Mark Stoops winning despite significant deficiencies

[sluggercatfan]

Well-----at least you are consistent.

We have had 2-3* turn out to be super and several 4* turn out to be disappointments...look at our current team and many from the past.

 

[DACats86]

Well-----at least you are consistent.

I feel pretty good about going into next season with an OL comprised of Price, Stenberg, Jackson, Stallings and Young. I also think the OL will play much better the rest of this year (as long as there are no significant injuries). I think the proverbial light came on in that last drive against UT.

The QB competition will be interesting this spring, but there are lots of good options - Barker, Hoak, Clark, Wood and (fingers crossed) Williams. Probably the best stable of QBs ever at UK. We also have a very underrated QB coach in Hinshaw. I would be interested in KyCatFan's posts when UK signed Stephen Johnson...

As far as RBs, we get Benny and King back, but we also get a Boom-esque homerun hitter in Koback on the field.

The defense could be downright scary as long as some of the juniors don't make really bonehead decisions and try to jump to the NFL. Stoops has been reluctant to advise players against opting for the NFL, but he needs to be more direct about it this year. Personally, I don't think any of the juniors are ready for the NFL - Allen included.

 

[Caveman Catfan]

Allen could use another year, but if Edwards, Allen and Jones are hearing they will be drafted in 1-2.5 rounds, they should think about leaving. Now, they should also consider what Bud did for himself by coming back.

 

[KyCatFan]

would be interested in KyCatFan's posts when UK signed Stephen Johnson...

Johnson wasn't new to college competition though. It wasn't as good of competition as the FBS, but it was much better than the high school level. Compared to the experience any of next year's qb's will have (barely any to none) it is an immense difference.

The closest one to actually being ready barely has played in 3 years and many think he might just pull a Towles and go somewhere else where he is guaranteed to play his final year. We are lucky that Johnson is a gamer, but he definitely has a lot of limitations. Who knows what the next guy will be like, but as I said, they will be behind an offensive line that has been pretty mediocre this year and we will have to see if they are much improved next year. That is why I'm not to optimistic that we can maintain whatever level we end up at this year.

 

[Deli owl]

I've yet to see an embarrassing sec conference win.

Sorry just because we ain't the fastest show on turf, doesn't meant we can't or are not a good football team

Make no mistake...this team is not a major force in college football. That's what I would rather have than people making excuses. Just needs to get done.

 

[vhcat70]

I feel pretty good about going into next season with an OL comprised of Price, Stenberg, Jackson, Stallings and Young.

George AA starting over Young now with Meadows flipped to LT. But GAA & Price are more RT's. We'll see.

 

[Poetax]

If he didn't have the same issues constantly occurring in year 5 that have been there since year 1, I think more people would believe in him and overlook some of our problem areas. I am happy to come away with the win after trying to do just about everything we could to lose it. I am aggravated that we have to make every game against equal or lesser opponents an adventure though.

Regardless of our record, I still don't think he can consistently take us any further than he likely will this year (probably 8 wins not counting the bowl). Sure that is better than we have been doing over like the last 30 years, but the weakness of the schedule has never been and likely will never be any easier. How will he do once Florida and Tennessee get back to where they usually are? Georgia is already at that level. Will the rest of the SEC East improve as well? Is UL going to keep regressing or build themselves back up? Will we get to keep playing 3 nearly guaranteed wins every year out of conference?

Next year will likely be a step back for us when you factor in the player losses we will have. There won't be a QB with much game experience on the roster and we will lose about 11 players (I believe that is the number) off of our 2 deep to go with our very good kicker. So how will everyone feel if we don't make a bowl next year? The natives will start to get even more restless and continue second guessing Stoops as head coach.

I think Mitch caused a lot of the issues by constantly giving Stoops contract extensions with only minimal improvement. So even if Stoops declines the next 2 years I doubt we would get rid of him with I believe 3 more years on his contract still remaining after that. We are pretty much stuck with Stoops for good or bad for probably at least 3 more years regardless of the play on the field. So we better all hope we continue to improve and Stoops turns out to be the right man for the job or we will have another head coach that was kept around to long and be back to square one once again.

UK FANS: ^^^^^You can either think like this poster and have no hope OR you can see that this program is getting better. Not by leaps and bounds, which I know upsets some but for over 50+ years I have hardly ever been happy at this stage of the season. For some reason I think it’s going to happen and I will keep thinking that.