We complained after the first game in 2018

[trueblujr2]

I decided to go back and look through the posts following the 35-20 win over Central Michigan in 2018. It wasn't pretty. Lots of complaints about Terry Wilson, people calling for Gunnar Hoak to start. To put it bluntly, fans didn't think highly of our chances in Gainesville the following week. Florida was something like a 15 pt. favorite.

https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/stoops.271296/
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/did-we-lose.271344/
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/...-lot-about-louisville-or-uk-yesterday.271371/
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/how-is-it-that-we-dont-have-a-legit-qb.271372/
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/this-was-a-major-problem-with-stoops-gran.271341/
https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/ugly-win.271290/

Just posting these to show that there can always be a huge difference from week one to week two. Let's hope this weeks no different.

 

[Fadhi]

As far as I can remember the lines have struggled against small school foes only to man up against the first SEC opponent they face.

I've stopped trying to understand it.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

As far as I can remember the lines have struggled against small school foes only to man up against the first SEC opponent they face.

I've stopped trying to understand it.

Its called overlooking lesser teams while focusing on formidable ones.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

@Gromcat letting Stoops have it in the first linked thread.

 

[YaketySax]

Remember how angry fans online were when Dorian Baker caught the late TD to beat EKU in 2015??

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Remember how angry fans online were when Dorian Baker caught the late TD to beat EKU in 2015??

Dorian Baker the Touchdown Maker

 

[ganner918]

Dorian Baker the Touchdown Maker

Man, if Baker could just CATCH he would have been a great receiver. Unfortunately his biggest weakness was the #1 thing a receiver is supposed to do.

 

[DCFseattle]

I always scroll through those old threads when people link them hoping I didn't say something dumb. Luckily for me, I didn't appear in any of those one way or the other.

 

[cathouse]

Man, if Baker could just CATCH he would have been a great receiver. Unfortunately his biggest weakness was the #1 thing a receiver is supposed to do.

He was really good at blocking.

 

[JPFisher]

Man, if Baker could just CATCH he would have been a great receiver. Unfortunately his biggest weakness was the #1 thing a receiver is supposed to do.

Unless it was the most fantastical, contortioning grab of the night across all of college football. Dude could somehow pull those down with some regularity 😂

 

[3Bluefever325]

We always play down, but I always wonder if going in knowing you’re not opening the playbook expecting to beat a bad team anyway, keeps us from getting up for the game. The coaches have admitted to staying vanilla and that we’ve been game planing for Florida all summer. That may have ALOT to do with playing like we did. How could you not be looking past Miami at that point if you were a player.

 

[southindycat]

I think sometimes G5 D lines present some surprising match-up problems. They generally give up a lot of size (relative to P5 D line units) but can be surprisingly quick and technically sound nonetheless. In fact, I think that is exactly where better G5 programs figure they are going to make their recruiting money.

 

[jacobbleedsblue]

@Gromcat letting Stoops have it in the first linked thread.

I actually like that dude. He kind of reminds me of my dad, even though I think I'm older than he is. He doesn't have a take on everything, but when he does, it's flaming hot and he doesn't back down. He also doesn't remember a single time he was wrong (like my dad.)

 

[PhattyJ4UK]

Shoot. Only gave to go back to last years Chattanooga game. Probably should have lost tbh.

 

[Gromcat]

@Gromcat letting Stoops have it in the first linked thread.

I wanted that guy fired and rehired at least 4 different times over 7 years.

I still don’t think Stoops is the guy that’s going to take UK to the elite level. To me that’s going to come with the follow up hire. But he’s got us in position so I’ll be content for now.

 

[Backer cutter]

I actually think he might be the guy, could be wrong obviously. I’ve been proven wrong with him so many times at this point I ain’t betting against him. One tough SOB to bet against.

 

[StubbornPenny]

I still don’t think Stoops is the guy that’s going to take UK to the elite level. To me that’s going to come with the follow up hire.

This is key. Most likely Stoops won’t, but if he can establish two/three decades of very good football, that changes the overall perception of the program, and then you nab the hot up and comer.

 

[trueblujr2]

I wanted that guy fired and rehired at least 4 different times over 7 years.

I still don’t think Stoops is the guy that’s going to take UK to the elite level. To me that’s going to come with the follow up hire. But he’s got us in position so I’ll be content for now.

I actually think he can. Not sure who exactly you think that next hire would be that would take us ver the top.
Think about how close we were in 2018. We actually played Georgia for the right to go to Atlanta. It literally came down to that game. Granted we weren’t quite at the point of overcoming them, but we had that chance. Last season we were as competitive as anyone who played Georgia. I know it’s all still a process, but this Freshman class is giving us some hope for taking that next step in the future. Stoops has taken us from perennial cellar dwellers, fighting with Vandy for the bottom of the SEC to arguably one of the top 5-6 teams in the league consistently. I think if Stoops stays and gets the support he needs, he most certainly can take us over the top.

 

[The-Hack]

As to the OP, there has seldom been a G5 win that didn’t underwhelm.

Maybe NMS last year.

Our 24 point beating of MoO is actually one of our better showings, especially when you consider their shot of winning the MAC.

 

[Jtf2217]

Man, if Baker could just CATCH he would have been a great receiver. Unfortunately his biggest weakness was the #1 thing a receiver is supposed to do.

Kid would have a crazy difficult catch but couldn't catch the routine stuff it seemed like. I remember atleast a few times being like how did he catch that? While also remembering the 3 right on the numbers perfect passed he had dropped before that.

 

[BigTyrone]

Unless it was the most fantastical, contortioning grab of the night across all of college football. Dude could somehow pull those down with some regularity 😂

He made some really great catches and crapped the bed on the easy, routine gimmes. For 4 years.

 

[The-Hack]

He made some really catches and cropped the bed on the easy, routine gimmes. For 4 years.

The worst way to defend him was being in contact or in his grill. Leave him alone, he would drop them. In heavy competition for the ball against EKU, Louisville, etc., he caught the ball.

20 years ago, McCord was similar: circus catches and uncontested drops.

 

[trueblujr2]

So does this now mean that after first games now we can all just take a collective deep breath and move on to the next one?

 

[trueblujr2]

The worst way to defend him was being in contact or in his grill. Leave him alone, he would drop them. In heavy competition for the ball against EKU, Louisville, etc., he caught the ball.

20 years ago, McCord was similar: circus catches and uncontested drops.

McCord and 20 years ago in the same sentence just aged me dramatically.

 

[DCFseattle]

Lol no
Don't be stupid