O-line: Worst pass blocking I've seen with Kentucky

[katwest]

The o-line still should have been able to protect Brock better than it did. We have two super seniors and two that started last year for Florida and UT and Burton who’s started a lot in three years. That should be a good o-line but they were terrible and we never made any adjustments, SC is not even the best D line we will see, far from it. The coaching staff looked lost and stunned at what was happening. The penalties were outrageous, I’m glad I didn’t go, until they do better, I won’t go. It’s to far to drive from western Kentucky for more of the same after all of these years.

 

[KyCatFan]

Yes. There did not seem to be any adjustments of any kind in the passing game. That one drive where they abandoned the passing game entirely and had a dozen or so runs back-to-back picked up nice yardage but could not get them into the end zone. Piecoro said a couple of times, the QB should just step up in the pocket instead of retreating backwards.

I remember one possession in particular. He had blockers to his sides and instead of staying in the pocket or stepping up, he goes backwards right into the defender. He didn't play well, but I'd probably have happy feet to after the poor protection he was receiving. There was another possession where 5 offensive linemen, a tight end, and a running back were blocking and he got pressured immediately. It was 7 blocking 3. There are major problems on the homefront.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

can't Pass block a 3-line rush, god awful.

Run blocking looks good as usual but we don't have a back that can tote the rock every down, nor have the heft to really push the line a few yards.

The O-line is why Brock is playing so rattled

Just strange how you can have good players at most positions and some two deep but the OL so pathetic. Not just the OL in blocking, our number 0 will not block for the QB. As good as he ran the ball his blocking was atrocious. I thought our experience on the OL would be a big plus but if the heart and toughness is not that we saw that experience doesn't matter. You would think out of 15 OL on the roster three or four would be decent bad boys.

 

[Crankdatmustard]

Hamdan play calling in the past has been littered with screen game. USC pinning ears back, did he even call one screen? Just horrific.

 

[Creed Bratton]

When Wolford was here the first time our O Line was a shell of it's former self under Schlarman. When he left for Bama everyone was happy other than the fact he did it while on a recruiting trip for UK. There didn't seem to be anyone upset he was gone based on the job he had done and for some, including Freddie Maggard, they were celebrating like the monks when Ace Ventura left the monastery. Then he goes to Bama and their O Line was not up to the standards they had. It seems they also were celebrating when he left. What am I missing? This guy has done nothing with the O Line anywhere he has been and yet we hired him again?

 

[trueblujr2]

I am surprised Kentucky has not sprinkled in some screens. this would help counter the rush

We tried one early and took about a four yard loss on it. Brock was pressured the second he took the snap. it was obvious the OLine wasn't going to protect him. In that situation we probably should have went with Wimsatt earlier because he was more effective running the ball than Brock.
We are obviously going to have to work in some short quick hitting passing routes if we want any semblance of a passing game. Will have to get the Tight ends more involved. regardless, we are likely in for a long season and our streak of eight straight bowls is on the line already.

 

[rolaid]

Ok everyone is right / Oline was very poor in pass blocking
Vandergriff instead of stepping up in pocket and making decisive decisions he was exact opposite- retreating and panicking- missed several opportunities
Offensive coordinator was very poor - not having tight ends helping with stud defensive end
Not having a screen game ready or a short crisp route package installed
ALL SYSTEMS FAILURE

 

[trueblujr2]

It's called pocket awareness. There were multiple times when he had a nice pocket and ran straight to the edge rushers.

Also, he's allowed to throw the ball when pressured...

That's how you end up throwing INT's.

 

[secrules3]

That's how you end up throwing INT's.

He threw the interception straight to the guy while completely protected.

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

What do you do if your RB is scared to block on pass plays?

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Overall ol play wasnt as bad as most think imo. We basically couldn't block one guy, but that is an understatement. He was basically to the qb in .5 seconds. An extremely elite player.

Even though he was extremely elite, you are an sec ot and just cant get beat THAT bad every rep. In all my years of watching uk play, i never saw a guy dominate a 1 on 1 (even a 1 on 3) like that guy did every single time. Its ridiculous to think you couldn't give your qb even 2 seconds. It was mainly rt but lt got smoked too. Then he was rubbing it in your face on top of it all. Zero pride in that ol room.

All that said, more concerning to see our oc had no answers. Snap count anyone? Easiest way to slow down an elite get off. They got us with it. Many other ways too. Instead we just kept doing the same thing expecting different results.

Even if you cant figure out anything, why go away from the inside runs? They clearly had no answer for that because their strength was outside edge rush. Instead we'd have massive success then try something cute pushing us 3rd and long. At half stoops is concerned about balance which i guess is to keep his wrs happy. How about lets win the game or at least get a lead then worry about feelings?

So many reasons to be concerned about our performance and 90% of it coaching. We wont see another edge guy nearly that good but the inability to adjust to the talent deficiency is extremely concerning.

that one matchup you mentioned gave UK no shot. BV had that guy in his face as he took the snap. He may set an SEC record for sacks this year. But UK's OT had zero shot at blocking him and very little with help. I saw people talking screens, you can run screens when the guy is getting there at same time the ball is. The OT needed help every snap, if it took 2-3 to block him thats what you have to do, force someone else to beat you, not let one guy beat you. BV had a bad game, but not 1 QB wouldn't with pressure getting to him that quick. The tackle wasn't getting out powered, he was getting out quicked, the OL coach should have put a smaller, quicker OL in to see if that would have slowed him down, don't see how it could have been any worse.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Did this Superman on USC’s defensive line play in the ODU game the week before? If he didn’t, maybe you guys have a point. I think more accurate answer is our OLine just sucks. Big time.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Did this Superman on USC’s defensive line play in the ODU game the week before? If he didn’t, maybe you guys have a point. I think more accurate answer is our OLine just sucks. Big time.

He did and literally single handedly won the game for them. I think he forced 3 strip sacks in the 4th quarter which sc recovered.

Yes hes that good. Here is cole cubelic in disbelief at how good he is already. It isn't JUST elite athleticism and get off. Its elite technique already.

Hes there two more seasons too.

 

[TucsonCat]

When Wolford was here the first time our O Line was a shell of it's former self under Schlarman. When he left for Bama everyone was happy other than the fact he did it while on a recruiting trip for UK. There didn't seem to be anyone upset he was gone based on the job he had done and for some, including Freddie Maggard, they were celebrating like the monks when Ace Ventura left the monastery. Then he goes to Bama and their O Line was not up to the standards they had. It seems they also were celebrating when he left. What am I missing? This guy has done nothing with the O Line anywhere he has been and yet we hired him again?

When Wolford was here, we went 10-3.
Inherited a line that lost Drake Jackson and Landon Young with no backup for either.
We were top 50 in sacks allowed, with Will Levis back there.
Rodriguez ran for 1300 yards and 6 per carry.
Some shell.

Alabama was sacked 3 times against South Florida and is currently 80th in the country.

You know why Maggard was mad? Because Wolford redshirt his boy Jagr. Something Maggard couldn't believe since Jagr was destined to be an early entrant in the NFL Draft (seriously, he said those words)

I hate defending the guy, but I hate even more that people just slurped up the Maggard personal criticism without any thinking.

 

[Creed Bratton]

When Wolford was here, we went 10-3.
Inherited a line that lost Drake Jackson and Landon Young with no backup for either.
We were top 50 in sacks allowed, with Will Levis back there.
Rodriguez ran for 1300 yards and 6 per carry.
Some shell.

Alabama was sacked 3 times against South Florida and is currently 80th in the country.

You know why Maggard was mad? Because Wolford redshirt his boy Jagr. Something Maggard couldn't believe since Jagr was destined to be an early entrant in the NFL Draft (seriously, he said those words)

I hate defending the guy, but I hate even more that people just slurped up the Maggard personal criticism without any thinking.

You are defending him by saying we had one of the top 3 RB's in our program history, one of the top 5 QB's in our program history, 2 O linemen who along with Darian Kennard an all American, Luke Fortner and Dare Rosenthal made up one of the best o lines possibly ever and a WR who had one of the best seasons in school history? Did you happen to think that maybe even he couldn't screw that up?

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Noticed the TV guy said that the OL pass blocking was so bad it was embarrassing. The OT's do not have the quickness needed. Mentioned would be better off putting smaller guys there to at least have a chance to stay in front of the defenders.