How is UK different this year from last?
- Thread starter Houston Eagle
- Start date
A win is a win, but I will be disappointed if KY does not beat S Miss by at least 14. The revenge factor, more experience, and KY's talent and depth is much better than S Miss. Also expect Snell to have at least 150 on that defense. SEC defense could not stop him and expect the same against S Miss. If this team is as legit and folks are saying they need to beat this team by a comfortable margin.
I like Dawson as OC. His spread fits in with Hop's philosophy. Best player on offense will be rb Ito. USM is loaded on the DL. I think corners and safeties will also be ready. OL lost starting center Cameron Tom, so that may be an issue. Qb should be Griggs. He is an older qb(junior) but inexperiened. He is also athletic with above average mobility. UK will see as much if not more speed compared to last year.
Unfortunately +10 sounds right due qb inexperience. USM must limit turnovers.
This game will be a good prep for UKs SEC play. Many SEC teams over the years refused to schedule USM over the years. Nebraska and FSU were also defeated in their own stadiums. I again applaud UK for agreeing to this series against USM.
I expect a different Cat this year with UK. I will root for them after Sept 2 to win the SEC East.
Unfortunately +10 sounds right due qb inexperience. USM must limit turnovers.
This game will be a good prep for UKs SEC play. Many SEC teams over the years refused to schedule USM over the years. Nebraska and FSU were also defeated in their own stadiums. I again applaud UK for agreeing to this series against USM.
I expect a different Cat this year with UK. I will root for them after Sept 2 to win the SEC East.
Agree on Bowden but lets not forget AJ Rose too. The coaches seem pretty high on him.
With the exception of Couch, I don't think there has ever been a freshman arrive at Kentucky that more was expected than Bowden. I sincerely hope he lives up to expectations, but there is a lot of pressure being put on him to excel. If he starts slow, we need to remember he is a freshman and not get down on him.
Hello UK Fans....another Golden Eagle poster.
Adding to what @Houston Eagle already provided...QB play and the OL play is vital to any team's success and USM's inexperience here will be tested week 1. However, although these two units are inexperienced, they are very talented (and bigger and stronger than last year's units).
Nick Mullens is one of those once in a lifetime college QBs...but USM has been kinda a spoiled because we had another one of those once in a lifetime QBs a couple of seasons prior to Nick's arrival in Austin Davis. Both potential starters in RS-Jr Kwanda Griggs and True Soph. Keon Howard are bigger and stronger than both Austin and Nick...with much stronger arms. Where these two lack to the two previous QBs, is that all important stuff between the ears.
Keon was prematurely thrust into action mid-to-late season when Nick and the 2nd string QB got hurt. He was not ready, and that was not necessarily his fault...the goal was to keep the RS on him. He showed flashes of why he was highly regarded coming in out of HS...but those moments were easily trumped with his inexperienced play and the unfortunate knack of not taking care of the ball. Naturally, Griggs should have stepped up in that role, but felt victim to his own academic issues.
Neither separated themselves during spring ball and this battle between the two will carry on through fall camp, and possibly go up to gameday. They both throw beautiful deep passes and are equally athletic to hurt you with their feet.... it's the middle throws that will be key to winning this battle. Reference your own Stefan Johnson, minus his experience and the fact he has won you ball games.
Oline. I think will be special by season end. Unfortunately, week 1 may just be too much of a tall task for this group as a whole. We do return a very good Senior RG (Farrior) and all CUSA RT (RS Soph Pollard, who may move to LT). These two may help soften the blow from losing three starters from last year lineup. The three that will replace the departing SRs are all young, but much bigger, stronger, and quicker. More importantly, replacing all CUSA C Cameron Tom will be very important. He and Nick played a lot of snaps together and his calls on the line saved Nick's @ss a lot. Chemistry between the QB and C is just as important as the C's call to the rest of the O-line. We get this right, and it would definitely help us in week 1, if we want to be victors again.
RBs. Ito (The "Judge") Smith returns. He's absolutely special and a much more delightful young man...easily liked, even by opposing teams, despite him guaranteeing that he will make a least two defenders look stupid during a game. Yet, you will likely see a much better compliment to Ito, than George Payne who you also faced last season. That RB is RS Jr Tez Parks. He's a 210-215 pounder that has much more straight line speed than Ito (which Ito is not the fastest guy you'll face, but is jitter bug quick). Tez has some wiggle, but is more of a one-cut quy and gets gone (typical of the SEC RBs you'll face this season). He appears to finally be healthy again and ready return to his true freshman year form before his season ending injury, yielding that limelight to Ito.
WR. The whole unit returns minus one, D.J. Thompson. Ironically, some UK publications from last season had Thompson pegged as a burner and the go to receiver, and I couldn't help but laugh at this misconceived analysis. D.J. was a serviceable receiver for USM, but he was anything but a burner, and had very inconsistent hands his entire career. He was either hot or cold, with a lot of underwhelming performances in between. Isaiah Jones, No. 88 that took it to the house during the closing seconds of the 2nd Qt, returns. Somehow, he faded as the season progressed; he developed a severe case of the dropsies. Jones, reportedly put in a lot of time this off-season to remedy this disease. The subtraction of Thompson and a more focused Jones will make this unit absolutely one of the more dangerous units UK will face all season. Allenzae Staggers (No. 15) was everything as advertised, hailing from Last Chance U...and we've added a few more players (HS and JUCO) with equal or better potential than Stags. We also have another No. 83 that is reminiscent to our 2015's No. 83...2016's No. 83 emerged mid-way through the season...Chase Whitehead is a Wes Welker, Julian Alderman type guy...catches everything in radius. And, the TE's (or HB's as Dawson uses them) are good receivers as well.....But then again...there's that QB/O-line thingy to get past.
D-line. No one on our d-line you faced last year weighed more than 275lbs. What they lacked in pure size was positively negated by their strength, quickness, and sheer desire. Unfortunately, the main cog from that unit, D. Bradley (No. 94) is trying his talents with the NFL Vikings. However, and fortunately for USM, we have more size in the middle and all the returning players from that whole unit are bigger, stronger, and have added good speed with their already quick feet. This will be a strength for USM starting week 1 and should be the entire season. We were very small up the middle last year, and teams realized that it was fruitless running sideways, and then decided to just run right at us...it took the last quarter of the season for us to fully adjust, which was aided by the return of that unit's lone 300 pounder, Draper Riley who we lost during '16 Fall Camp. We now have a nice compliment of size up the middle with Riley returning, and some old and new guys to step in for the loss of D. Bradley.
Which, the LBer unit will be all too happy for the added meat in front of them. Last year unit was not special, especially at MLB...but their problems were exacerbated when teams started gutting us right up the middle. This year's unit is much younger - but follow our theme here - bigger, stronger, faster, and much more instinctive than last year's unit. Coach Hopson recently praised this unit during CUSA Media Day, saying this unit will surprise some folks on just how fast they are...lending the thought that they are throwback USM linebackers...and if you know anything about USM's football history, USM has always had an exceptional collection of college players that made great LB units (this was turning safeties, WRs, and running backs into LBers long before the advent of spread offenses...) Hop knows a thing or two about USM's history, he has coached some of USM's best LBers in the past. We've always been good at this...we had to...Alabama, LSU, Auburn, FSU, Florida, MissSt, and Ole Miss wouldn't let us get the best LBers out of high school, if we did, they just snatched them right up at signing day.
DBs. Should be a much better unit overall, despite loosing standout safeties Antoine, Foster, and Truly. All of our corners return and the returning safeties all had significant snaps last season. Don't let '17 preseason publication steer your thought's wrong....with the anticipated improved front 7 play, this will be an exceptional secondary....just subpar to the better SEC secondaries you will face this season.
My realistic prediction for Week 1 is a paper decision just like last season...it should be a UK win. UK's -10 sounds just about right. But these games are not played on paper and my heart, with my mind in tow says UK could be in for another potential surprise.
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It's a road game against a good team that beat us in our own house a year ago. I will be happy to win it by 1 point.
Agree with that for sure. I think our 2017 team will be better than our 2016 team in at least 4 ways. 2017 team is a much more experienced team, with 17 returning starters and almost all key reserves back. 2017 team will have deeper and more effective defensive line (which is a game key in the opener). 2017 team will have a more effective passing game compared to 2016. 2017 will have more effective special teams.
I truly believe based upon what I read and saw compared to last year comes down to UKs defensive line. There was much concern about that line last yeat which at least at the beginning of the season helped USM come back and win. Also I think UK s qb was hurt during the game.
I expect a very physical game that will come down to turnovers. My biggest concern is with USMs new qb. There cannot be ANY mistakes. UK looked like a genuinely decent to above average SEC strong type team the later half of the season. Again I am glad that USM caught them at the beginning of the season.
I expect a very physical game that will come down to turnovers. My biggest concern is with USMs new qb. There cannot be ANY mistakes. UK looked like a genuinely decent to above average SEC strong type team the later half of the season. Again I am glad that USM caught them at the beginning of the season.
USM Guys: Great write up's by both of you. When I did my synopsis in another thread(Oscar Picks) I had this game very, very close! USM will be at home and fired up for an SEC opponent. I look for USM to break out early and lead at half. Then I believe over all superior talent and experience will take over in the 3 & 4 qtr's. UK will win but it will be by 7 or less. The last half of the season for UK and the confidence to win close game's will pay big dividends and be to much for USM to over come. Your Great running back will have another great day but the lack of an established QB is going to be the main difference in the game. Kind of reverse of last year's game. I anticipate a great game down in Southern Mississippi Sept 2 but this will be a reverse of last year. 37-30 UK!
Great thread and visiting posts.
I think this game will come down to who wins the LOS +/÷ 10 yards.
Can USM front 7 slow down or stop our OL and RBs, and vice versa.
Can USM OL stop our pass rush, and vice versa.
I think this game will come down to who wins the LOS +/÷ 10 yards.
Can USM front 7 slow down or stop our OL and RBs, and vice versa.
Can USM OL stop our pass rush, and vice versa.
But we will be biggerer, strongerer and fasterer.
Seriously, a good write up. Hope the up the middle run is still effective against So. Miss, as we found we liked it the 3rd game of last season.
One question that I have is I think UK was favored by a TD last year. Perhaps due to home field advantage, but I think +10 USM is more reasonable this year with the change in quarterback. You would think the point spread would have been less last year or more this year comparing last years and this years programs.
Reminds me of my version of retired, I have been retired so long now I am retarded--------shouldn't that be the past tense for retired? Retireded.
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