My Take

[BBBLazing]

I am older than most of you I assume. I've been a UK fan and saw my first game live in the late 50's. UK football has disappointed me so many times I can't do it justice in words. While I am generally contrary, hard to impress, and a pain in the ass type guy on forums like this, I am not as disappointed today as I was last night. With 7 minutes to go, I was convinced we were beat because we always have seemed to lose games like that. We rallied. Towles sucked all night, but was good at the end. I'm not sure if he is our answer, but he did what we had to do. I get that we were playing inferior competition and am pissed that the team was flat and not prepared. I really don't know how that happens at this point, but it did, and we had kids that responded. We've not had that in a long while. I'm afraid of what the rest of the season holds based upon what I saw, but I'm excited at the same time. We won a game that we got our ass handed to us. We've lost that game to Western a few times. I do think Patrick is a bit too confident for what he has done. Way too inconsistent. But again, we won. Against a shitty team, I know, but we used to lose that game.

I have plenty of criticism of this team. I have more for the fans probably, but I won't start a fight. My biggest thing is that I am trying to stay positive. I just really hate fans that criticize other fans for not being blindly supportive. I am going to cheer, bitch to myself and you guys, but hope they get better. All of the stupid talk of Atlanta makes us all look bad. If we get there, I'll be there with you all, but let's all just cheer, keep reasonable expectations, and hope we can have a fun season this year. Go Cats.

 

[UKCatnNC]

Having started following the Cats back in the late 50s like you, I understand what you are saying. Thank you. Go Cats!!

 

[Pike 96]

Having started following the Cats back in the late 50s like you, I understand what you are saying. Thank you. Go Cats!!

Given your experience going back to the Bryant days and living through the Curci days....I'm curious what your take is on the talent level in those "hey" days of UK football verses what we are seeing in the Stoops era? I know Stoops build is a work in progress but would be interested in both of your opinions...

thanks for supporting our school all these years! Had to be painful much of the time.

 

[Chad Rock]

How many times have we whooped the other teams ass only to come out on the losing end? Played and followed since 91 so not as seasoned as some. However, winning games like this is a 180 from what we are routinely subjected to. I look for a complete ass whipping of Auburn on the 15th so note it...if not, I'll be here to eat crow. I just think something special is about to happen...

 

[TheBigBlueSpectacle]

Having started following the Cats back in the late 50s like you, I understand what you are saying. Thank you. Go Cats!!

What part of NC?

 

[BBBLazing]

KSR has a video on there now of our upset of LSU in 2007. What sticks out? Stevie Johnson and Jacob Tamme. We are good when we have NFL talent. We should have beaten South Carolina that year. I was there and we were ranked 8th on Thursday night. If we beat them, and then LSU, we might end up ranked 1st. Obviously, we didn't deserve it, but it was fun while it lasted. I just want us to develop a team that can compete and continue to compete, not just every couple of years when our schedule is favorable. It will never happen if we continue to be unprepared like we were last night. I can't understand people that make excuses for us being unprepared. We can not afford for that to happen. Coaches and players to blame.

 

[BBBLazing]

Given your experience going back to the Bryant days and living through the Curci days....I'm curious what your take is on the talent level in those "hey" days of UK football verses what we are seeing in the Stoops era? I know Stoops build is a work in progress but would be interested in both of your opinions...

thanks for supporting our school all these years! Had to be painful much of the time.

I don't remember UK football ever having "hey" days. We used to do a better job of recruiting up front. We are getting back there. A football program has to be built from the line of scrimmage out. Hopefully we are on our way.

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

Thanks OP, I'm as blue koolaid as they come and I nearly turned the game off after we were down 14. I thought the effort to come back and the plays that were made in that effort show just how good this team can be when dialed in.

Yeah the game was embarrassing but in the end we won and this game in no way tells you how good/bad this team is. We've seen them compete against 3 SEC teams and the lack of energy/effort was noticeable from the start.

Sometimes games like this happen. A team expects to just steamroll a team and let the game get away from them.

No need to overreact to a game we won and in the end will help this team build upon their earlier success this season. We're a young team still learning how to win the right way through preparation, focus and holding each other accountable. Believe we'll see a complete 180 in effort/attitude when Auburn rolls into town.

 

[BBBLazing]

Thanks OP, I'm as blue koolaid as they come and I nearly turned the game off after we were down 14. I thought the effort to come back and the plays that were made in that effort show just how good this team can be when dialed in.

Yeah the game was embarrassing but in the end we won and this game in no way tells you how good/bad this team is. We've seen them compete against 3 SEC teams and the lack of energy/effort was noticeable from the start.

Sometimes games like this happen. A team expects to just steamroll a team and let the game get away from them.

No need to overreact to a game we won and in the end will help this team build upon their earlier success this season. We're a young team still learning how to win the right way through preparation, focus and holding each other accountable. Believe we'll see a complete 180 in effort/attitude when Auburn rolls into town.

To be candid, this is the type of optimism that concerns me. This game definitely tells you how good/bad this team is. If we can't get up for a game against a Division 1-AA team that beat our back up quarterback's ass in a dorm, we have problems. As I said in my original post, I'm concerned about the rest of the season. We have beat a few teams that I'm not convinced were that good. I will remain positive, but to say this game and the effort doesn't matter because we won is ostriching, if you know what I mean.

 

[BBBLazing]

If we play like we did last night, Vandy will kick our ass.

 

[CatDaddy4daWin]

Winning programs find ways to win. That's what we're doing. This is just another instance of our guys finding ways to win. Mizzou has done it the past couple of years. SC is not that great a team this year but it was on the road and we were without Hatcher and Flannigan, who are turning into guys that change the makeup of our defense.

Missouri is a very good team. We beat them pretty much straight up and without some herculian effort. All this game tells you is that our margin of error is thin and that if you don't bring it every game highly motivated teams can beat you.

I mean, by all means, think this game tells us how close in talent that Eastern is to us. Because if that's true I guess they can compete with Missouri and Florida.

You saw us outscore them 21-0 in 10 minutes when we decided to actually play with heart and effort. That's how talented this team can be when they are focused and play with emotion. We've certainly got warts but if we can be within striking distance in the 4th, this team now knows how to finish games.

 

[Gabewcat]

I too have been a UK fan since the 50's. There are far too few hi-lite years but I will stay positive because a typical UK team of the past would have never won that game like the team did vs EKU.

I will lay this one on Stoops by proclaiming that Barker would definitely play thus aler6ing EKU that this game was going to be a blowout. Unfortunately, the players believed it and came out flat as a pancake. On top of all the distractions of the week with the Boom Williams altercation with another player and then findig out that AustinMcGinnis was injured, I never thought that I would be praying for a PAT to be made late in the game.

Kudo's to the Cats for the win and now put all the distractions behind them and get ready for Auburn.

 

[BBBLazing]

Winning programs find ways to win. That's what we're doing. This is just another instance of our guys finding ways to win. Mizzou has done it the past couple of years. SC is not that great a team this year but it was on the road and we were without Hatcher and Flannigan, who are turning into guys that change the makeup of our defense.

Missouri is a very good team. We beat them pretty much straight up and without some herculian effort. All this game tells you is that our margin of error is thin and that if you don't bring it every game highly motivated teams can beat you.

I mean, by all means, think this game tells us how close in talent that Eastern is to us. Because if that's true I guess they can compete with Missouri and Florida.

You saw us outscore them 21-0 in 10 minutes when we decided to actually play with heart and effort. That's how talented this team can be when they are focused and play with emotion. We've certainly got warts but if we can be within striking distance in the 4th, this team now knows how to finish games.

Are you saying that EKU has talent at the level of us and can compete with Missouri and Florida? Come on. We didn't show up and that is unacceptable. No more excuses.

 

[UKCatnNC]

What part of NC?

Raleigh and Emerald Isle. Are you in NC?

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

8 fresh and sophs starting on offense...this current staff has nothing to do with you being a fan and bring miserable for 50 yrs...sit back and let it build. Restart your fan hood starting with stoops...it won't be quick to turn it around so putting past miseries on this team is unfair and to expect immediate results isn't either. If this fanbase doesn't run him out of town by then they will be pretty formidable in a couple yrs.

 

[jauk11]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned by anyone is that we played the entire game without the services that almost everyone thought was our most talented player (PT could be, and may show it yet, and Baker was huge----along with Johnson on D) up until game time. I am surprised that Stoops stood by his guns if it was a statement that no one is more important than the team, could have backfired if we had lost though. But as the season goes on we are having more and more SEC level stars emerge. There is a lot of talent on this team, the most this century and maybe quite a few decades back.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

It's a good thing Charlotte sucks and Vandy and Auburn and UL suck...UK might suck its way to 7-8 wins. (OP's logic).

 

[vhcat70]

Given your experience going back to the Bryant days .

Bryant UK days ended in early 50's.

 

[BBBLazing]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned by anyone is that we played the entire game without the services that almost everyone thought was our most talented player (PT could be, and may show it yet, and Baker was huge----along with Johnson on D) up until game time. I am surprised that Stoops stood by his guns if it was a statement that no one is more important than the team, could have backfired if we had lost though. But as the season goes on we are having more and more SEC level stars emerge. There is a lot of talent on this team, the most this century and maybe quite a few decades back.

We have played multiple games without our best players, but that is their fault. Boom should be ashamed, just as Hatcher should be ashamed. They let their teammates and the fans down by their actions. It is not an excuse. No more excuses.

 

[docholiday51]

Interesting thread because of the length of perspective here.

1.For years(maybe decades) we have struggled to win these type of games,ones we should go out and take over and be done with.(ULL was the same story.Some of us have been waiting 50+ years to get to that point there have been a few years that we did it(77',84')

2.Yes we are young,but this is a much different age of college football.Everybody plays younger people and they are expected to be able to win right out of the gate

3.Stoops is bringing in better talent than we have gotten in many years,I think you have to go back to the Curci era to find years that are comparable

4.We did win the ULL and EKU games,it the recent past we might have lost one or both of those games,with that being said based off last year one would expect that Stoops would have been able to move past eeking out wins in those type of games

5.Lastly I see Stoops growing into a modern day Claiborne type of coach,the question is will he do that here or somewhere else.I think a bowl this season will launch him in that direction,if not then he may not get off the ground in that way.