Defense is paramount to our success I agree. We have to have quality QB play to put points on the board as we will not have a shut down defense like a Georgia or Alabama. We need to be able to get 3-4 stops a game and especially at critical times
Will UK experience a top 20 FB Season?
- Thread starter mtn cat1
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Defense is paramount to our success I agree. We have to have quality QB play to put points on the board as we will not have a shut down defense like a Georgia or Alabama. We need to be able to get 3-4 stops a game and especially at critical times
If the offense dosen't increase its output to 30+ ppg the defense isn't going to matter.
I think they have top 20 potential, but like the old saying goes "potential" means you haven't done it yet. Probably 40 or more teams that have top 20 potential but less than half will wind up there. It all depends on how your season goes, what questions get answered early on, how you fair with injuries and if you get a few breaks here and there.
I didn't read this thread but in response to the subject: Not this year but hopefully in my lifetime.
We have 17 starters including Benny Snell back. But before a single game is played, some of our fans are already giving up. Interesting.
Don't just sing it, BRING IT!!!!
The time is NOW for Coach Stoops to break through and get this program into the top 25!!
We return almost everyone on defense and most of our O-Line,WR's, TE and our best player on offense, plus the #1 Juco QB.
I realize the SEC is tough, but this year is CRUCIAL to the growth of UK Football!!
The time is NOW for Coach Stoops to break through and get this program into the top 25!!
We return almost everyone on defense and most of our O-Line,WR's, TE and our best player on offense, plus the #1 Juco QB.
I realize the SEC is tough, but this year is CRUCIAL to the growth of UK Football!!
Nice post, but I have seen "the #1 Juco QB" several times, but when I read the article I thought it said the biggest impact, not the best. And that is not to say Wilson isn't the best, just that no one will really know until the season is over, good chance he may not even be the starter.
Which was it, the #1 Juco QB (which is just a guess now anyway) or the one that makes the most impact (another guess)? And I am very excited about his ability and what he can do with the support I expect from all the returning talent, but not sure Hoak might not be just as good OR more suited to balancing our offense a little better, and with both a good chance of success with our returning talent.
Or even a true freshman or two helping out.
UK is sitting in a good position this year returning as many starters as anyone in the SEC, plus have 4 SEC games against .teams with new coaches. That isn't saying those 4 are easy wins, but UF is going to get better, UT will get better, I just don't think either will be very good in 18, State returns a lot of people, A&M will have some athletes. But on the flip side of things, Muschamp had Carolina playing well the last half of the season, as did Missouri, both of those will be battles. But this is the year, 19 UK will be in complete rebuild mode defensively, Snell could leave so it needs to happen this year, schedule won't be more favorable anytime soon.
You are right it probably should have been caught Carolina and Missouri before they got things going on the right directio, UT after they quit, should have beaten UF. I can't explain the 3 bad losses but I knew OM would be a tougher game than most thought it would be. But all that is history and can't do anything about it now.
UK has a ton of starters returning from a 7 win team, a top level RB, the only real question mark is an important one, who will be the QB. 18 almost has to be the year, get so momentum going heading into 19 because UK will be replacing an awful lot of starters, likely in the 12-14 rang and a couple of top reserves
It seems to me that STOOPS recruiting has let us reach the point where we have some pretty good backups ready to step up when we do lose starters, AND I think he has also gradually improved our coaching staff. I think we have improved quite a bit there, some of them veterans now. Certainly not like the old days when mitch had Brown become the "Co-DC" (in name only) to save a couple hundred thou buyout instead of firing him. And they have done a pretty good job in filling holes, the two QBs and Price good examples, anxious to see if they live up to the hype.
How many opponents have new coaches, at least FIVE, there could be some adjustments to be made.
I am even hoping that Mizzou adding Dooley as an OC will be a help, but maybe they just hired him to teach them how to cheat without getting caught. But it might be more difficult there without the whole town selling out to help them.
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UK went 25 minutes against OM without even attempting a fg...can't do that against a team with a defense as bad as theirs was. UK MUST improve its offensive scoring before they are going to make another step and I fear that dosen't happen with MS.
I'm gambled on Johnson not being able to hurt them passing and won. UGA would have been in the same boat but Eason going down early got Grimm on the field. Eason just didn't play with the confidence or composure. With Eason I don't think he could hurt teams like Grimm with the pass because he refused to throw into tight coverages.
Injuries at skilled positions are always in play every year in how teams do during the season. Stay healthy and things can work out for you.
I expect about what we've been getting...
Until Stoops proves he can coach us to 8+ wins, I won't expect it.
His coaching has been the difference between a few REALLY good seasons, and mediocre seasons.
We have the talent to break through, but I still expect 7-5
Until Stoops proves he can coach us to 8+ wins, I won't expect it.
His coaching has been the difference between a few REALLY good seasons, and mediocre seasons.
We have the talent to break through, but I still expect 7-5
Ga Qb is Jake Fromm, I got to watch him as a freshman and sophomore. You knew then how smart and composed he was and would have a good future. He had committed to Ala until the coaching change.
At the end of the day, none of us knows what the future holds. But with 17 starters including Benny Snell coming back, there is reasonable cause for optimism this year if a person has internal inclinations to be optimistic. Stoops' records here have been 2-10, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6. So, 1 way of looking at it would be that a deeper, better roster should lead to more wins and a better record in 2018, continuing the prior trend of improvement. But another way of looking at it would be that the competitive history of UK football has been difficult, and therefore it just isn't possible to conceive of a better record than 7-6 (oh, and let's blame Stoops if we can't conceive of it). For now, giving both points of view the benefit of the doubt, I recommend that everyone should plan to attend our BWG next month. I never miss it, and I find it always gives me useful insights into ongoing development of our roster.
As long as you don’t read too much into it. The BWG does give us insight to what players have been up to during the break. We get to see how guys have gotten bigger. We get to see some of the young guys play. But that’s about it. It’s a scripted scrimmage to get fans excited. Vanilla offense, very vanilla defense.....no pass rush, they’re told to back off and avoid injuries, etc.
We always play a BUNCH of great teams, so we'll have to win the LOS against those great teams, and get some good breaks as well!!
Like last year, we'd could improve and STILL not see it in our win/loss record.
Hopefully we break through and get 8 wins this year!!
It's sad when a good poster devolves into a one trick pony.
Less than 8 wins and I will be disappointed.
Agree 100% but I’ve got faith in our offensive coordinator and QB coach and they will deliver!
If our QB can’t throw it enough to make this a balanced offense, then no way. Until proven otherwise, I don’t expect much from our D. They look decent on paper but Stoops D has been garbage for most of his tenure.
We are going to have put up some points. If one of our QB step up, maybe.
We are going to have put up some points. If one of our QB step up, maybe.
Not bad at all for you, but I expect quite a bit from our D. Remember all your friends "no FRESHMEN recruits in the NFL yet" posts, that is because all FIVE of our candidates chose to come back, four of them on the D-------for more coaching from THIS staff. Wouldn't it have been simpler to go Pro and devote ALL your time to improving your skills, with a LOT of help from the money game-------while getting paid a LOT more-------IF you believe in yourself, (if you don't you have no chance anyway), and most young spoiled athletes do, look at Boom-------still hope he can make some money, and he should, maybe just not the millions he expected.
And I think we have the OC and QB coach that have enough material to put a decent QB on the field, that will look better than he is because of the IMPROVED support around him, Price and Baker should both be a big help at the TWO positions in question.
When is the last time (never) when we could put the returning regular season leading RB returning (should have been overall), a 5.6, TWO four star QB candidates (Hoak ESPN and Wilson out of high school), a TE four star with a backup coaches really like, three or four FOUR star WRs returning, with an OL that will probably average OVER a four star with most starting units?
UK's MAIN problem for FOREVER has been lack of raw talent, Stoops has done a marvelous job of upgrading that, starters AND backups-------you used to never have much talk at all about the backups, because we didn't have any worth mentioning.
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There is a difference sometimes between what we expect and what we should be able to expect. In the sixth year of this rebuild, with 17 starters returning, and with a schedule that looks very manageable I think we should be able to expect 9-4 when all is said and done. There may be an understandable drop off in 2019 but 2018 should be a big year for Kentucky football. If it doesn’t happen I’d consider that a very, very bad sign in terms of what the future holds for the program under current leadership. We don’t have a new head coach anymore. He’s an experienced coach now. This is a show me year for Stoops.
Nah, if we don't break .500 it will only cost $12,000,000 for the buyout, mitch has plenty of money, thanks SEC.
And we just might get Saban, right, after all a lot of coaches would want the job after Stoops has loaded up enough talent to make us at least not a laughing stock talent wise.
Football is a funny game, breaks can make or break you, but I am not really that worried about a .500 season. Might even have to join Sluggo if that happened.
I don’t think we should be worried about a .500 season. It appears some people are though. Let’s hope that there isn’t any reason to be.
Well, riddle me this. Just for the recore, in YOUR opinion what scoring average will UK have in 2018 AND what scoring average would satisfy your craving for an new age offense?
So you think the Cats will score 30+ in 2018? I know that's not the case so I will ask the first question again. Just for the record, what would you project the offensive scoring average of the 2018 Cats?
I do have to ask if the Cats would score 30+ per your wishes then would you desist in beating the horse you currently whip incessantly?
SEC average points per game in 2017:
Points/G
1 Missouri 37.5
2 Alabama 37.1
3 Georgia 35.4
4 Auburn 33.9
5 Mississippi 32.8
6 Texas A&M 32.7
7 Mississippi State 32.0
8 Arkansas 28.8
9 LSU 27.2
10 Kentucky 25.5
11 Vanderbilt 24.6
12 South Carolina 24.2
13 Florida 22.1
14 Tennessee 19.8
For context, Kentucky averaged 30 ppg in 2016 and was 7th in the SEC. UK averaged 29 ppg in 2014 and was 9th in the SEC that year. In other words, 30 ppg will get you middle-of-the-pack most years. If you want to be top five most years you need to average about 34 ppg.
Points/G
1 Missouri 37.5
2 Alabama 37.1
3 Georgia 35.4
4 Auburn 33.9
5 Mississippi 32.8
6 Texas A&M 32.7
7 Mississippi State 32.0
8 Arkansas 28.8
9 LSU 27.2
10 Kentucky 25.5
11 Vanderbilt 24.6
12 South Carolina 24.2
13 Florida 22.1
14 Tennessee 19.8
For context, Kentucky averaged 30 ppg in 2016 and was 7th in the SEC. UK averaged 29 ppg in 2014 and was 9th in the SEC that year. In other words, 30 ppg will get you middle-of-the-pack most years. If you want to be top five most years you need to average about 34 ppg.
If they are still losing ,yes. Think we all would be happy with the results. How many will we score in 2018? I'm going to guess about the same as this year.i don't like to go by scoring average because they can be decieving...in 2016 UK was 5-2 when on 30+ side and 2-4 when not. In 2015 30+ 3-0...sub side 2-7. MY OPINION is that UK CANNOT win by trying to win shutting people down because of recruiting and like many(most) others, including the big boys needs to run an uptempo high scoring offense designed to score more points because then there isn't so much stress on the defense ...if you disagree that's your right, but if you watch college fb scores across the country you'll see I'm right. Just look at the scores in the national championships the last SEVERAL years, and not just last year, it bears that out.
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