I realize our offense played like CRAP, but WHY are we STILL giving up 3rd and long plays on defense???!!!!!!

[catben]

After we heard ALL Summer long that it would be a point of emphasis to get off the field on 3rd downs!!!!!!

It's the SAME FREAKIN PLAYS nearly EVERY time that kill us too. Either a Wheel route OR a Comeback route underneath!!! And the receiver isn't just slightly open, they are WIDE FREAKIN OPEN!!!!

I am SICK of hearing the excuses after losses from White AND Stoops about breakdowns when this has been a HUGE problem for the past 3 seasons!!!!

 

[Phil_The_Music]

After we heard ALL Summer long that it would be a point of emphasis to get off the field on 3rd downs!!!!!!

It's the SAME FREAKIN PLAYS nearly EVERY time that kill us too. Either a Wheel route OR a Comeback route underneath!!! And the receiver isn't just slightly open, they are WIDE FREKIN OPEN!!!!

I am SICK of hearing the excuses after losses from White AND Stoops about breakdowns when this has been a HUGE problem from the past 3 seasons!!!!

Poor coaching and defensive play calling. The talent is there, coaches aren't putting them in position to succeed or teaching them how to.

 

[tf4fun]

With all the talent stoops has, it blows my mind why he doesn't attack more! It seem he is perfectly content to sit in soft zone and read/react time and again! I've come to hate this 3 man front, simply because we don't create pressure like SEC teams do.

2 things that have bugged stoops for several years, pass rush and pass protection! It never improves, so I'm guessing it's a philosophy/ system thing!

Stop the run, and run the ball appears to be his philosophy.
The problem with that is football has changed so much the past 5 years, it appears that those principles don't win like it used to.

 

[tf4fun]

After we heard ALL Summer long that it would be a point of emphasis to get off the field on 3rd downs!!!!!!

It's the SAME FREAKIN PLAYS nearly EVERY time that kill us too. Either a Wheel route OR a Comeback route underneath!!! And the receiver isn't just slightly open, they are WIDE FREAKIN OPEN!!!!

I am SICK of hearing the excuses after losses from White AND Stoops about breakdowns when this has been a HUGE problem from the past 3 seasons!!!!

He hasn't developed pass rushers! 3-4 man rush doesn't create enough pressure consistently. Wr have time to stretch the field, leaving big hole in the secondary. Most SEC QB/Wr will connect given 5-6 seconds!

With big walker ECT they should be able to consistently bring pressure with 4 man rush, but no. The only time we get pressure is with a second level player blitzing!

 

[catben]

With all the talent stoops has, it blows my mind why he doesn't attack more! It seem he is perfectly content to sit in soft zone and read/react time and again! I've come to hate this 3 man front, simply because we don't create pressure like SEC teams do.

2 things that have bugged stoops for several years, pass rush and pass protection! It never improves, so I'm guessing it's a philosophy/ system thing!

Stop the run, and run the ball appears to be his philosophy.
The problem with that is football has changed so much the past 5 years, it appears that those principles don't win like it used to.

EXACTLY!!!

One thing I asked my friend that sits at the game with me today was WHEN do we EVER get a hand on the ball to knock down a pass when it is a good throw from the QB????!!!! Now when the QB makes an errant throw we will intercept it or knock it down, but RARELY do we play a receiver close enough to knock it down on a tight pass.

 

[seccats04]

We’re still having breakdowns in the secondary. It seems our play back there has gone way down since Clink left.

 

[Haggin_Hall_1983]

After we heard ALL Summer long that it would be a point of emphasis to get off the field on 3rd downs!!!!!!

It's the SAME FREAKIN PLAYS nearly EVERY time that kill us too. Either a Wheel route OR a Comeback route underneath!!! And the receiver isn't just slightly open, they are WIDE FREAKIN OPEN!!!!

I am SICK of hearing the excuses after losses from White AND Stoops about breakdowns when this has been a HUGE problem for the past 3 seasons!!!!

Stoops plays powder puff defense. He does not attack with blitzes, etc. As we can attest, the very best defense is to make the quarterback uncomfortable- make him leave the collapsing pocket on every play before he even gets to make a read on a receiver. Every down that we attempted a pass was like that last night.

 

[Imafan4evr_]

If the opponent's line can give the QB a little time to dance, we have huge breakdowns and pockets that develop in very predictable parts of the field. Whether it's scheming with zones or individual players losing focus of their assignments or possibly both, I'm not entirely sure (I'm just a dude that watches football, no background in it). It seems to be a staple under Stoops though. Obviously the field looks much different to us viewing from the stands or TV, but you can call exactly how these busted plays will shake out ahead of time.

 

[IFerg1969]

He hasn't developed pass rushers! 3-4 man rush doesn't create enough pressure consistently. Wr have time to stretch the field, leaving big hole in the secondary. Most SEC QB/Wr will connect given 5-6 seconds!

With big walker ECT they should be able to consistently bring pressure with 4 man rush, but no. The only time we get pressure is with a second level player blitzing!

Yeah, you realize how special a guy like Josh Allen was and how just one guy could take the whole defense to another level. UK hasn't had a guy even close to that good since he left.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Defense played great except 3 critical busted coverages that sc capitalized on.

The (almost) td run was funny to see. It only happened because we decided to go man, for whatever reason. So sc just emptied one side of the field, had us outnumbered, and easily got a huge gain.

We brought plenty of pressure. Two straight times we brought a cb blitz and then a safety blitz. Thats incredibly aggressive. Both were strip sacks but we didn't come up with the ball.

Fans should absolutely be upset but it should be about the way we regularly bust zone coverage in our deep zones. It isn't some rarity like it is for every other team in the nation. It's at least several times a season and pretty much at least once a game. That is insane and people should absolutely lose their job over it.

Imagine eliminating those 3 busts. We literally shut them out. Just maddening.

 

[cats2010]

Stoops plays powder puff defense. He does not attack with blitzes, etc. As we can attest, the very best defense is to make the quarterback uncomfortable- make him leave the collapsing pocket on every play before he even gets to make a read on a receiver. Every down that we attempted a pass was like that last night.

So basically what South Carolina did to Brock?

 

[bigblueinsanity]

So basically what South Carolina did to Brock?

Not at all. They got that massive heat with mainly one particular de. Very rare. They didn't have to blitz.

That kid is the best speed rush since clowney or kearse. That said you can't let him dominate you like that

 

[Eccain01]

We literally gifted SC points with out breakdowns in coverage and honestly it’s pathetic. At this point those guys all have played enough football. Them playing zone isn’t the problem, it’s that the last couple of years we haven’t been able to execute it consistently at all. And that’s disappointing

 

[Haggin_Hall_1983]

So basically what South Carolina did to Brock?

Right on!

 

[Boz]

We literally gifted SC points with out breakdowns in coverage and honestly it’s pathetic. At this point those guys all have played enough football. Them playing zone isn’t the problem, it’s that the last couple of years we haven’t been able to execute it consistently at all. And that’s disappointing

These "gifts" have been happening the entire 12 years under Stoops. No matter who the DC.

 

[Johnfarrel]

Defense played great except 3 critical busted coverages that sc capitalized on.

The (almost) td run was funny to see. It only happened because we decided to go man, for whatever reason. So sc just emptied one side of the field, had us outnumbered, and easily got a huge gain.

We brought plenty of pressure. Two straight times we brought a cb blitz and then a safety blitz. Thats incredibly aggressive. Both were strip sacks but we didn't come up with the ball.

Fans should absolutely be upset but it should be about the way we regularly bust zone coverage in our deep zones. It isn't some rarity like it is for every other team in the nation. It's at least several times a season and pretty much at least once a game. That is insane and people should absolutely lose their job over it.

Imagine eliminating those 3 busts. We literally shut them out. Just maddening.

South Carolina was incredibly lucky on those two strips. The busted coverage on third and long has got to stop. There was nobody within 5 to 10 yards of the receivers.

 

[gamecockcat]

Something I've noticed a lot over the years is we have a few plays every game where our rush gets to the QB but we either take a wrong angle or the QB shrugs our guy off and makes a play. Is our S&C guy any good? Both Burton and Eli, after multiple years in the program, are prone to get bull rushed and swept aside. Since both are > 300 lbs, it's either piss poor technique (poor coaching and/or execution) or lack of strength. And, I'm starting to think it's lack of strength as it shows up on the defensive side of the ball, too, where DL and LBs can't get off blocks, are driven backwards several yards, need help to bring a ball carrier down, etc.

 

[cathouse]

Brad "3rd and 18" White.

 

[phunterd]

Defense is largely not the problem. Fix the zone busts (which I will concede Buffano seems unable to do), and the defense has potential to be elite.

Offense is an unmitigated train wreck. And that is what will tank the season (again).

 

[seccats04]

Defense is largely not the problem. Fix the zone busts (which I will concede Buffano seems unable to do), and the defense has potential to be elite.

Offense is an unmitigated train wreck. And that is what will tank the season (again).

Stoops had a chance to replace Buffano after last season when our safeties were out of place over and over but chose not to. This is on Stoops.

 

[mrschwump]

Defense played great except 3 critical busted coverages that sc capitalized on.

The (almost) td run was funny to see. It only happened because we decided to go man, for whatever reason. So sc just emptied one side of the field, had us outnumbered, and easily got a huge gain.

We brought plenty of pressure. Two straight times we brought a cb blitz and then a safety blitz. Thats incredibly aggressive. Both were strip sacks but we didn't come up with the ball.

Fans should absolutely be upset but it should be about the way we regularly bust zone coverage in our deep zones. It isn't some rarity like it is for every other team in the nation. It's at least several times a season and pretty much at least once a game. That is insane and people should absolutely lose their job over it.

Imagine eliminating those 3 busts. We literally shut them out. Just maddening.

UK only gave up 250 yards total O, had 4 sacks, 12 TFL, had an INT, 2 forced fumbles. Not knowing the score if you saw just those stats one would think UK would've won handily. But the unprecedented blown coverages on D coupled with a putrid O sank the whole team.

Why don't UK opponents blow coverages the way UK does all too frequently?

 

[phunterd]

Stoops had a chance to replace Buffano after last season when our safeties were out of place over and over but chose not to. This is on Stoops.

Absolutely. Everyone was puzzled when Buffano was retained at the end of the year.

 

[CUJO_1970]

Kentucky has been blowing coverages badly and consistently throughout the Stoops poops era.

Remember the Florida game where we left their receivers un-defended and wide open and it cost us the game?

 

[know1]

I think the team has been hypnotized so that when they hear that stupid coal whistle, they go into a 1-down trance.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

UK only gave up 250 yards total O, had 4 sacks, 12 TFL, had an INT, 2 forced fumbles. Not knowing the score if you saw just those stats one would think UK would've won handily. But the unprecedented blown coverages on D coupled with a putrid O sank the whole team.

Why don't UK opponents blow coverages the way UK does all too frequently?

Funny question because southern niss blew the same route combo vs us that we dis vs sc. Its a hook/wheel/arrow combo. They came up for the hook which left the arrow wide open. Brock threw the hook anyway and almost had a pick 6.

One time we came up and they had the arrow wide open. Another we didn't have the cb (jq) carry that wheel and it was open.

Thats a combo route people already use (including us) because its tough. No excuses with our experience though.

 

[Boz]

Something I've noticed a lot over the years is we have a few plays every game where our rush gets to the QB but we either take a wrong angle or the QB shrugs our guy off and makes a play. Is our S&C guy any good? Both Burton and Eli, after multiple years in the program, are prone to get bull rushed and swept aside. Since both are > 300 lbs, it's either piss poor technique (poor coaching and/or execution) or lack of strength. And, I'm starting to think it's lack of strength as it shows up on the defensive side of the ball, too, where DL and LBs can't get off blocks, are driven backwards several yards, need help to bring a ball carrier down, etc.

Burton lacks the power. Eli Cox has bad feet and isn't very athletic.