The disconnect between Stoops and Gran

[Eddie Gran can coach]

Stoops is so conservative, wants to run the ball, MILK the clock (his words), and basically try to let his defense win the game.

Gran tries to please the boss, yet his nature is to run uptempo, pass/run mix, etc.

Not sure the marriage lasts, Gran is loyal, draws a nice check, but is shackled by the micro manager.

Anybody else disagree?

 

[jnewc2]

If I’m Gran I try to find a job elsewhere before Stoops gets a chance to scapegoat him in the offseason. Could you imagine if Gran wanted to use a couple pass-heavy, uptempo drives in the first half? Stoops would have a meltdown. It’s got to be frustrating getting scapegoated like that. Neal Brown has to be smiling somewhere.

 

[Xception]

I bet Stoops is unaware that he micro manages, every micro managing supervisor I’ve met is oblivious that they don’t relinquish control. That type wants to control their own destiny and thinks their choice is always the best option, they don’t like to put their fate in others hands.

They see it as helping or they can’t see it at all. So I doubt Stoops gets out of his own way this early in his coaching career, maybe late in his career his waning ambitions will entrust those around him.

 

[know1]

If your offense is so basic that you can't even move the ball, then what advantage would it have to you as a conservative coach? All it's going to do is keep your defense on the field when you go three and out every time. I don't see the logic in Stoops asking the OCs to be THAT conservative.

I think what we're really seeing is an accumulation of several things:
1. A quarterback who seems to be very hesitant to take chances on throwing the ball unless were in desperate need.
2. A very mediocre corps of receivers who do not get open very well and are probably also getting frustrated that we barely throw.
3. A head coach that would like to use a lot of clock - i.e. run the ball a lot - and asks his OC to err on the conservative side
4. A team that is wearing down from a long season in the SEC.

I'm a big fan of UK football. A very big fan. I'm not sure I've ever seen such an inept offense as we have right now. We run right up the middle for all of our running plays and we either throw VERY short passes back to the line of scrimmage or even behind it, or we take a sack. I can't for the life of me figure out why we can't do anything more imaginative than the plays I'm describing. We don't even do any wrinkles in the wildcat anymore and everyone knows when we're going to use it.

 

[jwphelps]

Stoops is so conservative, wants to run the ball, MILK the clock (his words), and basically try to let his defense win the game.

Gran tries to please the boss, yet his nature is to run uptempo, pass/run mix, etc.

Not sure the marriage lasts, Gran is loyal, draws a nice check, but is shackled by the micro manager.

Anybody else disagree?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Our offense has been figured out and we keep doing the same thing over and over only to get shut down. Defense can help keep you in the game, but the offense has to put points on the board. UT did not do crap against Charlotte but shut us down cold.

 

[HalHR2500]

Head Coach meddling has set in on the offense (fear of failure leads to paralysis), they are what they are, and I have serious doubts they win another game. It's hard to win scoring 10-14 points a game, I don't care who the opponent is.

The OFFENSE in the last 5 games-scored 7 @ TAM, 14 vs. Vandy, 9 @ Missouri, 17 vs. Georgia and 7 @TN, that is 54 points, an average of 10.8 points per game....

 

[dyersburgcatfan]

I say Stoops should let Gran run the up tempo offense the first half of the game rather than the last 5 minutes of the game. Who knows. We might score two or three times before halftime. Sure would make the 2nd half easier to manage.

 

[1977CatFan]

Can't you people smell the coffee?
At Cincinnati, Eddie Gran and Darin Hinshaw utilized an offense that went with tempo and threw the ball around the yard. Balance was key but scoring was never an issue. UC put up over 30 points per game each season with Gran. At Kentucky, however,

Mark Stoops has made it clear he wants an offense to limit possessions

, be physical, and put his defense in good spots. They are doing that but you have to score points too.

 

[brian.mikeson]

I say Stoops should let Gran run the up tempo offense the first half of the game rather than the last 5 minutes of the game. Who knows. We might score two or three times before halftime. Sure would make the 2nd half easier to manage.

Bingo.

And now think back to our best 2 games (SCar and Miss St)...we got on top early and THEN were able to use the "milk the clock" to our advantage.

I don't have a problem with the "limiting possessions" strategy when your defense is very good, but you can't GO INTO THE GAME with that mentality from the beginning.

 

[HalHR2500]

Stoops said we were "milking" the clock down 3-0 in second quarter at Tennessee after the game, who in the world thinks like this? Seriously, has the man lost his marbles, he has the best defense he has ever had at UK.

Hey Stoops, open up the offense from the first snap, with high tempo, RPO, run/pass, play action, and get a freaking lead, then MILK that clock.

 

[seccats04]

Stoops is clueless on offense. He has said as much in interviews yet he keeps butting in on every OC we get. Once Gran moves on (if he were smart he'd leave this year before we totally ruin his career) we will get some old school, washed up ex-Big 10 OC. Gran needs to get some 1980's Big 10 tapes to see how Stoops wants to play.

 

[JC CATS]

I have noticed that when TW does have a lot of time he still takes a sack a lot. In that much time someone had to be open, if you don't hit them in that split second then they will get defended JMO

 

[dpinlex60]

wilson has been playing tentative at best. the rpo is non-existant as he continues to hand off to a banged up Snell even with the DE crashing down.

He is afraid to run or when he does he slides and leaves yards on the field.

He is either slow reacting or afraid to let go of the ball. What small windows he does have are closed by the time he decides to release the ball. Unfortunately more often than he sits and waits too long and takes the sack.

 

[Calsthebomb]

Until stoops changes we wont have a competitive offense.

 

[volhacker1]

Just an observation from an outsider. Tennessee won the game for one reason. Kentucky was and is a one dimensional offensive team. If you had a decent qb and receivers Snell would be breaking all kinda SEC and National records. He is that good but not by himself.

 

[Soupbean]

Stoops is so conservative, wants to run the ball, MILK the clock (his words), and basically try to let his defense win the game.

Gran tries to please the boss, yet his nature is to run uptempo, pass/run mix, etc.

Not sure the marriage lasts, Gran is loyal, draws a nice check, but is shackled by the micro manager.

Anybody else disagree?

I never wanted to buy into that before but now am opening up to the possibility. There are the obvious comments from both in the past that alluded to a sort of quiet frustration from Gran and also from Stoops on some calls by Gran (see Texas AM).

But the biggest evidence may be Gran's really odd and inconsistent and erratic play calling from mostly very conservative to small out of the blue spurts of the opposite with no pattern or flow to it. He's been conservative in situations seemed to call for more open and then open with it seemed to call for stock.

His odd play calling would match a person being held back against his will to the point of frustration who then has to vent in spurts of what he really wants to do in small segments, but the second that is not 100% successful, has to retreat quickly back to the tight conservative game plan.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Stoops is so conservative, wants to run the ball, MILK the clock (his words), and basically try to let his defense win the game.

Gran tries to please the boss, yet his nature is to run uptempo, pass/run mix, etc.

Not sure the marriage lasts, Gran is loyal, draws a nice check, but is shackled by the micro manager.

Anybody else disagree?

If this is true, and I am beginning to believe it is, Gran needs to find a coach who fits his style. Or if available take a head coach job. I have heard he does no want to be a head coach but that may not be so.

 

[Eddie Gran can coach]

Try being micro managed, its extremely frustrating.

 

[dallasg23]

Again 3 different coordinators. 1 head coach. Same results 3 times. The likelihood of them all being good then and getting here and being garbage is just not probable. 1 maybe, 3 absolutely not.

 

[cats2010]

I have noticed that when TW does have a lot of time he still takes a sack a lot. In that much time someone had to be open, if you don't hit them in that split second then they will get defended JMO

It is obvious that TW does not see the field well at all. I remember one replay in the first half they showed we had a player wide open breaking over the middle about 10-15 yards down field and he never saw him. As you alluded to there are many times he has quite awhile to throw but doesn’t.

Dussapointed we didn’t try Gunnar or Danny at all in the first half when it was obvious things were not working at all with TW. I understand Gunnar hasn’t performed well in his own right but dang you have to try something when the status quo isn’t getting the job done.

 

[wildcatdonf]

If you keep doing what you are doing and you keep getting what you have been getting, then you are (fill in he blank.)

 

[willievic]

Stoops said we were "milking" the clock down 3-0 in second quarter at Tennessee after the game, who in the world thinks like this? Seriously, has the man lost his marbles, he has the best defense he has ever had at UK.

Hey Stoops, open up the offense from the first snap, with high tempo, RPO, run/pass, play action, and get a freaking lead, then MILK that clock.

I think your second sentence explains it very well.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[sluggercatfan]

If your offense is so basic that you can't even move the ball, then what advantage would it have to you as a conservative coach? All it's going to do is keep your defense on the field when you go three and out every time. I don't see the logic in Stoops asking the OCs to be THAT conservative.

I think what we're really seeing is an accumulation of several things:
1. A quarterback who seems to be very hesitant to take chances on throwing the ball unless were in desperate need.
2. A very mediocre corps of receivers who do not get open very well and are probably also getting frustrated that we barely throw.
3. A head coach that would like to use a lot of clock - i.e. run the ball a lot - and asks his OC to err on the conservative side
4. A team that is wearing down from a long season in the SEC.

I'm a big fan of UK football. A very big fan. I'm not sure I've ever seen such an inept offense as we have right now. We run right up the middle for all of our running plays and we either throw VERY short passes back to the line of scrimmage or even behind it, or we take a sack. I can't for the life of me figure out why we can't do anything more imaginative than the plays I'm describing. We don't even do any wrinkles in the wildcat anymore and everyone knows when we're going to use it.

Defense arguably best ever...offense most definitely the worst.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

If your offense is so basic that you can't even move the ball, then what advantage would it have to you as a conservative coach? All it's going to do is keep your defense on the field when you go three and out every time. I don't see the logic in Stoops asking the OCs to be THAT conservative.

I think what we're really seeing is an accumulation of several things:
1. A quarterback who seems to be very hesitant to take chances on throwing the ball unless were in desperate need.
2. A very mediocre corps of receivers who do not get open very well and are probably also getting frustrated that we barely throw.
3. A head coach that would like to use a lot of clock - i.e. run the ball a lot - and asks his OC to err on the conservative side
4. A team that is wearing down from a long season in the SEC.

I'm a big fan of UK football. A very big fan. I'm not sure I've ever seen such an inept offense as we have right now. We run right up the middle for all of our running plays and we either throw VERY short passes back to the line of scrimmage or even behind it, or we take a sack. I can't for the life of me figure out why we can't do anything more imaginative than the plays I'm describing. We don't even do any wrinkles in the wildcat anymore and everyone knows when we're going to use it.

Stoops on his call in show likes it. So I guess it is (offense) what he wants it to be.

 

[*Bleedingblue*]

Stoops said we were "milking" the clock down 3-0 in second quarter at Tennessee after the game, who in the world thinks like this? Seriously, has the man lost his marbles, he has the best defense he has ever had at UK.

Hey Stoops, open up the offense from the first snap, with high tempo, RPO, run/pass, play action, and get a freaking lead, then MILK that clock.

I was listening to the UK play by play guys and they were dumbfounded that the offense was still trying to milk the clock in the second half when we needed 3 scores. They couldn't wrap the heads around we needed to score and score as fast as possible and the staff still milking clock.

 

[JABJRS]

Stoops said we were "milking" the clock down 3-0 in second quarter at Tennessee after the game, who in the world thinks like this? Seriously, has the man lost his marbles, he has the best defense he has ever had at UK.

Hey Stoops, open up the offense from the first snap, with high tempo, RPO, run/pass, play action, and get a freaking lead, then MILK that clock.

Can you please point me to where CMS said this?

 

[JABJRS]

Stoops is so conservative, wants to run the ball, MILK the clock (his words), and basically try to let his defense win the game.

Gran tries to please the boss, yet his nature is to run uptempo, pass/run mix, etc.

Not sure the marriage lasts, Gran is loyal, draws a nice check, but is shackled by the micro manager.

Anybody else disagree?

I think this is one theory.....maybe right, maybe not. However, if you're not at practice, in team meetings or on the sidelines during games, it's just a guess.

 

[wildcat_bigd]

Come on Bob, lil bro needs a good talking to