Clearing up some things based on what I know.
Special Teams Coordinator Position
I'm told by people close to the Kentucky program that this critique is understandable based on what most people know but the reality inside the program is the Andy Buh is the de facto special teams coordinator. Tyler Hancock handles recruiting duties for the special teams and while the staff does help Buh is the one most responsible and the common belief on the staff is that it's a non-issue for practical purposes at least inasmuch as people are making an issue of the "by-committee" approach. Nobody is happy with the miscues. I asked whether there's a chance Stoops hires a ST coordinator or gives the formal duties to someone and wasn't given a clear answer. But I am told Buh is the de facto guy.
Shannon Dawson
Has certainly taken heat from fans this year. I don't know that he's in trouble or anything like that but I can tell you that the offense has not progress this year and that's not great. Dawson clearly still has something to prove and I will say I think that his performance in his opening year doesn't seem to be anything close to what a lot of people imagined. No brainer but I know that in particular it's something that a couple of players wanted to see. And they probably weren't alone.
John Schlarman
One of the more criticized figures here on this board has been offensive line coach John Schlarman because of the offensive line's spotty play all three seasons and the fact that he recruits Kentucky. Those that I spoke with today inside the program painted a rather flattering picture of Schlarman actually. I get the impression that he's well-liked on the staff and people that I spoke with were very quick to point out that people in the program believe he had a huge task with where the line began upon arrival.
Has Stoops "lost the team"?
I spoke with sources about multiple reports that I've heard. Specific instances of disagreement within the ranks, mostly between older players and younger players. Also between even families of team members primarily on the playing time issue. The issues weren't laughed off but they were downplayed with one source pointing to the behavior of parents at little league games and how one should expect it to be amplified in college. I can tell you that those issues exist but I also understand the take that coaches feel like everyone deals with this everywhere. It's true that a lot of younger guys would like Barker to be the quarterback. However I would say that it was also clear that at the very least the team played with energy when Towles was out there as the starter. There may be some conspiracy theories about players dropping two huge passes and bobbling a shovel pass on Towles' opening drive and then quickly scoring with Barker in the game, when in reality that could have been players amped Barker was in and needing a lift. But I don't think it really will affect anyone's play whatever decision they make.
The suggestion that Stoops has "lost the team" was roundly laughed off. One person told me, "I laugh every time I see that."
The person went on to acknowledge some in-game decisions that Stoops knows could have been better, but emphasized that "those players love him" and said anybody who is around the team and sees the stuff that goes on wouldn't believe the stuff about losing the team.
Still, the discipline and disorganization issues have to be addressed.
Today I asked sources about my recent suggestion that Stoops "micromanages" a bit too much.
For the most part nobody really agreed or disagreed. One person kind of summed up the general response.
"Well if he did ever step in and get involved with the defense look at the past couple of weeks and tell me it didn't work."
UK did give up 300 rushing yards to Georgia, but it's true they improved and they were absolutely better against Vanderbilt. It wasn't depicted as Stoops taking the reins from Eliot, but it's interesting that a couple of people spoke on it and did not tell me that Stoops has not got a tendency to insert himself and recently in particular.
As for the offense -- I will say this. Not everyone is crazy about the decision to pass the ball near the goal line. To those saying there was a need to line up with your biggest, fattest, strongest guys and just go power four times -- you have your sympathizers.
Recruiting, Ohio and the South
I've posed the question that many of you have wanted me to pose. "Why isn't Buh recruiting only in the South instead of in the South and in New Jersey, and why is Mainord recruiting in the Mid-Atlantic instead of in Florida and Georgia?" I asked specifically almost in those exact words.
The answer was simple: Because they don't want to take third tier players in those places. You can disagree if you want and you can argue that they are selling themselves short. But it is a fair take. They obviously believe Kentucky has a better chance at selling their own version of the SEC brand in non-SEC states than by selling their version of the SEC brand in SEC states. Even if those states have less talent in some cases.
Towles-Barker Issue
I wasn't able to let today go by without trying to gauge the Towles-Barker issue and where it stands. There is sympathy for Towles because based on what I've heard from well-placed people the staff believes he is a much better quarterback than he's often depicted as being. And I do believe that the staff may still harbor the belief that Towles gives them the best chance to win. However, recently I've gotten the distinct feeling that Towles' time might be running out, not because the staff wants that but because in some respects it may be inevitable. I'm not saying that's true for Charlotte, but I will say this and it's only my opinion based on what I've heard: I would be surprised if Barker isn't UK's starter in 2016.
As for the 'botched' calls...
I can say that Stoops does understand the problems from the game. Not just talk.
On the 4th and 1 from midfield. There's more regret over the play call than the decision to go for it. Stoops clearly wanted to send a strong message that he was playing to win and he believed that was a message his team needed. Apparently even down 14-10 the calculation was made pretty much beforehand (attitude-wise) that Kentucky had to play with a killer instinct and it meant doing things like that. I do understand that had Kentucky punted then some people would have criticized that, although not to the extent that people rightfully criticized how that played out.
The public explanation for the receiver not being covered was pretty much it.
Louisville Game/Recruiting
Hearing that the UL game is going to be a monster recruiting weekend and I hope to have a lot more about that...will be a very important weekend along with that second weekend in December leading up to Signing Day.
Special Teams Coordinator Position
I'm told by people close to the Kentucky program that this critique is understandable based on what most people know but the reality inside the program is the Andy Buh is the de facto special teams coordinator. Tyler Hancock handles recruiting duties for the special teams and while the staff does help Buh is the one most responsible and the common belief on the staff is that it's a non-issue for practical purposes at least inasmuch as people are making an issue of the "by-committee" approach. Nobody is happy with the miscues. I asked whether there's a chance Stoops hires a ST coordinator or gives the formal duties to someone and wasn't given a clear answer. But I am told Buh is the de facto guy.
Shannon Dawson
Has certainly taken heat from fans this year. I don't know that he's in trouble or anything like that but I can tell you that the offense has not progress this year and that's not great. Dawson clearly still has something to prove and I will say I think that his performance in his opening year doesn't seem to be anything close to what a lot of people imagined. No brainer but I know that in particular it's something that a couple of players wanted to see. And they probably weren't alone.
John Schlarman
One of the more criticized figures here on this board has been offensive line coach John Schlarman because of the offensive line's spotty play all three seasons and the fact that he recruits Kentucky. Those that I spoke with today inside the program painted a rather flattering picture of Schlarman actually. I get the impression that he's well-liked on the staff and people that I spoke with were very quick to point out that people in the program believe he had a huge task with where the line began upon arrival.
Has Stoops "lost the team"?
I spoke with sources about multiple reports that I've heard. Specific instances of disagreement within the ranks, mostly between older players and younger players. Also between even families of team members primarily on the playing time issue. The issues weren't laughed off but they were downplayed with one source pointing to the behavior of parents at little league games and how one should expect it to be amplified in college. I can tell you that those issues exist but I also understand the take that coaches feel like everyone deals with this everywhere. It's true that a lot of younger guys would like Barker to be the quarterback. However I would say that it was also clear that at the very least the team played with energy when Towles was out there as the starter. There may be some conspiracy theories about players dropping two huge passes and bobbling a shovel pass on Towles' opening drive and then quickly scoring with Barker in the game, when in reality that could have been players amped Barker was in and needing a lift. But I don't think it really will affect anyone's play whatever decision they make.
The suggestion that Stoops has "lost the team" was roundly laughed off. One person told me, "I laugh every time I see that."
The person went on to acknowledge some in-game decisions that Stoops knows could have been better, but emphasized that "those players love him" and said anybody who is around the team and sees the stuff that goes on wouldn't believe the stuff about losing the team.
Still, the discipline and disorganization issues have to be addressed.
Today I asked sources about my recent suggestion that Stoops "micromanages" a bit too much.
For the most part nobody really agreed or disagreed. One person kind of summed up the general response.
"Well if he did ever step in and get involved with the defense look at the past couple of weeks and tell me it didn't work."
UK did give up 300 rushing yards to Georgia, but it's true they improved and they were absolutely better against Vanderbilt. It wasn't depicted as Stoops taking the reins from Eliot, but it's interesting that a couple of people spoke on it and did not tell me that Stoops has not got a tendency to insert himself and recently in particular.
As for the offense -- I will say this. Not everyone is crazy about the decision to pass the ball near the goal line. To those saying there was a need to line up with your biggest, fattest, strongest guys and just go power four times -- you have your sympathizers.
Recruiting, Ohio and the South
I've posed the question that many of you have wanted me to pose. "Why isn't Buh recruiting only in the South instead of in the South and in New Jersey, and why is Mainord recruiting in the Mid-Atlantic instead of in Florida and Georgia?" I asked specifically almost in those exact words.
The answer was simple: Because they don't want to take third tier players in those places. You can disagree if you want and you can argue that they are selling themselves short. But it is a fair take. They obviously believe Kentucky has a better chance at selling their own version of the SEC brand in non-SEC states than by selling their version of the SEC brand in SEC states. Even if those states have less talent in some cases.
Towles-Barker Issue
I wasn't able to let today go by without trying to gauge the Towles-Barker issue and where it stands. There is sympathy for Towles because based on what I've heard from well-placed people the staff believes he is a much better quarterback than he's often depicted as being. And I do believe that the staff may still harbor the belief that Towles gives them the best chance to win. However, recently I've gotten the distinct feeling that Towles' time might be running out, not because the staff wants that but because in some respects it may be inevitable. I'm not saying that's true for Charlotte, but I will say this and it's only my opinion based on what I've heard: I would be surprised if Barker isn't UK's starter in 2016.
As for the 'botched' calls...
I can say that Stoops does understand the problems from the game. Not just talk.
On the 4th and 1 from midfield. There's more regret over the play call than the decision to go for it. Stoops clearly wanted to send a strong message that he was playing to win and he believed that was a message his team needed. Apparently even down 14-10 the calculation was made pretty much beforehand (attitude-wise) that Kentucky had to play with a killer instinct and it meant doing things like that. I do understand that had Kentucky punted then some people would have criticized that, although not to the extent that people rightfully criticized how that played out.
The public explanation for the receiver not being covered was pretty much it.
Louisville Game/Recruiting
Hearing that the UL game is going to be a monster recruiting weekend and I hope to have a lot more about that...will be a very important weekend along with that second weekend in December leading up to Signing Day.
