach Scangarello and Coach Yenser have not been successful. Coach Buffano may have to be demoted to off-field duties so an experienced special teams coach can be hired into that slot. Buffano is a friend of Stoops, but that did not save DJ Eliot.
Mark Stoops himself has never enjoyed broad support on this board. He was hired by an AD who has never enjoyed broad support here either. College football generates emotion from fans, but management of a successful athletics department is a job for a director with a 10 year timeframe, expertise on complex budgetary management, and regional if not national influence. Popularity is not the primary goal. Program building and department building are. Stoops is under contract. He is Kentucky's winningest football coach, in the prime of his coaching career. He won't back down, and UK won't fire him. Those who can't accept Stoops are out of their depth. If you still want Stoops fired, or want Stoops to become a quitter, don't waste your time. It isn't happening.
OFFSEASON
First, Stoops will have to dismiss and replace at least a couple of current coaches. If he seeks solutions, this can't be avoided. Planning for spring practice will begin once bowl season is over. Bringing in new coaches, especially if one is a coordinator, will complicate spring preparations.
Everyone will be watching the portal. Hopefully, DT Jacob Lacey is inbound. I don't think Lacey has visited anywhere else. Ideally, we also need a CB, an edge LB, another offensive lineman, a RB, and at least one QB. Either Jackson Smith must be ready to become the placekicker next September or else we will need one of those too.
Most inbound transfers will probably enroll in January. Last year, a large part of the recruiting class enrolled in January. Participation in spring practice is important for learning the system.
HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE?
If we beat GA, no long term damage is done. If we split the next two games, some minimal damage is done as long as Stoops fixes his coaching staff and sells it. If we finish 6-6, moderate damage is done, and could be compounded by a poor start next year. However, Stoops has generally been resourceful with hiring.
Our 2023 recruiting class is addressing our secondary well. There is also a high level LB and an elite WR prospect. But other areas of the roster have not yet been addressed, and the current situation on the field makes that more difficult.
This offseason, outbound transfers are probably a vulnerability. Hopefully our coaches know who is unhappy and will plan for turnover by using the portal proactively.
"In the end, we have to look people in the eye and tell the truth, regardless of the consequences."
If you are committed to emoting and infighting today, then stop here. There are always a few posters who think about rational considerations for the future. This is a tip of my blue cap to them.
At this season's midpoint, I posted the OP out of concern about issues I discussed at that time.
Some pundits and fans are painting yesterday's unacceptable loss as the worst of Stoops' career. Some are even rank-ordering Stoops' losses. The thing about disappointment is that it fades over time. UK's losses to Western Kentucky in 2013 and Southern Miss in 2016 were painful. Vandy in 2015 and TN in 2018 and 2022 were very painful. Our 2017 MCB loss to Northwestern was painful because Benny Snell was ejected in the 1st half. The generational losing streak to FL doesn't sting anymore, because Stoops has grabbed the upper hand. Now, the FL fanbase is learning about pain. IIRC, UK has produced four 10-win football seasons. Stoops owns two of those. For perspective, this is worth keeping in mind.
Vandy hadn't beaten any SEC opponent in several years. Sometimes you have to give fair credit to an opponent. It stings. But success is as much about managing your limitations as basking in your successes. To his credit, Clark Lea gets that. This is no comfort to me today. I am very disappointed, but I am in an analytical mood today.
2022 SEASON STATUS
UK is 6-4. We will be heavy dogs against GA next week. Jaquez Jones is out, and Levis and Square are not healthy. Levis took big hits yesterday. There have been rumors that his right shoulder is injured. After yesterday's performance, I believe that.
Our special teams are the worst I have ever seen. Almost every week, a UK punt or FG attempt is blocked. Yesterday's blocked FG provided the winning margin for Vandy, just as points left on the field by UK's placekicking team provided the final winning margin for Ole Miss. Our punter is out for the season.
There are rumors of divisions inside UK's locker room. After three OCs in 3 years, and with older players losing roles to younger players, I see how that could happen. Our team imploded yesterday. Morale must have been bad before yesterday, and worse now.
In his postgame remarks, Mark Stoops was at a loss for words. This is the most discouraged he has been during his tenure. For successful football coaches, intense disappointment is the first stage in making improvements. This is the most important crossroad Stoops has faced since 2015-16. Stoops will be forced to deal with complicated decisions. He has given everything to this job, including his marriage. He is a tough, well connected guy from a football family. Stoops will keep his business close to the vest.
Yesterday, QB Malik Cunningham left UL's game against Clemson with a shoulder injury and did not return. Earlier in the season, Cunningham suffered other injuries including a bad blow to the head. If he plays at all against UK in the finale, Cunningham won't be 100%. Which is familiar. Levis hasn't been 100% physically since September. Yesterday, Vandy's backup QB beat us. It's a long season. It is way too early for anyone to predict what will happen when we play UL at Kroger Field, especially if Deandre Square is available to play. That game will still be important because it will determine our bowl alternatives.
This was widely proclaimed to be Stoops' most talented team. 7-5 or 6-6 is not what anyone wants. Our coaches don't want that. Football is a team sport. We have key injuries. Our special teams have blown two games. Our OL is not playing winning football. In competitive sports, this stuff can happen. You can now see the stress and strain on the coaches, especially Stoops. The players are failing, and they know it. This is the time of the season when finger pointing is hard to stop. Our coaches will protect our players. So far, our players have protected one another.
BOWLS
UK's leverage over the bowl selection process has been compromised. Stoops MUST get UK to a bowl because that will give his football players an additional month of practices when they are needed most in order to prep for 2023. Bowls also provide TV coverage that gets into minds of hs players and transfers.
If UK loses to GA and UL, we would be lucky to get invited to the Liberty Bowl. If UK beats GA and UL (yes, I know), we might be talking about the MCB or the Gator Bowl. Splitting the two games means MCB or Liberty. I believe there is a time conflict between the MCB and the UK-UL basketball game. FWIW.
RECRUITING
Losing 4 of our most recent 6 games is bound to hurt recruiting. This could be rectified by winning out, however unlikely that may be. Moorman and Keith have already decommitted, and Koby Keenum is said to be on the verge of decommitting. In case you haven't noticed, all three are offensive players. It's no coincidence that UK's offense is a mess. Scangarello and Yenser have not established themselves as recruiting assets. This hurts the class. Stoops must hold onto Stuart, Anglin, Godfrey, Porter, Brown, and Ramsey, our top out of state commits. Godfrey and Brown recently verified that their commitments are firm. It has gotten difficult to add more quality prospects to UK's 2023 class, although Stoops worked magic in the past with Josh Allen, Calvin Taylor, and Quinton Bohanna who were not high on UK's priority list until later in the recruiting cycle.
OTOH, this situation could be promising for the transfer portal, as long as Stoops sells the narrative that things will get better and incoming transfers are stepping into great opportunities. In the past, he has done this well.
I will not address NIL because last week's news says the issue is already being optimized.
RETURNING 2023 ROSTER
Senior starters Levis, CRod, Smoke, TRob, Bates, Horsey, Manning, Jones, Square, Wright, Ajian, and Smith will graduate. I doubt Jefferson comes back.
I expect a larger number of outgoing transfers than usual. Stoops may lose significant transfers because of poor morale or fear of losing playing time to younger players.
COACHING STAFF
Stoops must rebuild his coaching staff. Marrow, White, Stewart, Collins, and Mike Stoops are safe. Woodward is probably safe although a new OC might want to choose his WR coach. Settle is one of the best RB coaches in the industry. The most vulnerable coach is Zach Yenser. UK cannot succeed with a bad OL, and younger linemen like Kiyaunta Goodwin, Nik Hall, and Grant Bingham need to believe that UK's OL coach can develop them into star players. IMHO, Yenser must be replaced by an experienced SEC OL coach who can recruit. I have become convinced Stoops must hire a new OC. Scangarello has a multiyear contract, which means a buyout. Four OCs in 4 years is a bad look, and will temporarily complicate player development. But change is necessary because UK's offensive recruiting and player development are stuck in neutral. Unfortunately, Coach Scangarello and Coach Yenser have not been successful. Coach Buffano may have to be demoted to off-field duties so an experienced special teams coach can be hired into that slot. Buffano is a friend of Stoops, but that did not save DJ Eliot.
Mark Stoops himself has never enjoyed broad support on this board. He was hired by an AD who has never enjoyed broad support here either. College football generates emotion from fans, but management of a successful athletics department is a job for a director with a 10 year timeframe, expertise on complex budgetary management, and regional if not national influence. Popularity is not the primary goal. Program building and department building are. Stoops is under contract. He is Kentucky's winningest football coach, in the prime of his coaching career. He won't back down, and UK won't fire him. Those who can't accept Stoops are out of their depth. If you still want Stoops fired, or want Stoops to become a quitter, don't waste your time. It isn't happening.
OFFSEASON
First, Stoops will have to dismiss and replace at least a couple of current coaches. If he seeks solutions, this can't be avoided. Planning for spring practice will begin once bowl season is over. Bringing in new coaches, especially if one is a coordinator, will complicate spring preparations.
Everyone will be watching the portal. Hopefully, DT Jacob Lacey is inbound. I don't think Lacey has visited anywhere else. Ideally, we also need a CB, an edge LB, another offensive lineman, a RB, and at least one QB. Either Jackson Smith must be ready to become the placekicker next September or else we will need one of those too.
Most inbound transfers will probably enroll in January. Last year, a large part of the recruiting class enrolled in January. Participation in spring practice is important for learning the system.
HOW MUCH DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE?
If we beat GA, no long term damage is done. If we split the next two games, some minimal damage is done as long as Stoops fixes his coaching staff and sells it. If we finish 6-6, moderate damage is done, and could be compounded by a poor start next year. However, Stoops has generally been resourceful with hiring.
Our 2023 recruiting class is addressing our secondary well. There is also a high level LB and an elite WR prospect. But other areas of the roster have not yet been addressed, and the current situation on the field makes that more difficult.
This offseason, outbound transfers are probably a vulnerability. Hopefully our coaches know who is unhappy and will plan for turnover by using the portal proactively.
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GA 16
UK 6
This was one of our football team's best defensive efforts of the season. But our placekicking team yields a blown FG attemp every week. Aside from an encouraging performance from our backup punter Wilson Berry, our special teams are still awful. Our offense is still ineffective. Injuries, turnovers, throwing passes into double coverages, red zone issues, penalties, missed blocking assignments. Take your pick. Our offense has left a lot of points on the field this year.
Circling back to our defense, Ajian, Smith, Wright, Jones, and Square are senior starters who will be gone after 2022. All are excellent and all will be missed. However, depth at all five positions is excellent. Vito Tisdale and Jalen Geiger should return in 2023. Our 2023 recruiting class will bring defensive help, especially Avery Stuart, Jaremiah Anglin, and Grant Godfrey.
So far, all of our decommits have been offensive recruits, which is not a mystery. There are rational reasons to hope our defensive class might be kept intact and could possibly improve next month.
The athletics department has announced a new NIL initiative. Given the current mood in the fan base, it is not realistic to expect any announcement to meet with broad approval. The herd mentality in our fan base is very negative. However, it is a mistake to conclude this initiative cannot work, since it hasn't gotten off the ground yet. Maybe yes, maybe no. We will find out. So I will bypass the NIL issue here.
Here are my current conclusions.
UK-UL
We cannot win any football game without scoring points. Our offense has imploded, and Will Levis is not healthy. Our OL is not playing well, although Deondre Buford gave a good effort yesterday. For those who are counting, Levis was only sacked once by GA's defense, which would be good news if anyone is taking note of good news.
Our OC is clearly on the hot seat now, as is our OL coach. And they should be.
OTOH, this game will be played in Lexington, where we just gave the #1 team in the nation their toughest game of the season. As I have pointed out all season, our defense is outstanding, and getting better. 30 points will win this game against UL. 25 points might do it. Our offense hasn't scored 30 points since Sept. 24, but we showed an ability to move the chains yesterday.
So it probably boils down to ball security. This has been a lousy season for predictions. But I have a gut feeling our guys will suck it up and come up with a stronger performance next week to close out the season and salvage a bowl bid. I hope my gut is correct this time.
TRANSFER PORTAL
Coach Stoops has acknowledged a lot of players will be departing and arriving this offseason. This worries me, but it is happening to all SEC programs these days. GA and LSU, who will compete in this year's SEC championship game, had huge roster turnover last offseason. If it happens in our program, that is a sign of the times. The good news is that Coach Stoops sees it coming. But it is a test, and staff turnover won't make it easier.
It is a mistake to fret about specific players who might leave through the portal after this season, just because of unfounded rumors. These guesses are seldom right. But OTOH, I have no doubt that some players will transfer from our offensive roster. This does not mean Barion Brown or Kiyaunta Goodwin will leave. Maybe so, maybe not. Each player has his own priorities. All of them picked UK, and most will stay. With a lot of really good younger players on the roster, some other players will feel forgotten. It is likely that some recognizable names on our offensive roster will leave because of uncertainties about the coaching staff.
UK will need another LB or two, another offensive lineman, another WR, another RB, and at least one more QB (maybe two) from the portal. That is based on seniors leaving. Depending on departures through the portal, the list could grow. We should not be afraid of this, since it is happening in every program.
Aside from Jacob Lacey, I will not guess what players might enter our program from the portal. Everyone knows the names that have been thrown around, but you can count on surprises because opportunities will be there. The sooner Coach Stoops gets our offensive coaching staff straightened out, the better things will go.
UK's 2023 RECRUITING CLASS
I may end up being disappointed, but I doubt any defensive recruits will decommit. Our defense has been excellent.
But anything can happen with the offensive recruits, aside from Anthony Brown who recently said his UK commitment is firm. Looking at recent campus visits, Stoops is still trying to add edge players, LBs, DBs, more WRs, and RBs.
COACHING STAFF
For "what have you done for me lately" fans who want Stoops fired, just stop it. Stoops has a self-renewing contract, and has won more games than any other coach in UK football history. Stoops is not going anywhere.
But there will be significant turnover on our coaching staff. I believe Scangarello and Yenser are dead meat. I could be wrong, but I don't see how either can survive. A poor offensive performance against UL would seal Sangarello's fate. But even if UK beats UL, there is a 12 game body of work and an offense that has played down to (or below) our opponents. Buying out Sangarello's 3 year contract will be problematic, but Stoops can't dig our program out of these problems unless Barnhart pays for effective solutions. I think he will. These solutions will be less expensive than blowing up the program and starting from scratch, and exponentially less expensive than all the football facility improvements to date.
Frank Buffano may have to return to an off-field job, because the number of on-field coaches is capped by the NCAA. UK needs an experienced special teams coach. An effective way to make room would be to use Buffano's coaching slot on a special teams coach and give Chris Collins responsibility for the entire secondary. However, Collins' contract with expire after this season, so he needs to be extended. If that won't work, then Buffano could coach the secondary and Collins' coaching slot could be used to hire a special teams coach. Of these alternatives, I prefer to keep Collins because he has been an effective recruiter.
I hope the other defensive coaches return.
I have already predicted Scangarello and Yenser will not return. Coach Settle's contract needs to be extended. Settle bears responsibility for our special teams, but he is one of the better RB coaches in the country. He should be retained, but removed from special teams.
Liam Coen must be having second thoughts about leaving UK. Sean McVay calls the plays in LA. The Rams' offense has been a dud this year, and Coen is in position to take the blame. The average salary for a first year NFL coordinator is about $400,000-500,000. Before resigning, Coen had received a raise to $1.2 million at UK, so he left a lot of money on the table to relocate his young family to LA. He was following his dream. But he must have watched several UK games this fall and realized that he could have saved our offense if he had stayed. So if I was Barnhart, I would offer Coen $1.5 million (same as Brad White's 2023 salary) to return to UK. If Coen is the fall guy in LA, he might take the deal and return. That would be a direct way to address the damage Scangarello has done. But if Coen turns Stoops down, then one alternative would be to offer the OC and OL coaching positions to Garrett Riley and AJ Ricker of TCU. They would be expensive, but so would Coen.
Other OC candidates include Kendal Briles (AR), Warren Ruggiero (Wake Forest), Tim Beck (Youngstown OH native at NC St), Collin Klein (KS St), Willy Korn (Coastal Car), Bryan Ellis (GA Southern), or former UK QB Mike Hartline (Auburn).
Some other reasonable OL coach candidates could include Herb Hand (UCF), Eman Naghavi (Tulane), John Garrison (NC St), Nick Tabacca (Wake Forest), Will Friend (Auburn), or Eric Mateos (Baylor). Maybe none is totally ideal from the recruiting standpoint, but all should offer a big improvement over Yenser.
Some alternatives for special teams coach could include Scott Fountain (AR), Rob Wenger (MN), Mark Scott (U. of Houston), Wayne Lineberg (Wake Forest), Roc Bellantoni (Auburn), or Ronnie Wheat (Baylor).
I will probably turn out to be wrong about all of these candidates, because Stoops is unpredictable.
CONCLUSION
As long as Stoops can find an SEC ready QB and another RB in the portal, our football program should have an opportunity to recover fairly quickly from this year's perfect storm of problems. But it will require an effective rebuild of our offensive coaching staff and much better management of our OL. In the meantime, we have to hope that losses of key players through the portal can be held down to a minimum.
I am not yet convinced our 2023 recruiting class is as bad as some people insist. The defensive component of the class is actually pretty strong, as long as there are no defensive decommitments. Anything can still happen with the offensive part of the class, but it doesn't look good right now. Stoops needs to fix his offensive coaching staff quickly, and additions will need to be effective recruiters as well as excellent teachers of the game. I suspect the experiment with low level NFL assistant position coaches is over for the time being.
It drives me nuts that the senior seasons of Levis, Rodriguez, and Wright have ended up like this. But life goes on, and the really good managers are always looking several years ahead while turning the hard lessons into better results. That's just how it is. High level competitive sports are not for the weak. It takes courage to be knocked down and get back up. Say whatever you will, but Mark Stoops is a tough guy who keeps getting back up.
UK 6
This was one of our football team's best defensive efforts of the season. But our placekicking team yields a blown FG attemp every week. Aside from an encouraging performance from our backup punter Wilson Berry, our special teams are still awful. Our offense is still ineffective. Injuries, turnovers, throwing passes into double coverages, red zone issues, penalties, missed blocking assignments. Take your pick. Our offense has left a lot of points on the field this year.
Circling back to our defense, Ajian, Smith, Wright, Jones, and Square are senior starters who will be gone after 2022. All are excellent and all will be missed. However, depth at all five positions is excellent. Vito Tisdale and Jalen Geiger should return in 2023. Our 2023 recruiting class will bring defensive help, especially Avery Stuart, Jaremiah Anglin, and Grant Godfrey.
So far, all of our decommits have been offensive recruits, which is not a mystery. There are rational reasons to hope our defensive class might be kept intact and could possibly improve next month.
The athletics department has announced a new NIL initiative. Given the current mood in the fan base, it is not realistic to expect any announcement to meet with broad approval. The herd mentality in our fan base is very negative. However, it is a mistake to conclude this initiative cannot work, since it hasn't gotten off the ground yet. Maybe yes, maybe no. We will find out. So I will bypass the NIL issue here.
Here are my current conclusions.
UK-UL
We cannot win any football game without scoring points. Our offense has imploded, and Will Levis is not healthy. Our OL is not playing well, although Deondre Buford gave a good effort yesterday. For those who are counting, Levis was only sacked once by GA's defense, which would be good news if anyone is taking note of good news.
Our OC is clearly on the hot seat now, as is our OL coach. And they should be.
OTOH, this game will be played in Lexington, where we just gave the #1 team in the nation their toughest game of the season. As I have pointed out all season, our defense is outstanding, and getting better. 30 points will win this game against UL. 25 points might do it. Our offense hasn't scored 30 points since Sept. 24, but we showed an ability to move the chains yesterday.
So it probably boils down to ball security. This has been a lousy season for predictions. But I have a gut feeling our guys will suck it up and come up with a stronger performance next week to close out the season and salvage a bowl bid. I hope my gut is correct this time.
TRANSFER PORTAL
Coach Stoops has acknowledged a lot of players will be departing and arriving this offseason. This worries me, but it is happening to all SEC programs these days. GA and LSU, who will compete in this year's SEC championship game, had huge roster turnover last offseason. If it happens in our program, that is a sign of the times. The good news is that Coach Stoops sees it coming. But it is a test, and staff turnover won't make it easier.
It is a mistake to fret about specific players who might leave through the portal after this season, just because of unfounded rumors. These guesses are seldom right. But OTOH, I have no doubt that some players will transfer from our offensive roster. This does not mean Barion Brown or Kiyaunta Goodwin will leave. Maybe so, maybe not. Each player has his own priorities. All of them picked UK, and most will stay. With a lot of really good younger players on the roster, some other players will feel forgotten. It is likely that some recognizable names on our offensive roster will leave because of uncertainties about the coaching staff.
UK will need another LB or two, another offensive lineman, another WR, another RB, and at least one more QB (maybe two) from the portal. That is based on seniors leaving. Depending on departures through the portal, the list could grow. We should not be afraid of this, since it is happening in every program.
Aside from Jacob Lacey, I will not guess what players might enter our program from the portal. Everyone knows the names that have been thrown around, but you can count on surprises because opportunities will be there. The sooner Coach Stoops gets our offensive coaching staff straightened out, the better things will go.
UK's 2023 RECRUITING CLASS
I may end up being disappointed, but I doubt any defensive recruits will decommit. Our defense has been excellent.
But anything can happen with the offensive recruits, aside from Anthony Brown who recently said his UK commitment is firm. Looking at recent campus visits, Stoops is still trying to add edge players, LBs, DBs, more WRs, and RBs.
COACHING STAFF
For "what have you done for me lately" fans who want Stoops fired, just stop it. Stoops has a self-renewing contract, and has won more games than any other coach in UK football history. Stoops is not going anywhere.
But there will be significant turnover on our coaching staff. I believe Scangarello and Yenser are dead meat. I could be wrong, but I don't see how either can survive. A poor offensive performance against UL would seal Sangarello's fate. But even if UK beats UL, there is a 12 game body of work and an offense that has played down to (or below) our opponents. Buying out Sangarello's 3 year contract will be problematic, but Stoops can't dig our program out of these problems unless Barnhart pays for effective solutions. I think he will. These solutions will be less expensive than blowing up the program and starting from scratch, and exponentially less expensive than all the football facility improvements to date.
Frank Buffano may have to return to an off-field job, because the number of on-field coaches is capped by the NCAA. UK needs an experienced special teams coach. An effective way to make room would be to use Buffano's coaching slot on a special teams coach and give Chris Collins responsibility for the entire secondary. However, Collins' contract with expire after this season, so he needs to be extended. If that won't work, then Buffano could coach the secondary and Collins' coaching slot could be used to hire a special teams coach. Of these alternatives, I prefer to keep Collins because he has been an effective recruiter.
I hope the other defensive coaches return.
I have already predicted Scangarello and Yenser will not return. Coach Settle's contract needs to be extended. Settle bears responsibility for our special teams, but he is one of the better RB coaches in the country. He should be retained, but removed from special teams.
Liam Coen must be having second thoughts about leaving UK. Sean McVay calls the plays in LA. The Rams' offense has been a dud this year, and Coen is in position to take the blame. The average salary for a first year NFL coordinator is about $400,000-500,000. Before resigning, Coen had received a raise to $1.2 million at UK, so he left a lot of money on the table to relocate his young family to LA. He was following his dream. But he must have watched several UK games this fall and realized that he could have saved our offense if he had stayed. So if I was Barnhart, I would offer Coen $1.5 million (same as Brad White's 2023 salary) to return to UK. If Coen is the fall guy in LA, he might take the deal and return. That would be a direct way to address the damage Scangarello has done. But if Coen turns Stoops down, then one alternative would be to offer the OC and OL coaching positions to Garrett Riley and AJ Ricker of TCU. They would be expensive, but so would Coen.
Other OC candidates include Kendal Briles (AR), Warren Ruggiero (Wake Forest), Tim Beck (Youngstown OH native at NC St), Collin Klein (KS St), Willy Korn (Coastal Car), Bryan Ellis (GA Southern), or former UK QB Mike Hartline (Auburn).
Some other reasonable OL coach candidates could include Herb Hand (UCF), Eman Naghavi (Tulane), John Garrison (NC St), Nick Tabacca (Wake Forest), Will Friend (Auburn), or Eric Mateos (Baylor). Maybe none is totally ideal from the recruiting standpoint, but all should offer a big improvement over Yenser.
Some alternatives for special teams coach could include Scott Fountain (AR), Rob Wenger (MN), Mark Scott (U. of Houston), Wayne Lineberg (Wake Forest), Roc Bellantoni (Auburn), or Ronnie Wheat (Baylor).
I will probably turn out to be wrong about all of these candidates, because Stoops is unpredictable.
CONCLUSION
As long as Stoops can find an SEC ready QB and another RB in the portal, our football program should have an opportunity to recover fairly quickly from this year's perfect storm of problems. But it will require an effective rebuild of our offensive coaching staff and much better management of our OL. In the meantime, we have to hope that losses of key players through the portal can be held down to a minimum.
I am not yet convinced our 2023 recruiting class is as bad as some people insist. The defensive component of the class is actually pretty strong, as long as there are no defensive decommitments. Anything can still happen with the offensive part of the class, but it doesn't look good right now. Stoops needs to fix his offensive coaching staff quickly, and additions will need to be effective recruiters as well as excellent teachers of the game. I suspect the experiment with low level NFL assistant position coaches is over for the time being.
It drives me nuts that the senior seasons of Levis, Rodriguez, and Wright have ended up like this. But life goes on, and the really good managers are always looking several years ahead while turning the hard lessons into better results. That's just how it is. High level competitive sports are not for the weak. It takes courage to be knocked down and get back up. Say whatever you will, but Mark Stoops is a tough guy who keeps getting back up.
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