Early season opponents impact

[CatsFanIL]

EKU, Akron, and Ball St. 3 cupcake wins. And a very vanilla, reserved offensive playbook. Sure, we get 3 wins out of it, game reps, and get some different guys playing time. But here's my question:

Do playing cupcake games like that, in which we hold back our playbook, keep things really vanilla - is that part of the problem with Leary and the WRs right now? If we opened up the playbook more early, does that allow for better consistency and chemistry moving forward?

Just a thought.

 

[Cat_Man_Blue]

If UK is going to start the season playing cupcakes, then stop with this nonsense of playing a vanilla offfense. Does anyone think that UF didn't have a good idea what UK likes to do after watching Stoops all these years. At the beggining of every season, I am hoping that UK blows out the cupcake teams and the backup QB is going to get significant playing time. It never happens. I can understand holding back some reverses and trick plays. Other than that, run your offense in the first game. This will also help by repitition under fire.

 

[MTsandfly]

I’ve made my feelings on playing too many cupcakes known for awhile now. I really don’t care to attend these laughers. There are enough mid tier Power Five teams out there that there in no reason for us to be auxiliary members of the MAC.

 

[trueblujr2]

If UK is going to start the season playing cupcakes, then stop with this nonsense of playing a vanilla offfense. Does anyone think that UF didn't have a good idea what UK likes to do after watching Stoops all these years. At the beggining of every season, I am hoping that UK blows out the cupcake teams and the backup QB is going to get significant playing time. It never happens. I can understand holding back some reverses and trick plays. Other than that, run your offense in the first game. This will also help by repitition under fire.

I know the SEC slate pretty much dictates we play these cupcakes (though i would like us to up the competition level on at least one of them) but I would prefer they not all be bunched up at the beginning of the season either. I like the later in the season cupcake game to give us a breather from the SEC gauntlet, we typically fare much better in that one than we do playing them early in the season.

 

[gamecockcat]

I am totally in agreement with the OP and have said so many times in previous threads. This whole notion of 'holding something back for Florida' is beyond ridiculous. Run as many different looks and plays as you can. Where would you rather try a play in real competition: against Ball State or Georgia? Run the whole offense and, for goodness sake, when the 2nd stringers and beyond get in the game, have them run the whole offense (or the subset of the offense that the 2nd string QB has memorized and can execute in his sleep).

Holding back - for what? So we can look like we haven't practiced when we face an SEC opponent? Idiocy.

 

[Girthang]

EKU, Akron, and Ball St. 3 cupcake wins. And a very vanilla, reserved offensive playbook. Sure, we get 3 wins out of it, game reps, and get some different guys playing time. But here's my question:

Do playing cupcake games like that, in which we hold back our playbook, keep things really vanilla - is that part of the problem with Leary and the WRs right now? If we opened up the playbook more early, does that allow for better consistency and chemistry moving forward?

Just a thought.

It does allow for better chemistry and also would get our key backups time running the offense with the 1s. We aren't surprising ANYONE with what we are running from this point, since Coen was with us in 2021. There's plenty of tape to look at, so why try to hide it?

Be who you're gonna be AND be that team ALL SEASON AND ALL GAME. If it results in a severely lopsided victory over someone in the OOC schedule, so be it. Stop beating around the bush and frickin PLAY THE FKN GAME!

 

[Girthang]

While we're on the subject-

It also severely hampers ANYONE'S potential Heisman candidacy and eventual draft stock.

How many players had their hats in the ring because they blew out OOC opponents early in the season? How many had that REALLY HELP their perception at the end of the year and in the draft? The answer is that it helped A LOT.

It's tough to play from behind in opinion polls and beauty contests. You have to look the part for as long as possible, but it's rare that you can dig yourself out of a deficit late in the season, especially when you're playing SEC opponents.

 

[mrschwump]

GA opened with Ball St/UT-Martin....didn't seem to hinder them.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

I am all for cupcakes, but let's jut play them with our normal playbook we would use against any team in the SEC.

With Oklahoma and Texas joining, I fear UK could fall into utter irrelevancy if we don't maximize gelling our teams from the get-go.

 

[TucsonCat]

Our passing gameplan was no different versus Georgia than it was Ball State. Thats not the issue.

Yes we did have different running strategy against Florida. Probably a combination of holding back and Jager not knowing what he was doing at center with even simple stuff. Either way, breaking it out then seemed to work just fine.

 

[BlueRaider22]

It might have some impact, but not as much as you'd think. The key to the passing game is high repetitions. You can still play vanilla and get high reps which would bolster the passing game. Though the rushing attack is more important to get going......which also requires a lot of repetition. Soo, much of the cupcake games are spent trying to get the rushing game up to snuff.


Personally, I think what is holding Leary back is more due to:
1. Coming off a season ending injury to his throwing shoulder.....and not playing/practicing for darn near a year.
2. Moving to a brand new offense.....with a new coaching staff.......and brand new receivers.
3. Youth in the receiving corps. Key, Brown, etc. These are young guys who run not so perfect routes and often make bad drops. It's far easier for a QB to become consistent when the other factors in the equation are consistent........when all factors in the equation are inconsistent, it's difficult.

 

[Girthang]

GA opened with Ball St/UT-Martin....didn't seem to hinder them.

Um... They ran the same offense they ran against us, which is the point

 

[backinky2018]

EKU, Akron, and Ball St. 3 cupcake wins. And a very vanilla, reserved offensive playbook. Sure, we get 3 wins out of it, game reps, and get some different guys playing time. But here's my question:

Do playing cupcake games like that, in which we hold back our playbook, keep things really vanilla - is that part of the problem with Leary and the WRs right now? If we opened up the playbook more early, does that allow for better consistency and chemistry moving forward?

Just a thought.

I don't mind playing the three cupcakes though I would prefer to spread them out more (I would have preferred to play Florida in week 2 and then maybe sprinkle an Akron into October to break up the gauntlet).

With that said, starting a season 5-0 gets UK a lot of publicity that starting 3-2 does not garner. The reason that UK-Georgia games have received top billing the last few years is because both teams were undefeated. There is value to starting strong.

 

[CatsFanIL]

GA opened with Ball St/UT-Martin....didn't seem to hinder them.

Pretty sure you know we aren't Georgia....

 

[vhcat70]

With that said, starting a season 5-0 gets UK a lot of publicity that starting 3-2 does not garner. The reason that UK-Georgia games have received top billing the last few years is because both teams were undefeated. There is value to starting strong.

I don't the publicity angle. We didn't get into Top 25 till we beat FL.

 

[CatsFanIL]

It might have some impact, but not as much as you'd think. The key to the passing game is high repetitions. You can still play vanilla and get high reps which would bolster the passing game. Though the rushing attack is more important to get going......which also requires a lot of repetition. Soo, much of the cupcake games are spent trying to get the rushing game up to snuff.


Personally, I think what is holding Leary back is more due to:
1. Coming off a season ending injury to his throwing shoulder.....and not playing/practicing for darn near a year.
2. Moving to a brand new offense.....with a new coaching staff.......and brand new receivers.
3. Youth in the receiving corps. Key, Brown, etc. These are young guys who run not so perfect routes and often make bad drops. It's far easier for a QB to become consistent when the other factors in the equation are consistent........when all factors in the equation are inconsistent, it's difficult.

I disagree, specifically about "the imapct not being as much as you'd think". Leary's protection/time in the pocket is a little different against Ball St than Mizzou. WRs ability to create separation is a lot different between Ball St and Georgia. Sure, high reps absolutely matter, which you'd think in practice we're getting quite a bit of, especially going 1s against 1s. But the passing game as looked terrible in conference play.

He throw for 240+ yards in each of the non-conference games. Only game he's thrown over 200 in SEC play is Vandy. Vandy is the only game he's completed at least 15 passes. Non-conf he completed over 15 passes in each of those wins.

 

[CatsFanIL]

I don't mind playing the three cupcakes though I would prefer to spread them out more (I would have preferred to play Florida in week 2 and then maybe sprinkle an Akron into October to break up the gauntlet).

With that said, starting a season 5-0 gets UK a lot of publicity that starting 3-2 does not garner. The reason that UK-Georgia games have received top billing the last few years is because both teams were undefeated. There is value to starting strong.

I agree with 5-0 vs 5-0 looking good, good for ratings, etc. But I think playing Memphis, Baylor, Arizona St, etc would be good for BBN, ratings, recruits, etc as well

 

[liveblue92]

I agree the cupcake games need to be more spread out, but at the end of the day, if you are a good team, it doesn’t really matter. We aren’t a good team.

 

[K_TIME]

1. I'm fine with playing a cupcake game 1....i's basically a pre-season NFL type warm up game.. And from a fans perspective....we're starved to watch some football....any football is great.
2. But the SEC policy that makes you play these in September is stupid. And because we have to play stupid UL as our rival game out of conference as last game.....we when are forced to put the other three cupcakes in September. So teams like Tennessee, Bama, Auburn, etc...get to play one of their cupcakes in October as a quasi-bye week and the actually play SEC games in September to start the year.

Dumb rule....we need to play 1-2 games vs cupcakes to open the sesaon is fine....but play a conference game in 2nd or 3rd game to quit padding the wins with early season do nothing games. But

In the end, this is why we need a 9 game SEC slate and drop one of these non conference BS games. Screws season tix holders, doesn't help build your team up, and when real games hit...your warts usually come to bear out regardless.

 

[NoDef]

I agree with 5-0 vs 5-0 looking good, good for ratings, etc. But I think playing Memphis, Baylor, Arizona St, etc would be good for BBN, ratings, recruits, etc as well

The other problem with playing so many cupcakes to start the season is rankings. Get a decent win early and you get ranked. We were 4-0 and not in the top 25, just because we hadn't played anyone and then didn't look great at times in those four wins. We then finally beat an overrated Florida team and go straight to the Top 25. Play Florida in game 2 and you probably jump straight in. It would of ended up all for nothing though. I was kind of surprised that we got to stay in the rankings when Georgia steamrolled us and hadn't anyone else..